Mental health challenges are becoming more and more apparent in K-12 students and must be addressed now more than ever. It appears Orange County schools have slowly begun their efforts to aid this issue by advocating for peer run programs in these school settings. Different school districts within Orange County have different views on the scaling of these programs, but scaling them up to other schools can result in many positive outcomes. In March of 2025, the Orange County Department of Education Newsroom shared how student-led programs on mental health advocacy and support have proven to be very impactful and have had a positive response from students across Orange County. They write “When have kids ever listened to adults more than their peers?”
According to the Orange County Community Foundation’s data from June of 2025, suicide is the leading cause of death in youth ages 10-14, thus making early usage of student-led organizations crucial. These programs are pivotal examples of resources that can be implemented earlier on in a student’s developmental and transitional years. Warren has been deeply passionate and involved with the promotion of student-led mental health advocacy programs. Her high school alma mater (Oak Park High School) implemented a program called Advance Peer Counseling, where Warren served on the executive board for three years. This peer-run organization addresses a wide variety of mental health issues relevant to many students today. In this program, a group of students collaborate to host schoolwide events to not only advocate for the well-being of the students but also connect them to potential resources they could benefit from. Without these organizations, Warren feels many students would hesitate and refrain from reaching out regarding any mental challenges and thus undermining their safety and well-being.
This model of a student-led organization, to Warren, is incredibly effective in preventing future mental health issues amongst the youth. These organizations aid in providing an environment for students to vocalize and address these mental health issues amongst peers they view as equals, rather than being overshadowed by a power dynamic of a student and a staff member. Oak Park High School staff member Janet Svoboda, who leads the Advanced Peer Counseling Program states “Peer counseling programs help create a school culture where students look out for one another. That culture of connection and support can make a meaningful difference in helping prevent small struggles from becoming larger mental health challenges.”
The Irvine Unified School District is implementing WellSpaces which has received positive feedback from district officials and improved academic achievement and campus culture. In addition to this model of peer-to-peer support, the students themselves can act as third-spaces. Fostering these skills from an early age can lead to healthier and brighter futures to help break the stigma surrounding mental health discussions. So often, these students don’t have a safe space to freely express themselves at home or anywhere else.
In Pedranti’s internship at an elementary school, a lot of students of varying ages ranging from 6 to 11 years old have explicitly expressed their desire for more social-emotional lessons. Post-pandemic, mental health has increased the need for support in schools. For instance, CHOC saw a 50% increase in crisis-level visits for youth. There is no doubt a need to address this issue, and what better way than the students themselves to take action. As a graduate of the Orange County School System, Pedranti’s experience was different from Warren’s. Discussions around mental health was not something she experienced despite being heavily involved at her school. Empowering our youth is a direction we need to steer toward to break intergenerational cycles and Pedranti feels that the Orange County Education System could benefit tremendously from these models.
A prime example of these cost-effective programs in Orange County schools is Student Advocates for Mental Health or (SAMH). SAHM works towards cultivating and fostering school environments that value and prioritize the mental health of their students while simultaneously preserving the necessary funds for basic school needs to provide the most effective education.
Following the events of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, student mental health concerns are rising at an astronomical rate. This serves as a reminder of the increasingly essential need for school mental health resource implementation. Unstable school funds from the education system, result in many of these schools being unable to afford necessary resources for their students. Peer-run mental health resources prioritize cultivating more proactive school climates without the sacrifice of basic school funds. These programs can serve as a catalyst to fostering a more emotionally-sound and self-sufficient life for the future cohorts of students.
Autumn Pedranti and Emily Warren are both current graduate-level students of the University of Southern California Suzanne-Dworak Peck School of Social Work. Both are currently placed at internships in school settings. Pedranti is a graduate of the Orange County School System.
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