How Youth Mental Health Ambassadors Are Shaping Mental Wellness in California

In 2021, California took a bold step to prioritize mental health in its public schools by passing Senate Bill 224, requiring mental health education across all grade levels. But policy alone isn’t enough to change culture. That’s where community innovation steps in—and where a team of educators, youth leaders, and public health experts is making a real difference in the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.

In 2023, the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO) joined forces with Dr. Sarah Murray, associate professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, to launch the Youth Mental Health Ambassadors program. With support from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, the program set out to uplift youth voices in the creation of school-based mental health support systems that are both culturally relevant and grounded in lived experience.

At the heart of the program is the belief that young people aren’t just the beneficiaries of mental health resources—they’re the experts in what their peers need. The CAPSLO team began by recruiting 22 students with a shared interest in mental wellness. These Youth Mental Health Ambassadors quickly became active co-creators, engaging in every step of the process—from gathering peer feedback to designing wellness activities.

Throughout the school year, these student leaders helped conduct surveys, ran Instagram polls, facilitated focus groups, and even hosted a healing circle to better understand the emotional landscape of their schools. Their findings were telling. Students reported five key challenges impacting their mental well-being: academic pressure, cultural barriers to mental health care, a lack of trusted adults, limited crisis intervention skills among school staff, and a general lack of awareness of available local resources.

With these insights, the Ambassadors and educators worked side-by-side to bring new energy to three school-based wellness centers. They piloted mindfulness workshops, offered peer-led stress relief activities, provided feedback on health curriculum, and helped design promotional materials to make the centers more welcoming and visible to students.

Ambassadors then led a two-hour mental health workshop for 50 college-bound peers, teaching practical tools like mindfulness and stress management. These sessions were not only well-received, they were empowering. By the end of the school year, the Ambassadors had built a strong sense of ownership and confidence in their ability to lead.

Beyond the events and curriculum, the program left a lasting mark on the students themselves. According to end-of-year survey results:

• 75% reported increased confidence in public speaking and organizational skills
• 75% reported greater awareness of local mental health resources
• 75% said their ability to work as a team had improved
• 62.5% felt more able to seek help when needed
• 37.5% noted improved self-esteem
• 75% reported increased awareness of healthy versus unhealthy relationships
• 37.5% felt more comfortable talking about mental health with their parents or guardians

The Youth Mental Health Ambassadors program demonstrates what happens when schools treat students not as passive recipients of help, but as essential partners in building healthier communities. With trust, training, and the chance to lead, these young people have become a driving force for change, not only helping their peers but also reshaping how schools approach mental health.