From youth, for youth: Students promote mental health awareness.

In a world of distressing news, it’s nice to know there are good things happening on the local level, especially among our youth. Pam Marino here, after spending time listening to Monterey Peninsula children and teens share messages with their peers about how to build good mental health habits and avoid turning to harmful substances.

On Tuesday, May 12, I sat in on the Youth Substance Use Symposium at the Ohana youth mental health center at Ryan Ranch in Monterey. The annual symposium is hosted by Ohana and made possible in partnership with the Monterey Peninsula School District, the Drug-Free Communities grant coalition and Montage Health Foundation. 

The program was almost entirely student-led and most of the presentations were delivered by students from clubs supported by Ohana with the aid of MPUSD.

The presentations kicked off with the SCQTE Club (Safe, Calming, Quiet, Talk About Emotions), a mental health club from Ord Terrace Elementary in Seaside, with several students sharing how they learn strategies for dealing with stress and how to react when they are frustrated or angry. The tips they offered on how to deal with conflict are universal: take a break, get some fresh air then talk it out. 

Carmel High’s Narcan Saves Lives Club members chronicled how they launched a Kindness Bulletin Board at the start of the school year, a place for students to leave positive messages, or take home as inspiration. Their club, as well as the Northern Star Club from Marina High School, repainted former Monterey County Weekly newspaper boxes to become Narcan distribution boxes, as a way to distribute the lifesaving antidote when someone is experiencing an opioid overdose.

The students from Seaside High School’s My Path Club talked about how they focus on spreading awareness about substance abuse and preventing the use of gateway drugs, meeting twice a week during lunch. They organized an impressive number of awareness days and fundraisers throughout the year to fund their activities.

Some high school clubs traveled to elementary schools to give presentations. Monterey High School’s Narcan Saves Lives Club accompanied Dr. Casey Grover, an addiction specialist and a co-founder of the nonprofit Central Coast Opioid Overdose Prevention, to give presentations to elementary students about vaping, alcohol and drugs. 

“The youth clubs have had a profound impact on students, creating a space where they feel supported, empowered and connected,” said Allison Duckworth, program coordinator for the Drug-Free Communities grant at Ohana, in a written statement. “Through consistent meetings, leadership opportunities and meaningful discussions, students have built confidence in their voices and a stronger sense of belonging on campus.”

The clubs have also given the students a place to develop new skills around communication, teamwork and problem-solving, as well as giving them a safe environment to express themselves and build healthy relationships, she said.

“It has been an amazing experience for me to see them grow and flourish as young leaders,” Duckworth said.