Objective

In the wake of the pandemic, California's youth faced unprecedented challenges in mental health, with rising suicide rates, especially among BIPOC communities. The "Never A Bother" campaign set out to create more than a resource—it aimed to build a supportive digital space that empowers youth through connection and understanding. Our goal was to develop a website that felt like a friend, providing:

1. Knowledge and tools to recognize mental health crises and take action.
2. A breakdown of barriers to seeking help by fostering trust and reducing stigma.
3. A proactive engagement platform, making the path to support clear and approachable.

By involving youth in every step of the website's creation, we ensured it was visually compelling, resonant, and accessible. The challenge was to create a platform that youth would actively engage with, feel represented by, and share with peers, driving a transformative shift in attitudes toward mental health.

To achieve this, we designed an accessible, mobile-friendly platform—a safe, inviting space for learning, sharing, and connection—that builds a community standing together against mental health stigma and suicide.

Strategy

Guided by the principle of "Nothing for us without us," the Never A Bother website was crafted with youth involvement at every stage. Our strategy centered on authentic youth engagement, ensuring that their voices shaped every aspect of the design. We prioritized accessibility, relatability, and trust, creating a digital space that felt welcoming and empowering to all young Californians.

1. Youth-Driven Co-Creation: The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) was integral in every design choice. Their input shaped the website’s vibrant colors, minimal text, and intuitive layout, ensuring that it was not just another informational site but a digital space that felt personal and engaging. This co-creation fostered a sense of ownership among youth, motivating them to share the site widely.
2. Innovative Visual and Interactive Design: The website featured retro-inspired flower characters as relatable guides in animations that demystified the help-seeking process, like crisis line calls. This approach eased fears, reduced anxiety, and made the site a safe, comforting space for exploration and support.
3. Seamless, User-Centric Navigation and Accessibility: Understanding that ease of access is crucial, we designed the website to be navigable within two clicks to key resources. The first thing users see is a clear choice: "I'm here for: Me (button), My friend (button), Youth in my care (button)." This approach allows users to quickly access tailored resources based on their specific needs, making the navigation intuitive and efficient. The "Get Help Now" feature is prominently displayed for immediate access to crisis support. To reduce mistrust of formal resources, we include detailed explanations about what to expect when reaching out. This clarity reduces barriers to engagement and empowers youth to take proactive steps toward seeking support.
4. Content Rooted in Youth Experiences:The website's content, shaped by listening sessions with over 170 California youth, emphasized validation, trust, and safety. Real stories from their peers were featured, creating a strong sense of connection and empathy. These narratives reduced isolation and reinforced the message that seeking help is an act of courage.
5. Real Stories for Real Impact: Every page features authentic stories from youth, aligning with the website's theme of connection and empathy. These narratives are strategically placed to support each page's focus, helping users feel less alone and more understood. By sharing these stories, the website creates a sense of community, reduces feelings of isolation, and encourages deeper engagement, fostering a supportive online environment.
6. Continuous Improvement: The website underwent extensive testing with diverse youth groups, guided by community-based organizations (CBOs) and Tribal partners. Through in-person and virtual AI-facilitated feedback sessions, we focused on user experience, content relevance, and emotional impact, allowing us to continually refine the website. This iterative approach ensures the site remains engaging, effective, and responsive to the needs of all users.

Challenges Overcome: A major challenge was balancing a visually engaging design with accessibility across diverse audiences, devices, and internet speeds. Through youth-led design choices and ongoing user feedback, we developed a site that was both aesthetically pleasing and highly functional, catering to the diverse needs of California’s youth.

Results

Since its launch in April 2024, the "Never A Bother" website has achieved significant impact:

• 930,000 website page views and 774,000 unique users, demonstrating extensive reach and engagement.
• Events per session of 3.3, indicating high engagement and meaningful interaction with content.
• A notable increase in crisis resource click-through rates, reflecting effective navigation and trust-building with users.

These results confirm the success of a website designed with youth, for youth. The innovative co-creation model has not only set a new standard for digital mental health resources but also empowered young people across California to take proactive steps toward their mental well-being. "Never A Bother" goes beyond a traditional resource—it’s a lifeline and a testament to the strength and resilience of youth.

Explore the website to see firsthand how we're making a difference. Visit www.NeveraBother.org and join the movement to ensure every youth knows they are never alone, and never a bother. 

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