Year in Review
2024
The Center’s Youth Suicide Prevention Program partners with 33 community-based organizations (CBOs) and Tribal partners across 33 counties, spanning from Crescent City in the north to San Diego at the southern border.
With critical funding from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), our program partners work tirelessly to prevent suicide among some of California’s most marginalized youth who are disproportionately impacted by suicide and self-harm behavior. This includes American Indian and Alaskan Native, Hispanic and Latinx, and African American/Black youth, as well as intersectional populations such as youth with mental health conditions and/or substance use issues, those impacted by the foster care system, and 2S/LGBTQ+ youth.
Funded by CDPH and led by advertising agency Civilian, the statewide Never a Bother media campaign delivers suicide prevention messaging across California through billboards, TV spots and digital outreach. Mainstream advertising alone isn’t enough to create lasting impact. Real change happens when trusted voices bring the message into their own communities.
The Never a Bother campaign is coupled with local level youth programming throughout the state of California. That’s where The Center’s 33 program partners come in—playing a critical role in translating this campaign into real, relatable conversations that meet young people, who are disproportionately impacted by suicide and self-harm behaviors, where they are. From organizing youth-driven experiences to crafting culturally resonant messages, our partners ensure Never a Bother is more than just a tagline—it’s a lived experience. Partners utilize evidence-based strategies to support youth mental health and work directly with youth to help inform their communications strategies and program activities.
The following examples are just a glimpse of the CBO partner work happening statewide. Now, consider this at scale. That’s the power of community-driven, culturally relevant and culturally resonate suicide prevention work.
BY THE NUMBERS: THE REACH OF OUR PARTNERS
The work of our partners extends far beyond individual organizational efforts. It’s a movement. Below, you’ll see key metrics that highlight the collective reach of our program. From social media engagement to in-person outreach, every number represents real young people that have been reached, supported and empowered.
Program interactions with youth
PARTNER INSTAGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: CONNECTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Our partners took to Instagram to spread the Never a Bother message, using creative and youth-driven content to connect with their communities. From spotlighting local youth leaders to sharing behind-the-scenes moments, to showcasing community events and gathering spaces, Instagram became a powerful platform to engage both young people and their support networks.
PARTNER VOICES IN ACTION: VIDEOS INSPIRED BY NEVER A BOTHER
Our program partner True Care’s youth participants created Helping Hands and First Steps as part of the Never a Bother co-create contest. Their video serves as an uplifting reminder that no one has to go through struggles alone, reinforcing the importance of reaching out for support.
Our program partner Jail Guitar Doors’ youth-led video New Beginnings was developed for a program co-create contest, highlighting the power of community and safe spaces. The film shares a message of inclusion, ensuring young people know they are always welcome and never a burden.
Our program partner Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance worked with Loara High School students on this Never a Bother-inspired short film to encourage their peers to seek help when needed. Through personal storytelling, their video reinforces that calling 988 is a sign of strength.
Our program partner Northern California Indian Development Council’s video about drum making connects Indigenous cultural resilience with mental health and wellness. Their youth-led initiative hosted a drum-making circle in Eureka, CA, reinforcing the role of traditional practices in healing and community support for Hupa, Yurok, Karuk, Tolowa, and Wiyot youth.
PARTNER EVENT & ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS: BRINGING THE CAMPAIGN TO LIFE IN COMMUNITY
Instituto Familiar de la Raza serving Alameda, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties
Spreading the Message at Carnaval San Francisco
At one of California’s largest and longest-running multicultural celebrations, program partner Instituto Familiar de la Raza engaged thousands of attendees with an interactive tabling experience. They distributed Never a Bother materials in both Spanish and English and invited young people to participate in community wellness activities. Attendees contributed to a shared “What I feel is real, and what I need is…” board, creating a space for self-expression and connection.
True Care serving San Diego County
Peer2Peer Ambassadors in Action
True Care’s Peer2Peer Ambassadors infused Never a Bother into campus life at Palomar College. Through speaking engagements, tabling events, and interactive art projects, they sparked conversations about mental health and suicide prevention, ensuring students knew where to find support.
Wellness Prevention Center serving Orange County
Bringing Never a Bother to their High School Campus
Program partner Wellness Prevention Center’s youth leaders drove this gorilla style marketing campaign—students designed and placed large Never a Bother decals across their high school’s floors, making sure their peers saw affirming mental health messages in their everyday spaces. By incorporating the campaign into their school environment, they reinforced the message that seeking support is always okay.
Impact Sac serving Placer and Sacramento Counties
Bother Me Whensdays: A Youth-Led Conversation Series
Bother Me Whensdays is a local, youth-led initiative inspired by Never a Bother. This Instagram campaign creates a safe space for young people to express what’s on their minds and encourages peers to reach out for support—even when they feel like a burden. By using the Never a Bother tagline “Bother me when…” youth remind each other that help is always within reach.
TOMORROW TOGETHER: PARTNER CONVENING & SUMMIT
In August 2024, The Center hosted the second Youth Suicide Prevention Program Convening in downtown Sacramento. This event provided opportunities for youth and their adult leaders to learn, gave our community-based partners an opportunity to lead discussions among their peers, hear from community and state leaders, engaged youth in co-creation experiences through interactive workshops and activities and also gave young people the stage, to talk directly and honestly about their experiences. Participants built leadership skills, learned strategies for messaging and storytelling, and explored practices to support mental health and overall wellness.
WHAT OUR PARTNERS AND YOUTH ARE SAYING
“This program gave my life a purpose.”
– Good Seed Community Development Corporation youth participant
“I have more confidence to talk about my emotions and feelings because I know they are valid and important, so when I felt sad, I talked with my Ma to express how I feel.”
– Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance youth participant
“I really like how [the program] described the way trauma shows up in the body, and the way in which my teen reacts to things. Since attending your panel discussion, my daughter and I have a stronger relationship and better communication.”
– San Diego Youth Services parent participant
“I’ve become more aware of how important it is to take care of my mental health.”
– Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance youth participant