Meet the Behavioral Health Commission’s Youth Action Board

The San Mateo County Behavioral Health Commission’s Youth Action Board (YAB) is a group of young people (ages 14-24) committed to improving the behavioral health of youth across the County. Founded in 2022 by Behavioral Health Commissioner Frieda K. Edgette and Youth Commissioners Katelyn Chang and Hudson Fox to bring youth leadership, voice and lived experiences to mental and behavioral health decision-making tables, the YAB has evolved into a high-impact collective voice to improve the wellbeing of youth and those who care for them. 

Guided by a North Star that no young person should navigate mental health challenges alone or feel ashamed to ask for support, our initiatives focus on making resources more accessible, relatable and easier to find, while creating spaces where young people feel comfortable sharing their experiences and directly shape the services they need.  

Aligned with the BHRS transformation journey and Behavioral Health Services Act implementation, our 2026-2027 goals fall under Media and Policy: 

• Addressing access and service gaps: Over the past two years, the YAB and Youth Committee have partnered with BHRS to identify service gaps, gather feedback from youth and advocate for systems change. Digitally, we’ve designed a Pathways digital prototype for a “one-stop-shop” of mental health and behavioral health services and peer support communities in the County. This year, we are committed to bringing the Pathways tool to life, exploring a number of options with youth as co-designers. Our Policy Subcommittee examined gaps in youth crisis care and supported a statewide grant application for a Youth Crisis Healing Campus. This year, we are continuing a partnership with the San Mateo County Office of Education and United for Youth Blueprint to redesign a youth-shaped mental health curriculum in schools. 
• Amplifying youth perspectives through digital content: With the support of BHRS, our Media Subcommittee is beginning a partnership with Decoded, including content creation training and technical assistance, and will create regular digital content for the Decoded platform that increases awareness of resources, substance use and co-occurring education, peer support, and ongoing changes in Medi-Cal that impact youth. Follow up on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/decoded.ca/. 

We’d love for you to join us! Attend the monthly Behavioral Health Commission Youth Committee the third Wednesday of the month from 4-5PM via Zoom. Contact Frieda Edgette at edgette@novosconsulting.com to get involved. 

Dr. Jei Africa with the 2026-2027 Youth Action Board, pictured Left to Right: Maya Canas, Layla Ortiz, Amalia Viator, Luz Martinez, Kristyn Lee, Shaila Gonzalez, Eva Luna, Kaitlyn Ho, Veer Chowdhary, Allison Cerron, Ethan Liu, Sharon Sims Calzolai, Micah Zhou, Dr. Jei Africa, (not pictured: BHRS Project Manager Edith Cabuslay, Behavioral Health Commissioner Frieda K. Edgette, Behavioral Health Commissioner Michael Lim)