Mia has few places in her community to turn to for support outside of her family and friends. San Juan Capistrano — where more than 1 out of every 5 residents live in poverty, and about 1 of every 8 are uninsured — lacks enough healthy spaces for young people to come together and support one another. That’s about to change.

Thanks to support and commitment from a variety of partners, a new allcove center is being built to serve youth in Mia’s south Orange County community. Partial funding for the center included a $1 million grant from the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) — in collaboration with the Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission(MHSOAC) — made possible by the California Children & Youth Behavioral Health Initiative’s (CYBHI) Evidence-based Practices (EBP) and Community-defined Evidence Practices (CDEP) grant program.

The allcove center is a place for youth to access affordable mental health and wellness services to support their emotional, physical, and social well-being. The model, developed by the Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing, focuses on offering youth ages 12 to 25 years a safe and supportive space and access to a broad range of potential services, including mental health, physical health, substance use disorder, peer support, family support, housing, supported education and employment, and linkage to other services.

The center also provides culturally competent and relevant services for vulnerable and marginalized youth populations, including, but not limited to, LGBTQIA+, homeless, and Indigenous youth. The overall goal of funding allcove centers is to reduce suicide and suicide ideation, homelessness, unemployment, and school failure.

“It’s a place that anyone can come to — it’s a welcoming space — I think people can feel safe there.” – Mia, Member of allcove San Juan Capistrano’s Youth Advisory Group

Orange County-based Wellness & Prevention Center (WPC) will operate the center. Susan Parmelee, WPC’s Executive Director, is a mental health social worker who has advocated for the youth of her community for more than a decade. With this new funding from CYBHI, she is excited to expand prevention-oriented services and open doors on the new allcove San Juan Capistrano center in spring 2025.

“Our health care system is all too focused on the person about to fall off the cliff, but not on the person who has not even started to climb up the mountain. This project is about the person climbing the mountain.” – Susan Parmelee, Executive Director of WPC

For Youth, By Youth

Like the CYBHI, allcove centers are designed for youth and by youth. The new center is guided by a Youth Advisory Group (YAG) that includes high-school and college students from the community. The YAG — which was formed two years ago — has been meeting regularly to share design, architectural, and programmatic insights to build the center.

The center will be staffed by six peer support specialists. Peer support specialists are youth with lived experience who are required to take a 40-hour course and are certified and then supervised by a licensed clinician to support other youth who may be struggling with mental health and substance use disorder issues.

Input from youth has been central to the allcove model from the very beginning. YAGs for the initial allcove centers asked for an open social space called, “the cove.” The allcove San Juan Capistrano YAG also added a learning kitchen and space for basic needs, such as a clothing swap area, food pantry, and washer and dryer.

“One of the ways allcove stands out to me is by going against a lot of stereotypes and old-fashioned sayings. We’re creating a movement for mental health, and we’re showing that with enough perseverance, this is something that can be accessible to anyone, regardless of their background.” – Viuna, Member of allcove San Juan Capistrano’s Youth Advisory Group

“Youth-driven programs are an important community support because they are designed with, by, and for youth and young adults to help reduce stigma, embrace mental wellness, and increase community connection.” – Autumn Boylan, DHCS’ Office of Strategic Partnerships

Community Partners Key

The center would not be possible without funding, staffing, and support from a broad coalition of community partners.

“This center is one powerful example of Californians coming together in service of our youth to transform mental health support in a very real and innovative way. I look forward to the doors opening and the young people of south Orange County having this important space to support one another.” – Dr. Sohil Sud, Director of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative

Another critical community partner is Dr. Stephen Schueller, Professor of Psychological Science and Informatics at UC Irvine. UC Irvine is home to the only School of Social Ecology in the country, and its undergraduate majors are required to do a field study placement — meaning they do some work in the community. He sees allcove San Juan Capistrano as a potential opportunity to be a future field study placement for students to learn about what makes allcove work, including its holistic model of care.

“It’s not just mental health services. We’re providing peer support, employment and education services, and family support — a whole wealth of different services — and I think students are interested in learning what  the future of care will look like.” – Dr. Stephen Schueller, Professor of Psychological Science and Informatics at the University of California, Irvine

Other partners that have supported the delivery and expansion of mental health services for youth in San Juan Capistrano include the James Henry Ransom Foundation, and CalOptima Health, which provides Medi-Cal health coverage for Orange County’s low-income residents.

Youth pitched the allcove to the CalOptima Health Board of Directors, who enthusiastically agreed to support the effort. Carmen Katsarov, LPCC, CCM, Executive Director of Behavioral Health Integration at CalOptima Health, expressed gratefulness for her organization’s ability to lean in and support the project, which she considers “prevention in action.” Katsarov also appreciates the state of California’s efforts in seeking innovative ways to better support youth.

“CalOptima Health is very proud to be a part of this project because it’s going to be a place youth have created for other youth, a place where they can receive support and connection in the way they want to receive it.” – Carmen Katsarov, LPCC, CCM, Executive Director of Behavioral Health Integration at CalOptima Health

Looking to the Future

San Juan Capistrano’s allcove may not be built yet, but plans to keep the center open and thriving are already underway. WPC is looking beyond one-time grants and seeking to leverage new service coverage models such as California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal and the CYBHI Fee Schedule Program to sustain efforts.

Viuna and Mia shared that there is no other place like it that exists in their community today. Not only will it fill a void, but it will also serve as a reminder that California is leading a movement to change the way it supports children and youth mental health long into the future.

“I think allcove is going to be a shining star for our Orange County community because it’s going to be a safe space for youth and will be something the larger community can be proud of. We listened to our youth about what they need at this place, in this time, and we delivered.” – Carmen Katsarov, LPCC, CCM, Executive Director of Behavioral Health Integration at CalOptima Health

To watch more video clips featuring partners involved in the allcove San Juan Capistrano center visit, CalHHS’ YouTube Channel.