AIM is bridging the gap between research and access to care for youth struggling with their mental health by finding and implementing evidence-based treatments, and empowering youth to discover their own mental health solutions.
Many young people struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges—and they’re often the last to be heard when it comes to finding solutions. AIM Youth Mental Health is changing that by putting youth at the center of change.
AIM Youth Programs empower high schoolers to become researchers, advocates, and changemakers in their schools and communities. Our programs equip teens to identify the issues their peers face, design actionable solutions, and influence systems-level change.
AIM Youth Programs don’t just support youth—they’re driven by them. From AIM Ideas Lab students conducting countywide peer-to-peer mental health surveys to AIM Youth Ambassadors presenting policy recommendations to school leaders, our youth participants shape how Monterey County responds to the youth mental health crisis.
With your support, AIM will expand these programs to more schools across the county and ensure that every teen in Monterey County knows they are seen, heard, and supported.
AIM benefits all of Monterey County by empowering youth across multiple school districts to lead mental health research, advocacy, and solutions in their own schools and communities. Through a close partnership with the Monterey County Office of Education and other local partners, we are expanding our reach into rural areas–especially South County–and to youth enrolled in continuation schools, providing opportunities for youth who have not typically had access to this kind of research and advocacy experience. AIM’s Youth Programs engage high school students from diverse backgrounds, ensuring that youth voices from every corner of the county are heard. Together, we’re improving Monterey County’s youth mental health landscape by centering the voices of those most affected: our young people!
I’ve watched those I love struggle in silence, as I have too, due to the stigma and lack of understanding in our community. Because of this, taking part in the AIM Ideas Lab inspired me to take action. It showed me that young people are capable of making a difference, and that our voices do truly matter. The Ideas Lab helped me realize that I want to pursue a career in public policy so that I can continue advocating for real, lasting change, especially surrounding mental health support in underserved communities like my own.
- Alexander Ortiz, Soledad High School, Soledad
