Youth-Led Mental Health Awareness Project

In August 2025, NAMI Multnomah was awarded a grant from the National Alliance on Mental Illness to engage a group of young people (ages 16-25) with lived experience in a youth-led project to raise awareness of mental health issues. The grant goal is for the group to design and implement a community event to address a mental health issue they identify. Since then, we have recruited a remarkable group of young people (pictured below). Together, they successfully completed a series of training sessions focused on culturally competent mental health care, youth leadership in action, supporting mental health in educational settings, reducing stigma, building communities, and understanding mental health policy and legislation.

In a recent meeting, the group discussed important mental health issues affecting their community and brainstormed ways to address these concerns through a community event. They will reconvene in December to plan the event and outline the necessary steps to bring their vision to fruition. We look forward to sharing their plans with you early next year. The event will take place in February 2026.

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Questions?

Please contact Lily Brodrick, Communications & Program Coordinator, at lbrodrick@namimultnomah.org or 971-429-3629.