July 15, 2026 – Right now, there’s a young boy who does not want to go to school because he is being bullied.

There’s a teenage boy who has witnessed gun violence and is having trouble processing his emotions. Another male teen is overwhelmed as he tries to care for his siblings and juggle school while his single mother works two jobs. And out on the streets, a young man struggling with addiction lacks the confidence to ask for help.

According to a 2025 RAND report, 1 in 3 boys and young men have no trusted adult male that they can confide in. And 1 in 4 don’t have a male mentor who can help them plan for the future. This is especially true for young Black males and LGBTQ+ male youth.

Broken homes, poverty, food insecurity, domestic violence, substance abuse, sexual abuse and other challenges and social pressures can lead to anxiety and feelings of anger, frustration, sadness, hopelessness and despair.

These young boys and men deserve a chance to work through their emotions and challenges in a safe way. Often, it starts with confiding in a trusted male adult who listens without judgement. Someone relatable, who understands their experience or simply cares enough to show up. That’s what a male Certified Wellness Coach offers.

Consider a Rewarding Career Helping Others

There is an urgent need to support the mental health needs of California’s children and youth. It’s a key reason why California created a new behavioral health care profession: the Certified Wellness Coach (CWC). If you are starting your career or considering a career change, you might be a good fit.

Wellness Coaches provide non-clinical services to support the behavioral health and well-being of young people, including wellness promotion and education, screening, care coordination, individual and group support, and crisis referral. They work as part of a larger care team and under the direction of qualified school professionals or clinicians in schools, community organizations, and other health care settings that serve youth.

In this role, you could help a family connect with resources they didn’t know existed. You may encourage a young boy to keep trying before he gives up on school. You could be the trusted adult who picks up on signs that a child or teen needs an immediate referral to a school counselor or therapist. You’ll be a trusted male mentor and part of an important care team that is making a difference, particularly in young males’ lives.

As you grow in your career, you may find that being a CWC is a great stepping stone to other behavioral health care careers.

The good news is that the certification process is free. And you don’t need to worry about AI taking this job…nothing can replace your authentic experience and compassion for others. Learn more and check your eligibility here.

July 10, 2026 – On Saturday, June 13th, 2026, over 150 participants took part in the Team Uplift and Lambda Omicron annual 5k Run/ Walk event.

The race included sponsors and health screenings for participants, concluding in a family-style cookout post-race. Before the race, the emcee led participants in a group stretch and a motivational word before tackling the steep, but majestic views of Kenneth Hahn Park.

The Certified Wellness Coach (CWC) Community Engagement Team was there, participating in pre-race activities at the CWC table, and creating an opportunity to raise awareness around the Certified Wellness Coach profession, its goals in addressing the mental health crisis among youth, and what a career as a CWC could look like. Race participants were invited to share their morning routines, swag giveaways, or thoughts on mental health.

Michael Reyes, Jr. stopped by the CWC booth to provide some powerful truth about the importance of changing the narrative around Black men’s health:

“Too often as men, we’re told to carry it all in silence. Nobody cares about how you feel, nobody wants to hear you cry, they just want to see the results. This is important because we need to be able to take care of ourselves and our mental, physical, and spiritual health. It’s all important for longevity.”

This is exactly why the CWC teamed up with the 5k Bulldog Run. For a community to be strong, its members cannot be expected to carry their burdens alone or in silence. True health, physical and mental well-being, isn’t about hiding our struggles; it’s about aligning the mind and body, so that we can show up fully for ourselves and the next generation.

By creating spaces where men and youth can openly prioritize their mental well-being alongside their physical fitness, this race wasn’t just building faster runners; it was building community. CWCs know how important strong communities are, so they work tirelessly to help young people cope with the stressors of life. They serve as the trusted adult who listens, checks in, and connects youth with additional resources they may need.

Although Bulldog Run may be over, the wellness journey continues. Connect with Certified Wellness Coaches today to see how we can help you build a career and a more resilient mind.

July 2, 2026 – Curious about how Certified Wellness Coaches and clinicians work together?

Meet Jeb Hall, Licensed Clinical Supervisor for the Tehama County Department of Education’s Mental Health and Wellness Team.

Working collaboratively and referring students based on their needs creates a support system to meet kids where they are, making them feel supported, connected, and ready to thrive.

June 16, 2026 – From the “California Love, California Strong” initiative to foster youth crisis care legislation, your June News Roundup is here!

June 12, 2026 – Darrell Ezell spent 12 years living in what he describes as a “vicious cycle.”

After dropping out of high school at 16, he struggled with feelings of anger, frustration, abandonment, and sadness. Living on the streets of Los Angeles’ Skid Row, he turned to alcohol and drugs to cope, eventually landing in jail.

“I was mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally exhausted, but I refused to accept help,” Darrell said. “I had a lot of trust issues, and it took five times until I finally decided to accept the help I so badly needed.”

After completing a court-mandated drug treatment program, Darrell found a new purpose: helping others facing similar behavioral health challenges.

“I want to be the voice for the voiceless,” he said. “As someone with lived experience, I’m able to better connect with individuals who have experienced homelessness and substance abuse.”

Darrell attends California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), taking courses at the College of Health, Human Services and Nursing in the Department of Human Services. He is on track to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services in 2027.

“I love being part of the Toro community. The professors have been kind, compassionate, empathetic and transparent,” he said.

Now a parent to three children, he wants to pursue a career helping children and youth.

“I believe we need to get to the root of the problem early, before problems escalate. If we can help children and youth learn life skills and coping mechanisms early on, we can lessen the trauma out there on the streets,” he said.

For the past five years, Darrell has worked as a substance abuse counselor. Seeking to expand his skills and impact, he earned his Certified Wellness Coach (CWC) I certification in January 2025. Three months later, he received a $30,000 Certified Wellness Coach scholarship from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) to continue his education at CSUDH and pursue CWC II certification.

Darrell feels fortunate to have rebuilt relationships with his family. Looking back, he wishes he had a trusted adult like a Certified Wellness Coach when he was younger.

“We have to break that generational curse,” he said. “Hurt people hurt people, but early intervention can help break that pattern.”

His goal is to “provide hope to the hopeless” and remain visible and available to those who need support.

“I believe this is my spiritual direction,” he said. “My journey took its course to this moment so I can help bring those with similar experiences from the dark to the light. Even in times of uncertainty, there can be certainty, and it’s very rewarding to know that the young adults I work with feel seen and heard.”

To learn more about CSUDH’s behavioral health education programs, visit csudh.edu/human-services.

To learn more about California’s Certified Wellness Coach program, click here.

June 5, 2026 – What I really describe a Wellness Coach is, is a safe person whose only job is to figure out ‘what does this student need?’ A lot of times, our students don’t have an immediate mental health crisis. They just need to be heard.

Matthew Reddam, LMFT, is the School and Community Wellness Advisor for Butte County Office of Education, and he understands the need for Certified Wellness Coaches in rural communities. Butte County Office of Education is just one of hundreds of employers in California who have integrated Wellness Coaches into their schools. Watch the full video to hear other insights from employers.

Curious about hiring or verifying a Certified Wellness Coach? Check out this page for information and FAQs for employers, and join our LinkedIn group to connect.

May 13, 2026 – From bullying to cell phone bans to findings from the latest State of Teaching report, your May News Roundup is here.

May 12, 2026 – Mental health awareness has opened the door.
But awareness doesn’t change outcomes on its own.

It has made conversations more visible, but visibility alone doesn’t ensure people get the support they need when it matters most.

In my work, and in the everyday moments outside of it, I’ve seen how often the hardest parts of this go unnoticed.

If we’re serious about creating more good days for young people, we have to look beyond visibility and into what actually works in practice. Not in theory. Not in pilot programs. In real, everyday life.

Because young people don’t experience mental health in neat categories. They experience it between classes, late at night, and in moments of overwhelm that don’t wait for scheduled appointments or perfect conditions.

And if we’re honest, those are often the moments we worry about the most, the ones we don’t always see clearly or know how to move forward.

So what do we do differently?

Make support easy to step into, not something to qualify for

The more steps it takes to access support, the more likely someone is to disengage before it even begins. We see it all the time. If something feels confusing, slow, or high-pressure, people don’t push through it, and their moment of need goes unsupported.

Sometimes that looks like searching for help and not knowing where to begin, so the moment passes because it already feels like too much. This isn’t about lowering standards. It’s about removing the quiet barriers that stop someone from starting at all.

Sometimes that means fewer steps, a faster response, or simply making the first interaction feel like a conversation instead of an assessment.

Prioritize connection before anything else

Before tools, before strategies, before outcomes, there has to be trust. People respond to support that feels human and consistent, not clinical in a way that creates distance.

As clinicians, we know this. As parents, as people who care about someone struggling, we feel this. The instinct to fix, to ask questions, to get it right, can sometimes get in the way of simply staying present. And presence is often where things begin to shift.

Stop measuring success only by big moments

We tend to look for breakthroughs. But most of the time, progress is quieter than that. It looks like someone staying in a conversation a little longer. Coming back the next day. Feeling just regulated enough to get through what’s in front of them.

Those shifts aren’t secondary. They’re the work, and often the clearest sign that support is actually reaching someone.

Meet people where they already are

Support that exists outside of someone’s daily life is harder to sustain, even when it’s high quality. Digital tools, flexible access points, and on-demand options allow support to show up in the moments it’s actually needed.

Not just when it’s scheduled, and not just when everything lines up perfectly.

Build with people, not just around them

Programs are more effective when they reflect the lived experience of the people using them. That includes language, design, tone, and delivery. When someone sees themselves in the support being offered, engagement becomes a natural next step, not something we have to continuously work to create.

At Soluna, we see the difference this makes. When support is accessible, human, and designed with intention, young people don’t just show up once. They come back. They stay. They start to build momentum in ways that feel sustainable.

Building better days, together

Creating more good days isn’t about adding more services. It’s about making the right support easier to access, easier to trust, and easier to return to. Because when we get that right, good days stop feeling unpredictable. They become something people can actually count on. And something the people who care about them can feel, too.

About the Author

Tammy Ramos, LCSW-QS, CCTP, is a nationally recognized leader in clinical trauma practice, education, and quality assurance with over 17 years of experience advancing mental health services. As the Senior Director of Clinical Quality and Education at Kooth, she drives strategic initiatives in clinical excellence, workforce development, and trauma-informed care in digital mental health. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Qualified Supervisor (LCSW-QS) and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), Tammy specializes in clinical governance, practitioner training, and digital mental health innovation, ensuring professionals are equipped to deliver high-impact, ethical, and trauma-responsive care in an evolving behavioral health landscape. Her leadership strengthens the intersection of quality, accessibility, and innovation in mental health, positioning her as a key voice in the industry.