Ohana Youth Advisory
No one knows teens better than teens themselves. That’s why Ohana Youth Advisory (OYA) is so important. This group of high school students knows about issues facing young people today. They provide feedback and fresh ideas to help shape mental health care and education at Ohana.
What is Ohana Youth Advisory?
Ohana Youth Advisory is a group of teenagers interested in mental health. These teens work together toward a common goal: helping their peers receive better mental health treatment.
Fifteen to twenty five teenagers from various high schools throughout Monterey County make up OYA. They serve as a teen advisory board by bringing their generation’s voice to Ohana.
Who's eligible to serve on the council?
To be eligible for Ohana Youth Advisory, you must:
- Be enrolled in high school
- Commit to attending all council meeting sessions (with the understanding that there may be occasional conflicts with other activities)
- Have an interest in youth mental health
All Monterey County high school students are encouraged to apply, including current and former Ohana patients.
Ohana selects new council members for OYA each year. Members serve from September through May. The council meets twice each month. Members are official Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula volunteers. They receive volunteer credit for their time.
What does the council do?
Ohana Youth Advisory members work to ensure Ohana’s programming, materials, and prevention strategies are youth-centered and relevant.
Council activities
Ohana Youth Advisory members:
- Guide content for mental health education, workshop topics, and drug and alcohol prevention campaigns
- Offer opinions on treatment programming, such as preferences for sleep tracking methods or entertainment options in residential care
- Review and provide feedback on teen-targeted information, including posters and pamphlets
- Share insights on teen behavior and preferences, including screen time, social media platforms, and how youth respond to specific messages
Council members also gain exposure to mental health careers through guest speakers who share information on their career paths.
Council projects and contributions
Ohana Youth Advisory members have made a meaningful impact on mental health care and education. Past projects include:
- Brochure development: Ohana’s Prevention Care Team developed a series of illustrated brochures promoting mental fitness. Council members offered feedback on storylines and tone.
- Fentanyl awareness campaign: Ohana created fentanyl awareness posters for the Monterey County Office of Education. Council members provided critical feedback and distributed the posters to all school sites to be placed in school bathrooms.
- Patient experience enhancements: The council helped select movies, books, and holiday activities to enhance the youth experience in Ohana’s residential treatment programs.
- Remote sleep monitoring pilot: When Ohana explored sleep tracking for patients, teen council members advised that an under-the-mattress device was better than a wearable (like a smartwatch). Their feedback influenced a pilot test of these sleep devices.
Hope for their generation
Ohana Youth Advisory members created paintings in response to the reflection question, “What are your hopes for your generation’s well-being?” The paintings were then arranged into a cohesive art piece. We photographed it to create an image Ohana uses to thank supporters.
Through their art, council members defined well-being as being content, having confidence, noticing feelings, freedom, and focusing on mental and physical health. They shared that their finished pieces represent connection and the possibility that different paths can blend to make a whole person, community, and world.
