Stockton- Here at Lincoln High School you may be wondering how exactly you can get involved and empower students to be the voices of the future. Well, look no further, because here at Lincoln you have the opportunity to be a part of the change by joining the San Joaquin County Youth Mental Health Development Academy program (YMHDA).
YMHDA is a program run through the San Joaquin County Office of Education that teaches students about important topics such as mental health, suicide prevention, substance abuse, and social media that are extremely relevant to high school students. This program teaches students how to become leaders that can empower their communities and become the voices of the future who help end the stigma around making it easier to talk about mental health. Through the program students get the opportunity to listen to speakers who are experts in the different problems discussed in the program, give presentations to students all over the county, become certified in Teen Mental Health First Aid, and create connections with their peers from all over San Joaquin County. A few added benefits are 100+ hours of community service, and a fun trip to the Sky Mountain camp grounds where you can connect on a deeper level with your fellow peers in the program. To speak about her experience with YMHDA is a senior at Lincoln High School, Lilly Sandoval:
Ellis: What has been your favorite experience from YMHDA?
Sandoval: My favorite part of YMHDA is the community. I really enjoy meeting new people and continuing to grow my relationship with them. It’s really great to know that others have the same passion and struggles as me.
Ellis: What is one thing students can learn from being a part of YMHDA?
Sandoval: One thing students can learn is to not only help their peers,but in some ways they can also learn how to help themselves.
If you are interested in joining this program, the process to join will begin in the upcoming month of February and throughout the end of this school year. The requirements to join the program typically include submitting a letter of recommendation, answering any provided questions for an application, and a virtual interview with the program director to make sure you are a good fit for the program. For more questions email Catalina Kaur the program director at [email protected] or Nora Hana at [email protected]. It’s not too late to become the change you want to see at your school and in your community!
