The city of Anaheim received a federal fund of $1 million dollars to help the city address the local youth population’s mental health crisis on May 4. U.S. House Representative of California’s 46th district Lou Correa revealed the check to city officials gathered in Anaheim’s Downtown Youth Center gymnasium.
Correa’s office stated that the fund is dedicated to the Anaheim Youth Foundation in order to expand the city’s mental health and wellness resources for “thousands of youths across Anaheim,” as reported by the OC Register.
According to Correa’s office, the $1 million dollar fund is a part of a $30 million-worth community building program for the 2023 financial year. Correa believes this funding is crucial.
“Our youth are suffering at the hands of a worsening mental health crisis, and they deserve our support at every level of government to weather it, and recover from it,” Correa stated. “With this money, we’ll be meeting our youth where they are — providing them the resources they so desperately need to persevere and recover from the mental health struggles they’re facing.”
Correa’s statements regarding the mental health crisis are supported by neighboring politicians and researchers. According to data reported by the New Santa Ana, suicide was disclosed as the second-leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24.
During his April 25 speech delivered in Washington D.C, U.S. Sen. of Louisiana John Kennedy noted that “One-third of adolescent Americans today are struggling with their mental health, including depression or hopelessness, and they often do not know where to seek help.”
Additionally, U.S. Sen. of Utah Chris Stewart stated, “Our nation’s young people are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. There has never been a generation this depressed, anxious and suicidal.”
Regarding his awareness of the mental health crisis of the youth generation, both Kennedy and Chris supported Correa’s effort on addressing youth mental health, including the 1 million fund given to the city of Anaheim.
In the statement issued by his office, Correa mentioned that the fund will support the Accelerate Change Together (ACT) Anaheim Youth Resiliency Collaboration. ACT Anaheim is a multi-agency group include 10 different Anaheim local NGOs to provide suicide prevention, psychological consulting, community connection and other mental health related services to local community — especially to the youth population.
Janis Heckel, Executive Director of the Anaheim Community Foundation (ACF), appreciated both the effort and funding from Correa.
“The money will help cover the cost of targeted counseling and support by organizations like Be Well OC for around 500 kids. It will also help pay for larger group recreation programs that would benefit around 5,000 youth run by groups like the YMCA or the Boys & Girls Club,” Heckel said to the LA Times.
Anaheim officials and city residents in attendance of the fund transfer ceremony on May 2 expressed their appreciation and hope for the future of youth mental health which the fund will help to improve.
“I look at this as an investment not in mental health but rather channeling the energy of these young folks in the right direction,” said Correa.
Deng Liu is a City News Intern for the spring 2023 quarter. He can be reached at dengnl@uci.edu.
