Forum on the State of Youth Mental Health
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Life Sciences Building
Loyola Marymount University
1:00 – 3:00 P.M. | Program | LSB Auditorium
3:00 – 4:30 P.M. | Reception | Rose Hill Terrace
Youth who struggle with their mental health have become a central and defining challenge for schools and communities in California and beyond. Rates of anxiety, depression, trauma, and social disconnection among children and teens are on the rise, while we’re also facing a critical shortage of qualified mental health professionals, especially in K-12 schools.
The Forum on the State of Youth Mental Health will convene leading voices to discuss the challenges and opportunities in front of us. Panelists will shed light on the far-reaching impacts that federal immigration enforcement actions have had on children and adults alike. We will also explore how to prepare a school and community-based mental health workforce who are responsive to the most urgent needs of our communities. Together, we will learn how to approach charged topics of division, injustice, and strife with care; and discover how collaboration among educators, school leaders, policymakers, and practitioners can strengthen needed systems of support.
Attendees will include K-12 principals, educational leaders, policymakers, practitioners and clinicians, district and community partners, and other stakeholders invested in the mental health of our youth.
Reserve your spot today. We value your voice in this important conversation.
If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to soe.events@lmu.edu.
LMU School of Education thanks Kaiser Permanente
for their generous support of this event.
Panelists and Speakers
Michelle Castelo Alferes
Executive Director, Wellbeing and Support Services, LACOE
More About Michelle
- Forum Program
- Parking and Logistics: Forum
- Pre-Forum Learning Sessions
- Parking and Logistics: Pre-Forum Learning Sessions
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1:00 P.M. Check-In Begins 1:30 P.M. Opening Remarks
Estela Zarate, Dean and Professor, LMU School of Education1:40 P.M. Transition 1:45 P.M. Panel Discussion: Youth Mental Health, Immigration, and School Communities
Moderated by Fernando Estrada, Professor of Counseling, LMU School of Education
- Angélica Salas, Executive Director, CHIRLA
- Drew Furedi, President and CEO, Para Los Niños
- Margarita Luna, Strategic Implementation Lead, The California Endowment
2:15 P.M. Break 2:20 P.M. Panel Discussion: Growing the Mental Health Workforce
Moderated by Jolie Delja ’03, Executive Director, AIM Youth Mental Health- Michelle Castelo Alferes, Executive Director of Wellbeing and Support Services, LACOE
- Virginia Castro, Superintendent, Lawndale Elementary School District
- Lakisha Clark ’94, Principal, Orville Wright Middle School
2:50 P.M. Closing Remarks 3:00 P.M. Reception Begins Location
Life Sciences Building | LMU
1945 Ignatian Circle
Los Angeles, CA 90045Start Time
Check-in begins at 1:00 P.M.
Directions and Parking
- Enter the LMU campus via the gate on Lincoln Boulevard and proceed to the Life Sciences Building
- Park in the garage beneath the building; if it’s full, proceed to the Hannon Parking Lot (also called Lot A), which is a five-minute walk from the Life Sciences Building
- Follow the event signage to the Life Sciences Building Auditorium
You can choose to attend two of the three below sessions before the forum begins at 1:00 P.M. See the registration form for additional details.
Title Description Session 1: Elevating Youth Voice in the Mental Health Movement
Presented by AIM Mental Health
AIM’s high school framework centers youth voice as a critical strategy in understanding and responding to today’s mental health crisis. Participants learn how to empower students as leaders, advocates, and changemakers within their school communities. Session 2: Practical Strategies to Support Students
Presented by the SOE Alumni Association
This session provides implementable strategies to support mental health in culturally responsive ways, including tools for self-regulation and practical classroom applications. Participants gain accessible tactics that support both immediate student needs and long-term systemic impact. Session 3: Trauma: Human Experiences That Happen Inside You
Presented by SOE’s Center for Trauma-Informed Education
This workshop explores trauma as a spectrum of physiological, psychological, and behavioral responses to overwhelming experiences that affect both youth and adults. Participants build understanding of trauma’s visible and invisible impacts and explore sustainable, trauma-informed approaches for PK–12 school communities. Location
University Hall | LMU
1 LMU Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90045Start Time
Check-in begins at 10:30 A.M.
Directions and Parking
- Enter the LMU campus via the gate on Lincoln Boulevard; University Hall is the first building on the right after the gate
- Take a right into the P2/P3 entrance for the parking garage and park on level P2 or P3 (P1 is reserved for faculty and staff).
- Take the elevator to the ground floor and follow the event signage to the check-in desk in the East Atrium, across from Einstein’s Bagels
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