Youth Advisory Board 2024-2025

Britany Flores (She/Her/Ella)

Britany is currently serving her second year as Liaison for the Youth Advisory Board. Britany is an alumnus of Cal-State LA, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a certification in Child Maltreatment and Family Violence. Britany and her Co-Liaison, Irma Rosa Viera, are passionate about mental health and suicide prevention. As they strive to continue creating welcoming environments for youth in LA County, Britany is also a full-time graduate student at Pepperdine University, where she will be receiving her Master’s degree in Psychology in the Fall of 2024. Britany hopes to continue furthering her studies through a doctoral program in Fall 2025 to become a Clinical Forensics Psychologist focusing on Children and Adolescents.

“I support suicide prevention because it allows for endless assistance to all individuals from different walks of life. Everyone deserves equal opportunities, services, and care to live a fulfilling life.”

Irma D. Rosa Viera (She/Her/Ella)

Irma is a former Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network having served 3 years before transitioning to the Youth Advisory Board Liaison in 2023. As she embarks on her 2nd year as Liaison, Irma is excited to continue fostering a safe, empowering, and youth-centered lens to her work as she works to be the bridge between youth members and co-chairs During her time with LASPN, Irma has supported in previous Roundtables, community resources production, and has begun working with her Co-Liaison Britany Flores to begin a Youth-Led Podcast focusing on mental health and suicide prevention education. She cannot wait to see what the 2024-25 cohort have in store for the field and our surrounding LA County communities!

“Suicide prevention matters to me because I spent years feeling alone in my mental health journey. I want others to know they’re not alone in theirs.“ – Irma

Daliya Vatamanu

Daliya Vatamanu is in her first year as a Youth Advisory Board Member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s Youth Advisory Board. She is excited to take part in making an impact on her community through positivity and support. She hopes to collaborate with her peers to remove barriers and create more understanding towards mental health.

“I support suicide prevention because I hope to support the people around me, and be there for my community through love and recognition.”- Daliya

Eric Quiroz (He/Him)

Eric Quiroz is from Huntington Park, CA. This is Eric’s 1st year as a Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s Youth Advisory Board. Recognizing the importance of mental health, Eric is passionate in advocating for mental health awareness in his community. Eric is excited to implement the knowledge he gains to his community and meet youth with similar interests. Eric hopes to create a mental health awareness club at his school and educate his community on the importance of mental health.

“I support suicide prevention because life’s a path, full of challenges and struggles, that everyone can overcome with the right support and resources.”- Eric Quiroz

Faith Crocker (She/Her)

Faith Crocker is in her first year of the Los Angeles County Suicide Prevention Youth Advisory board. At a young age, she was always drawn to Art and wanted others to see the beauty that Art holds as well. During her teenage years,  she struggled with her self image, self worth, and  fear of the future. Yet, she was able to break through these obstacles she struggled with by reassuring herself of the valuable person she truly is. Through this cohort, she hopes to utilize Art to help those who are struggling with their insecurities to find hope and live life to their fullest potential.

Gabby/Lex Wong (they/any)

Gabby/Lex Wong is in their 1st year as a Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s Youth Advisory Board. As the co-founder & CEO of 501(c)(3) nonprofit Therapicasso, and a 3-year spoken word poet for nonprofit Get Lit – Words Ignite, they work to ameliorate youth mental health in schools across LA County. They were featured on PBS NewsHour and Around Alhambra Newspaper for their work with Therapicasso, with over 2.5 million collective viewers. During their time with Get Lit,  they’ve performed poetry at a wide variety of institutions, from UCLA to the Dynasty Typewriter. Throughout their pursuits, their passion lies in using art for advocacy, empowering youth to speak out.

“I support suicide prevention because it’s essential to ensure individuals can live fulfilling lives, free from the obstacles of mental health struggles.” – Gabby

Isole Kim

Isole Kim is in her 1st year as a Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s Youth Advisory Board. Merging her passions for psychology, visual art, and advocacy, she hopes to shatter the stigma around mental health by shaping communities where asking for help is never a sign of weakness. She looks forward to connecting with her fellow YAB members and showing others how art can heal them as much as it has healed her.

“I support suicide prevention because I’m a person who believes in hope. No one deserves to feel hopeless.” – Isole

Kaitlyn Sulivan-Pascual (she/her)

Kaitlyn Sulivan-Pascual is in her first year as a Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network. Kaitlyn is a first-year undergraduate studying psychology at USC. She works as a case manager at California Mental Health Connection, a nonprofit outpatient mental health clinic. Kaitlyn conducts research on domestic violence, court-mandated therapy, and trauma at the agency. She has gained experience organizing mental health fairs and outreach to the community and government leaders. Kaitlyn is passionate about increasing access to mental health resources. At USC, she works as a research assistant for the Frank OCD lab, a team dedicated to research on obsessive-compulsive disorder. She focuses on qualitative research in mental health, specifically on how family accommodation, culture, and environment affect people with OCD, as well as the factors that delay assessment and treatment of OCD. Kaitlyn authored and published the book Covid-19 Pandemic: Depression and Anxiety in order to spread awareness for teen mental health issues. She is a former National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on Campus High School Club president, and she has a background in teen mental health advocacy.

“I support suicide prevention because I believe that things will always get better.” – Kaitlyn

Lesly Elias (She/Her/Ella)

Lesly is in her first year as a Member of the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network Youth Advisory Board. She’s previously been involved in advocacy for mental health and suicide prevention, supporting individuals with various resources on her college campus. Lesly hopes to participate in upcoming projects that will allow her to further advocate for the youth through developing infographics and workshops. More specifically, she yearns to partake in destigmatizing mental health.

“I support suicide prevention because everyone deserves to have their story heard and be provided with all the support possible to continue moving forward with their journey.” -Lesly

Nicolas Ngo

Nicolas is a first year Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network. He is passionate about deconstructing the stigma and barriers to mental health resources in youth. He is excited to work with the YAB in this coming year!

“I support suicide prevention because no one deserves to suffer in silence.” – Nicolas

Nysha Prasad

Nysha Prasad is in her 1st year as a Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s Youth Advisory Board. With a background in mental health advocacy, including her involvement in the Mind Matters project and as a Teen Advisor for Teen Talk, she is passionate about supporting mental well-being among youth. Nysha hopes to collaborate with her peers to develop impactful programs that address mental health stigmatization and provide support to those in need. This year, she is especially excited to work on initiatives that foster open conversations around mental health and empower young people to share their stories.

“I support suicide prevention because I believe that with the right support, anyone can overcome their struggles and find hope for the future.” – Nysha

Ricardo Lazcano (He/Him)

Ricardo Lazcano is in his 1st year as a Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s Youth Advisory Board. Born and raised in Huntington Park, he is passionate about the advocacy of mental health awareness among peers, family, and the community. Ricardo hopes to positively impact his peers in order to promote programs that bridge that gap and close the stigma around mental health. He is especially excited to work on projects that use young people just like him to spread awareness among their communities and allow others to be resourceful when it comes to improving mental health.

“I support suicide prevention because among my peers, we never have to space to talk about our emotions, as the social norms restrict us.” -Ricardo

Stephany Cartney

Stephany is a 4th-year Political Science Major at UCLA, passionate about mental health advocacy. Stephany’s commitment to advocacy is evident through her involvement with the Undergraduate Student Association Council’s Lobby Corps and the Campaign for College Opportunity, where she actively participated in educational advocacy and lobbying for educational equity. She is an advocate for mental health with a certificate in Youth Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Looking ahead to the 2024-2025 school year, she plans to continue her civil engagement and mental health advocacy while serving as a Resident Assistant.

“I support suicide prevention because I believe every person has value and everyone should be able to get support without stigma” – Stephany

Taaliyah Tucker (She/They)

Taaliyah (TeeTee), is a member of the Youth Advisory Board for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network. With a background in mental health advocacy, she is passionate about empowering youth and creating positive change in mental health policies. TeeTee aims to bring innovative ideas that prioritize accessibility and compassion. She believes that open dialogue and proper resources can save lives and reduce stigma. For her, this work is personal—it’s about ensuring everyone feels valued and supported on their journey to healing.

“I support suicide prevention because every life has a story worth fighting for, and no one should ever feel like they’re facing their darkest moments alone.” – Taaliyah

Will McManus

This is Will McManus’ 1st year as a Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s Youth Advisory Board. They are passionate about mental health advocacy and alternate forms of support. With the youth board Will hopes to help adolescent peoples and their mental health at an institutional level.

“I support suicide prevention because I believe that every soul is entitled to support and a healthy complete life” – Will

Yenifer Herrera (she/her/hers)

Yenifer Herrera is in her first year as a Youth Advisory Board member for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s Youth Advisory Board. Yenifer is eager to contribute to conversations and initiatives promoting mental health awareness. She is especially excited to collaborate with other youth to make a difference (no matter how small!) in Los Angeles communities.

“I support suicide prevention because every individual has the right to live and lead a fulfilling life.” – Yenifer