Student Advocates for Mental Health

The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) Student Advocates for Mental Health (SAMH) program engages, trains, and supports students and adult advisors in their efforts to increase mental health awareness, promote suicide prevention, reduce stigma related to mental illness, and increase access to support services on school campuses and in the community. The program utilizes best practices in positive youth development by forming partnerships between students, teachers, school counseling staff, and districts. OCDE provides training, guidance, materials, and resources to support schools and a designated student group to implement activities and events for their school communities. 

OCDE intentionally avoids a “one size fits all” approach for schools to implement youth-based mental health projects, recognizing that all schools are different and the best people to choose the strategies that will be successful to reach the target population are the stakeholders from that school, including students, staff, and parents. Guided by OCDE, each school explores current student attitudes and behaviors regarding mental health, knowledge of school resources, and barriers to seeking services. Student groups (e.g. leadership classes, PAL Peer Assistance Leadership, film classes,  and various service-based clubs) use a project-based learning model to implement mental health promotion projects targeting students, parents/caregivers, and school staff. 

The program aims to equip student leaders with knowledge of youth mental health and stigma reduction, strategies for seeking help and supporting their peers to seek help, and awareness of available mental health resources for youth at school and in the community. The goal is to support youth in developing the leadership skills, knowledge base and confidence needed for them to become mental health advocates for themselves and their peers.

Since 2020, OCDE has partnered with 23 school districts and 88 schools, including public, private, and charter schools, to implement a variety of mental health promotion projects with far reaching effects. More than six out of ten schools have participated for multiple years.

In total, 5,687 student advocates were trained in understanding youth mental health, recognizing signs of suicide, self-care strategies, how and where to seek help, and how to support others who may be facing mental health challenges. These youth helped develop and conduct mental health events that reached an estimated 148,000 students and 23,500 parents, as well as approximately 6,300 school staff over the five years.

Los Alamitos High School in the Los Alamitos Unified School District. Students in a video projection class developed films for the statewide Directing Change Film Contest. Three of their films won first place at the statewide contest in 2024 and 2025. “Beyond the Surface” won for the Mental Health Category and “Hot​ Pot” won for the Through the Lens of Culture category in 2024. “To My Younger Self” won first place in the Mental Health Category in 2025. In addition to participating in the contest, the class of filmmakers hosted a showcase event for students, parents/caregivers, and school staff, where they led an open discussion and dialogue about mental health issues affecting teens.​

Crisis Text Line

Having a hard time? Need some support? Crisis text line is a free 24/7 text support. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from a secure online platform. 

• Text HOME to 741741 available 24 hours a day

• Instagram: @crisistextline

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline​

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress and offers prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. Call today and get connected, or visit the website for more information. 

• Call or text 988

• Instagram: @988lifeline​

Teen Line

Do you need help working something out? Do you want to talk to someone who understands, like another teen? The Teen Line is here to help!  The toll-free hotline is available from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., and the text line is available from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

• Text TEEN to 839863

• ​Call 310-855-4673 ​

• Instagram: @teenlineonline

Take Action for Mental Health​​​

As part of California’s ongoing mental health movement, the Take Action for Mental Health campaign is designed to help you check in, learn more, and get support for your own mental health or the mental health of someone you care about.​​

• Instagram: @takeaction4mh

Know the Signs

Pain isn't always obvious, and for some, it feels too difficult to talk about. Even though the warning signs of someone experiencing mental health related pain can be subtle, they are there. By recognizing these signs, knowing how to start a conversation, and where to turn for help, you can have the power to make a difference. Learn more about the signs, how to start the conversation, and where to reach out for support on the Know the Signs website.​
 

National Allianc​e on Mental Illness - Orange County (NAMI-OC)

The mission of NAMI-OC is to provide emotional support, education, and resources to Orange County teens, young adults, and families in need. They provide free educational programs, support groups, and events to address all aspects of mental health. Visit NAMI-OC's website or follow them on social media to learn more.

• Instagram: @nami_oc​

The OC Warmline - Emotional Support & Resources 24/7

The OC WarmLine is a free and confidential telephone service provided by NAMI-OC that offers emotional support and resources to Orange County residents, 12 PM - 12 AM, 7 days a week. If you, a family member, or friend are experiencing a mental health concern, or need someone who can help connect you to the right resources, the OC WarmLine can help. ​

• Call or text: (714) 991-6412

• Toll Free: (877)-910-9276​

Work2BeWell​

Work2BeWell (W2BW) is a mental health and wellness program focused on providing mental health resources and education for teens, parents, and educators. The  goals of the program include promoting teen wellness across the country, working to normalize the conversation about mental health, and reducing the stigma that surrounds it. Work2BeWell is committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all. Visit the W2BW website to learn more and access resources like lesson modules, curriculum, shareables, activities and more! 

• Instagram: @work2bewell

​Soluna App

This downloadable app provides free, confidential support to 13- to 25-year-olds in California. Youth can chat 1:1 with a professional coach, use interactive tools to destress, and explore strategies to support positive mental health through quizzes, videos, forums, and more. 

Soluna is a CalHOPE program powered by Kooth Digital Health and funded by the California Department of Health Care Services. Soluna is not a crisis service. If you need urgent support, call or text 988 to be connected to The Lifeline. 

• Instagram: @soluna.app

BrightLife Kids 

This downloadable app provides free, personalized support, resources and expert coaching for California parents and children ages 0–12 to help them thrive. Parents and caregivers can turn to BrightLife Kids for peer support and expert advice on how to handle behavioral challenges while teaching resilience, problem-solving, and communication. Children can benefit from resources and coaching that teach them how to manage worries, express big feelings in healthy ways, and how to navigate complicated or confusing social situations.

• Instagram: @brightlifekids

OC Navigator

The OC Navigator is part of the Orange County Behavioral Health System Transformation Innovation Project. The project seeks to help people find and connect with the supportive resources they need in different areas of their life including health, wellbeing and other supportive services.​​​

U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Social Me​d​ia and Youth Mental Health

The Surgeon General’s Advisory calls attention to the growing concerns about the effects of social media on youth mental health. It explores and describes the current evidence on the positive and negative impacts of social media on children and adolescents, some of the primary areas for mental health and well-being concerns, and opportunities for additional research to help understand the full scope and scale of social media’s impact. It offers actionable recommendations for the institutions that can shape online environments—policymakers and technology companies—as well as for what parents and caregivers, young people, and researchers can do.

Common Sense Media 

From high-quality media recommendations to internet access for all learners, Common Sense Media is on a mission to make media and technology safer, healthier, and more equitable for kids everywhere. Since 2003, Common Sense has been the leading independent source for media recommendations and advice for families on parenting, media, and everything in between. Common Sense is a trusted guide for parents and caregivers in a fast-changing, digital world! 

GoodforMEdia

GoodforMEdia is a youth-led, peer mentoring and education program exploring the ME in media. An initiative from the Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing, #GoodforMEdia advocates for helping youth practice healthier ways of engaging with media. We take a nuanced approach to technology and social media’s effects on youth mental health, because we recognize it’s not black and white.

Log Off Movement  

The LOG OFF movement was created in June 2020 by high school students in response to their personal struggle with social media usage, its negative impact on her mental health, and the absence of youth voices in the dialogue surrounding social media advocacy. LOG OFF is dedicated to uplifting and empowering youth to tackle the complexities of social media and its impact on younger generations. 

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