For Youth, By Youth: How California is Co-Creating Innovative Mental Health Campaigns

Never a Bother is California’s groundbreaking youth suicide prevention campaign–designed with, for, and by youth and their caregivers–transforming the way government, partners, communities, and individuals support and affirm youth mental health in response to the growing crisis across our country. Partnering with youth co-creators across California and the award-winning musician and influencer Megan Thee Stallion, the Never a Bother campaign is an example of how governments, community organizations, and youth themselves can lead critical conversations and engage audiences on messages and calls to action that authentically resonate with youth. Since its launch, the Never a Bother campaign has become a catalyst for a statewide movement supporting and affirming youth mental health, their caregivers, and the many partners who support them statewide. Join Civilian, the agency behind the work, along with campaign youth advisors and guest speakers from the California Department of Public Health and the California Health and Human Services Agency in an interactive webinar sharing key learnings about the campaign’s design, creative, messaging, implementation, engagement, and more. We’ll share key insights and translatable takeaways for any organization or individual across the country working to support youth mental health and suicide prevention efforts. We’ll also discuss the benefits of co-creation with diverse audiences and youth, the ins-and-outs of how to do it, and how unconventional partnerships can deliver results. Featured speakers: ● Camellia Mortezazadeh, MPH, Civilian Agency- Director of Strategy ● Pete Levine, Civilian Agency- Director Client Service ● Varinda Gupta, Civilian Agency- Project Lead ● Shailen Dawkins, Never a Bother Campaign Youth Advisor ● Dr. Sohil Sud, California Health and Human Services Agency ● Darcy Pickens, California Department of Public Health