In 2020, KYCC’s Clinical Services launched its first ever Mental Health Youth Leadership program, Spreading Awareness to Youth’s (S.A.Y.), to help promote mental health awareness among teens and to empower more young people to educate one another, raise awareness about mental health and end the stigma against mental illness.

This year’s 23′-24′ SAY cohort consisted of nine AAPI identifying high school students from various high schools across Los Angeles County. The cohort began meeting for weekly sessions starting in October 2023, where the students were taught mental health topics on a weekly basis over the course of eight months, on topics ranging from stress management techniques to common mental health disorders. 

Professionals and experts in their fields were invited to be guest speakers and present on topics such as the influence of peer pressure on substance use, adverse childhood experiences, and suicide prevention training, with speakers from KYCC Recovery Services, KYCC Clinical Services, and Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services.

Students were also given opportunities to network, socialize, and collaborate with KYCC Prevent Education’s Koreatown Organizing to Reduce Youth Opioids (KORYO) youth. Through two collaborative meetings, students were able to educate one another about their learned topics and discuss the overlap between mental health and substance use to further inform their advocacy work. 

“It’s been amazing to watch these students be curious and open to learning about new topics that I present to them each week. When I was guiding them through their initial brainstorm for the capstone project, my hope was that they would identify something that resonated with them to keep them invested and passionate about whatever topic they chose,” says Joann Won, Clinical Services Counselor. “At the end of 2 months, we’ve got these amazing projects that can seriously create a difference in each of their communities. I’m super proud of my students and all that they’ve accomplished and can’t wait to see what they get up to in the future with their advocacy.” 

The Spreading Awareness to Youth (S.A.Y.) club is part of the Korean Integrated Service Management (KISM) program, which is funded in part by the County of Los Angeles, Department of Mental Health. 

To learn more about  KYCC’s Clinical Services, please visit: https://www.kyccla.org/services/clinical-services/.