Altadena and Pasadena high school students will get a chance Friday to pitch their own ideas for improving mental health support directly to Assemblymember John Harabedian at a free morning event in Altadena.
The Youth Mental Health Advocacy Day, branded “WE MIND,” is being offered to Pasadena Unified School District high school students through a partnership with the Eaton Fire Collaborative, Google.org, and Active Minds. The program runs from 9 a.m. to noon June 12 at The Collaboratory, 540 W. Woodbury Road, and is open to students in grades 9-12.
According to event registration materials provided by organizers, students will explore mental health advocacy, participate in interactive workshops, share ideas with community leaders, and connect with peers. Participants will also learn practical ways to support the well-being of their friends and communities while developing leadership and advocacy skills, the materials state. The program will include food, drinks, and giveaway items.
“Calling all Altadena/Pasadena high school students!” the registration page reads. “Join us for an opportunity to connect with peers and local leaders, and learn how to support mental health in your schools and communities.” Organizers state that the event will also introduce students to opportunities for advocacy, peer support, and future leadership programs.
Active Minds, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit founded in 2003, operates more than 500 peer-led chapters at high schools and colleges nationwide, according to its website. Google.org is listed as a funder on event materials. The Eaton Fire Collaborative, a coalition of more than 75 nonprofits and civic agencies that has supported recovery in Altadena, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre since shortly after the January 2025 fire, is presenting the event at its Woodbury Road hub.
Harabedian, a Democrat who represents the 41st Assembly District including Pasadena, Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Sierra Madre, and Monrovia, has made behavioral health access a legislative priority since taking office in 2024, according to Altadena Now. His office has cited California Parent & Youth Helpline data showing that 62% of all calls after the Eaton and Palisades fires that related to mental and behavioral health needs came from Southern California.
The Collaboratory houses dozens of nonprofits providing aid and resources for survivors of the Eaton Fire, which began January 7, 2025, and destroyed 9,418 structures, according to CAL FIRE. The fire killed 19 people. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health operates a walk-in behavioral health center at the same address through June 2026, funded by a federal SAMHSA emergency grant, according to Pasadena Now.
PUSD, which serves Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre, expanded its mental health resources after the fire by partnering with Daybreak Health, a school-based telehealth provider, to provide virtual therapy for students, according to the PUSD website.
“We are grateful for the support for the well-being of our students, which is especially important as they recover from the Eaton Fire,” PUSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco said in a May 2025 press release from the California Governor’s Office. “When students feel healthy, supported, and valued, they can learn and succeed.”
Registration is free and available online via the link in PUSD’s announcement (out.smore.com). Free parking is available on site. Questions can be directed to event organizers at info@efclc.org.
The morning program is scheduled to end at noon Friday.
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