BlueSky initiative is sponsored by Blue Shield of California. Blue Shield of California's BlueSky initiative funds programs that expand mental health and wellness access, awareness, and advocacy to support California's youth.

BlueSky from Blue Shield of California | Blue Shield of California’s youth mental health initiative Blue Shield of California’s youth mental health initiative The foundations of mental health begin in childhood and play into a person’s well-being throughout life. Mental illness is the number 1 reason California children are hospitalized Children Now 2020 , pg.

15 509:1 is the student-to-counselor ratio in California schools California Association of School Counselors 50% of youth of color surveyed by The AAKOMA Project have depression or anxiety to high-quality mental health counseling and support, especially among underrepresented youth from Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, and mixed-race backgrounds, as well as LGBTQ+ youth.

Increase access to providers who can offer culturally congruent care by cultivating a pipeline of diverse young people to work in mental health careers. by training adults to recognize youth mental health challenges and provide appropriate support, especially for underrepresented youth. among youth to educate and engage their peers to utilize resources that support their own mental health.

“It gave me a safe place at school where I could talk about my feelings to someone who actually cares and helped me through what I was dealing with.

” Blue Shield of California and California Department of Education Offer Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to California Teachers Mental Health Matters: Youth Voices Call for Action and an End to Stigma Blue Shield of California and Wellness Together Honor California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom With 2025 Mental Health Innovator Award New Poll: 94% of Gen Z Youth Report Experiencing Regular Mental Health Challenges Back to School Stress: How One High School Senior Is Championing Mental Health 5 Back-to-School Health Tips for Families Blue Shield of California Releases 2024 Mission Report: A Letter From Interim President and CEO Mike Stuart Speaking up, Reaching Out: How One Teen Is Advocating for Youth Mental Health School-Based Partnerships Are Powering Youth Mental Health Solutions Across California Mental Health Matters: Coping in a Complex World Our distinguished partners BlueSky collaborators engage young people, parents, and educators to address youth mental health needs.

The programs we support and partner with include: California Alliance for Children and Family Services (CACFS) California Alliance for Children and Family Services (CACFS) promotes the health, well-being and safety of children, youth and families in California as a collective voice impacting policy and best practices to strengthen the systems that serve them.

​California Children’s Trust California Children’s Trust is reimagining California’s approach to children’s behavioral health. It is an initiative to achieve health equity and healthy development for California’s children, youth, and families. Directing Change engages young people throughout California to learn about suicide prevention and mental health, and then educate their peers through creative filmmaking.

Northern California Grantmaker’s Youth Power Fund (YPF) Northern California Grantmaker’s Youth Power Fund (YPF) is a collaboration between YO! California and funders that promotes youth organizing to advance justice and equity by engaging in trust-based philanthropy. One of YPF’s priorities is providing mental health, wellness and healing for youth.

​Wellness Together partners with K-12 school districts to provide turn-key mental health services for students, families, and educators. We support their counselors at 22 middle and high schools in Alameda and San Diego counties. ​University of California, San Francisco BlueSky is honored to partner with UCSF to evaluate BlueSky and our impact.

​Health Career Connection (HCC) ​Health Career Connection (HCC) is building the next generation of diverse health leaders and professionals. HCC empowers undergraduate students and recent graduates to choose and successfully pursue health careers that best suit their talents, passions, and goals.

​Mental Health California’s Brother Be Well ​Mental Health California’s Brother Be Well offers a multimedia platform for boys and men of color, blending awareness, innovation, education, and healing pathways to reduce disparities, disrupt prolonged suffering, and improve health and mental wellness. ​DoSomething. org fuels young people to change the world, tackling issues ranging from social justice to mental health.

​NAMI California’s On Campus ​NAMI California’s On Campus clubs raise mental health awareness, educate the campus community, and reduce stigma in schools through peer-led activities, education, and advocacy. We fund programs that expand mental health and wellness access, awareness, and advocacy to support California’s youth.

Our funding is by invitation only and focuses on addressing health disparities and serving youth and communities of color. The BlueSky Advisory Board comprises experts from communities of color who have championed youth mental health, youth development, and policy.

Senior Director of Behavioral Health Program Officer, Sierra Health Foundation Professor of Pediatric Medicine, University of California, San Francisco Education Programs Consultant, CDE Psychologist and Mental Health Expert Erica Shirley, PhD is a well-being advisor in the Office of Intramural Training and Education at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Dr. Shirley provides advising, co-facilitates workshops and groups, and coordinates programming that supports the well-being and cultivates the resilience of post-baccalaureates, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students training at NIH. Formerly, Dr. Shirley was a staff psychologist and the director of training at Howard University’s Counseling Service (HUCS).

Prior to HUCS, she was a staff psychologist and trauma specialist at Georgetown University’s Counseling and Psychiatric Services. Dr. Shirley's clinical experience and interests have included supporting undergraduate and graduate students struggling with depression, anxiety, adjustment/transition challenges, relationship challenges, and issues related to trauma and complex trauma.

Her approach to working with students and trainees is integrative, helping students to gain insight into what may underlie their distress while also cultivating tools to manage symptoms and enhance wellness. Dr. Shirley received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Virginia. She completed her predoctoral internship training at Howard University and postdoctoral training at Georgetown University.