In Final Town Hall, Senator Portantino Gathers Experts and Advocates to Address Youth Crisis in California

State Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D-Burbank) organized a comprehensive mental health forum at Pasadena City College on Saturday, Oct. 19, drawing experts and community leaders.

Portantino partnered with PCC to host “Improving Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing,” gathering mental health professionals and youth advocates in the college’s Creveling Lounge.

“I have always prioritized the safety and well-being of our youth throughout my tenure in public office and it is an honor to dedicate my final town hall to mental health,” Portantino said.

The Senator said his legislative record would show he sponsored laws requiring suicide prevention hotline numbers on student identification cards, ensuring mental health absences receive equal treatment as physical ailments, and mandating mental health education for middle and high school students.

Sohil Sud, Director of California’s Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and UC San Francisco Associate Clinical Professor, who completed his clinical training in January, presented the state’s ongoing mental health initiatives.

Members of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network Youth Advisory Board, including Leslie Campos Cristobal, Britany Flores, Amy Quichiz, and Nataly Melendez, addressed challenges facing youth mental health and policy involvement.

Some of the issues discussed during the panel included the challenges facing the current generation that impact mental health, the youth’s involvement in your decision making processes when proposing mental health policies, and destigmatizing mental health.

Jocelyn Meza, UCLA psychiatry professor and HEART lab director, discussed youth mental health outcomes, focusing on suicide and self-harm among Black and Latinx youth, drawing from her nationally recognized research.

Nine community organizations provided resources, including Chinatown Service Center, Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center, Foothill Family Services, Los Angeles County Suicide Prevention Network, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, National Alliance on Mental Illness San Gabriel Valley, Pacific Clinics, Pelican Cove Counseling Center, and Sycamores.

Alton Wang, President of the PCC Board of Trustees, joined Portantino in welcoming guests and emphasizing the importance of mental health advocacy for youth.

“We had an engaged audience who will take valuable information back to their communities and drive meaningful change,” Portantino said. “It is imperative that we erase the stigma surrounding mental health and ensure that our youth, families and communities are aware of the resources in place to help those in need of support.”