Young Adult Advisory Board (YAB)
Our Purpose
The Young Adult Advisory Board (YAB) is a virtual board comprised of around 10 young adults between the ages of 18-30 years old with serious mental health conditions from all around the United States
The YAB members gather virtually once a month to provide feedback on research-related projects and products.
YAB Members used their lived mental health experience to help us tailor our research projects and products to become more ‘youth friendly’ and provide feedback surrounding language, content, and clarity.
Our Products
S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast
Episode 17: Leveling Up Together: Gaming, Community and Mental Health
There is a stereotype that gaming is a waste of time, but this episode with Derek Lewis, a YAB member, challenges that notion head-on. Derek shares his personal journey, revealing how gaming became a lifeline for him while growing up in a gang-prone LA neighborhood. We talk about how gaming helped Derek build meaningful relationships, including one with a gamer friend who stood by him as his best man at Derek's wedding! Tune in to learn how virtual worlds can become real sources of support and community, proving that sometimes, the best friendships can be found behind a controller. Read the Transcript. Watch it on our YouTube Channel.
Episode 13: Salsa Dancing, a Youth Advisory Board and Peer Support for Mental Health
Today we talk with Joshua Calarino, a member of our Youth Advisory Board, about ways getting involved in his community has helped his mental health. Joshua shares his journey from someone who struggled with mental health in high school to the discovery of the different things he found that helped him feel better and more connected to his community. His story of recovery started when he said “yes” to an invite to a salsa dance class. We talk about Youth Move, peer support, and Josh’s experience as a member of our Youth Advisory Board where he joins other young adult members to provide valued feedback from the youth perspective to our research team at Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research. He highlights the impact that a strong sense of community can have on young adults’ mental health. Watch it on our YouTube Channel. Read the transcript
Meme Project
One of our youth-led Learning & Working RRTC’s knowledge translation projects is developing memes that are relevant to youth and young adults living with mental health conditions. Memes use popular cultural images and simple language to convey meaningful content on social media. Created in 2019, our memes are developed on the Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research’s social media channels. View our Meme Gallery
For more information or to join our YAB, contact:
Tracy Neville and Mei Pearlstein Co-YAB Facilitators
