Beyond the psychiatrist's office: EMPOWERING COMMUNITY-BASED MENTAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

This article explores the increasing prevalence of mental illness among young people, specifically adolescents aged 12-17, in the United States. The rate of major depressive episodes in this age group has nearly doubled in recent years, with factors such as social media and the pandemic contributing to this rise. Stanford Medicine is actively working to address these mental health needs by collaborating with various stakeholders and implementing initiatives such as suicide mental health screening and parent education. The article also highlights two specific initiatives: ALAS, which focuses on providing mental health support to the Latino farmworker community, and allcove, a network of low-cost mental health care centers for youth. Both initiatives aim to improve access to mental health care and reduce stigma surrounding mental illness. [Extracted from the article]