Youth Advisory Board

Applications Now Being Accepted for Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network’s  

2023-2024 Youth Advisory Board (YAB) 

THE OPPORTUNITY: The LASPN Youth Advisory Board is an inclusive group of up to 10 youth who advocate for improving mental health and well-being and its related social determinants of health for youth countywide.  

Youth Advisory Board members will be supported by vetted adult members of the LASPN – mental health professionals, advocates, survivors, providers, researchers, and representatives from various agencies and organizations across Los Angeles County. These adult allies will provide support and mentorship to the Youth Advisory Board and pathways to support when dealing with the sensitive topic of mental health and suicide.  

WHO’S INVITED: We are currently accepting applications from young adults aged 16-23 years old.

COMMITMENT: Membership requires a minimum one-year commitment, with an opportunity to serve up to 3 additional years as Youth Advisors in a mentorship role (or until they reach the age of 26).  

Youth Advisory Board meetings will be virtual for the coming year of 2023-2024. Monthly meetings will take place each month in the early evenings (day and time TBD). To ensure the work of the Youth Advisory Board is impactful, attendance at all meetings is required. Other meetings and events may be necessary depending on the needs or plans of the Youth Advisory Board.  

PROCESS: Due to the limited number spaces available, we cannot interview all who apply. We will notify you as soon as possible whether your application is selected. Applications will remain open until June 15, 2023.  

If selected, you will receive confirmation of an interview via Zoom date by July 17, 2023. Completion of the interview process does not guarantee selection for the Youth Advisory Board. Final acceptance is based on written application, interview, and the needs of the Youth Advisory Board.  

TO APPLY: Please complete the application here: https://forms.office.com/g/57Px0gmLmX 

If you are under 18 years old, you and your parent/guardian will be emailed a consent form that will need to be completed as part of your application.  

Please email questions to youth@laspn.org.  

2022-2023 YAB Members

Alexa Dickey
she/her/hers
I support suicide prevention because I was given the help and support I needed when so many others were not afforded the same opportunity despite being equally deserving of a long and fulfilling life.

Ashley 
She/Her/Hers 
I support suicide prevention because every individual should know that they are not alone; there is a group of people who are ready to rally behind them and support them in every possible way.

Ava
she/her
I support suicide prevention because it saves thousands of teens from considering suicide every day. In addition, it lessens factors that raise risk and improves factors that foster resilience.

Britany Citlali Flores 
She/her
I support suicide prevention because every life is important and no one should feel alone. 

Christian Brake 
He/Him 
I support suicide prevention because there are so many kids out there that need help. 

Emma Fernández
she/they
I support suicide prevention because all born people should be entitled to a long and plentiful life and deserve to have effective mental health resources no matter what. 

Fatima Ibanez
She/Her/Hers
I support suicide prevention because you never know what people are going through silently and everyone is deserving of a beautiful life. 

Nicholas Bellison
He/Him
I support suicide prevention because help is out there and so many are not connected to it. 

Nicole Hopmans
She/her
I support suicide prevention because everyone deserves to receive accessible mental healthcare without fear or stigma.

Nicole Soong
She/her/hers
I support suicidal prevention because suicide is a stigmatized issue that has an immense impact on the indiviudal and community, and I believe that, with adequate education and prevention, this problem could be abated. 

Sinderella Okwaraibekwe 
She/Her
I support suicide prevention because I believe that everyone has a story that deserves to be listened to. Taking a moment to understand and support can come a long way in the goal of prevention. 

Sophia An 
she/her 
I support suicided prevention because I believe that everyone deserves an advocate and I want to do my part in destigmatizing mental health. 

YAB 2022-2023 Youth Advisors

Ashyah Hewage
she/her/hers
I support suicide prevention because… everyone is so valuable and deserves to be heard and supported. 

Christopher Anthony
He/Him
I support suicide prevention because creating an inclusive and supportive society benefits us all. Ensuring that folks who may feel at their worst know there’s hope for a better tomorrow is a societal imperative.

 
Evan Hanning
He/Him/His
I support suicide prevention because everyone is capable of overcoming suicidal ideation, and we also have the power to discover a personalized beauty in our everyday lives.

Irma Rosa Viera 
She/Her/Ella
I support suicide prevention because I believe every individual should be surrounded by support on their good days, bad days, and all the in between.

Rosie Aguayo 
She/Her/Hers
I support suicide prevention because mental health is detrimental to an individuals overall success and well being! 

Shailen Dawkins 
He/him/his
I support suicide prevention because it brings people together in unthinkable and interesting ways. In order to progress as a society, it is imperative that conversations surrounding mental health and suicide prevention are put at the forefront. We must value mental health throughout every aspect of life. 

Mentors of the Board

Dr. Daisy Gomez

Lead trainer for the DMH+UCLA Prevention Center of Excellence within the Division of Population Behavioral Health and Nathanson Family Resilience Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Dr. Gomez specializes in restorative practices, working with high risk  population, adults and families affected by trauma, gang-involvement, the criminal justice system, the foster care system, substance abuse, racial injustice and those affected by incarceration.

Devin Saragosa-Harris

Devin is a program manager with the Directing Change Program. A Southern California native, she has worked with youth throughout her career and has been a passionate advocate for mental health through volunteer
and professional work. She has a BS in Behavioral Neuroscience and a Masters in Public Health from UCLA. She is currently a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins.

Gabrielle Tilley 

Senior Policy Manager at The L.A. Trust for Children’s Health. She manages The L.A. Trust School Health Policy Roundtable,. Before that, she helped lead advocacy campaigns to increase food access for low-income Californians including #Food4All: CalFresh regardless of immigration status

Brittany Nguyen

Brittany (she/hers) is a Community Capacity Organizer at Tri-City Mental Health. Her work focuses on stigma reduction and suicide prevention among the TAY (0-25 year olds) population through arts, trainings, storytelling, and social media campaigns. She has a BS in Health Science with a minor in Asian American Studies from Cal State Fullerton and a Masters in Public Health from San Francisco State University.

Yasmin Irfani

Yasmin Irfani is a Pakistani Muslim American currently serving as Program Manager of Counseling Services at ICNA Relief. She received her M.S in College Counseling & Student Services in 2019 and has been working in the non-profit world since. She is an Adult and Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor as well as QPR Suicide Prevention Trainer.

Co-Chairs of the Board

Carolyn Kaneko

(Youth Advisory Board Co-Chair)

Carolyn L. Kaneko is a LCSW with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and a Program Manager of the San Fernando Child and Family Center, a outpatient mental health clinic.

Celeste Meza

(Youth Advisory Board Co-Chair)

Celeste Meza is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Partners in Suicide Prevention team, which provides training to different agencies and communities throughout the county. 

Elisabeth Nails

(Youth Advisory Board Co-Chair)

Elisabeth Nails (she/her) is a program manager at the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, a freelance creative producer and co-founder of Typewriters Anonymous, and a UCLA Arts & Healing-certified social emotional arts facilitator.

Tiffany

(Administrative Support)

Tiffany Buan is an Intermediate Typist Clerk with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health who serves as administrative support for the Family and Community Partnerships unit.

Cheryl Eskin

(co-chair of LASPN)

Senior Program Director at Teen Line, a teen to teen hotline where teenagers can talk to a trained teen listener about any problem, no matter how big or small. She is also the co-chair of the Los Angeles  Suicide Preventio Network.
Cheryl is passionate around decreasing the stigma around mental health and depression, and educating parents how to best help their teens.  She helped develop an Iphone app (Teen Talk-Helping Teens) to address a need for more support for teens who are struggling.

Tracie Andrews

(co-chair of LASPN)

Tracie Andrews is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, who also serves as a co-chair for the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Network  (LASPN). In the Prevention and Outcomes Division, Tracie is the lead for Anti-Stigma, Suicide Prevention, and Health Neighborhoods.