The Center for Community Inclusion and Reflective Collaboration (the CIRC Center) is a research and training center that aims to significantly advance community participation outcomes among young adults (14–26) with serious mental health conditions from populations that have been marginalized or minoritized. The term community participation is used in mental health services and research to refer to community-based activities that promote overall health and wellness. However, many people find this concept to be confusing, vague, and hard to understand. This tip sheet will define “community participation,” describe relevant experiences of young adults (ages 14–26) with serious mental health conditions (SMHC) from populations that have been marginalized, and provide reflections from our various advisory boards of young adults, family members, and professionals in the field.

The term “civic engagement” is less intimidating than it sounds! Civic engagement describes the process taken by individuals or groups to identify and address issues of concern within their communities. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual events such as working the polls, to longer-term, sustained efforts such as joining an advocacy group and educating others around issues that matter to you. This tip sheet outlines 5 ways to get involved in civic engagement that are in addition to voting OR that can be done before you’re old enough to vote.