UCLA Psychology Department to Introduce Youth Behavioral Health Minor

Applications for the minor will remain open until Friday. Participants will engage in coursework alongside a yearlong internship at various community behavioral health sites throughout Southern California, equipping them to work effectively with children and families.

Park emphasized the urgency of this initiative, stating, "This minor is very, very, very overdue. We’ve had a youth mental health crisis for decades that just keeps getting worse and worse." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 40% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2023, significantly higher than in the past decade. The 2024-25 Healthy Minds Study found that 37% of college students experienced moderate to severe depressive symptoms, while 32% reported moderate to severe anxiety.

Park noted that the youth mental health crisis is exacerbated by a substantial shortage of mental health professionals able to address these needs. To qualify for the minor, students must be pre-majors or majors in psychology, psychobiology, or cognitive science and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants are required to have completed specific prerequisite courses with satisfactory grades and are expected to graduate in spring 2028 or later.

The minor includes two upper-division courses focused on youth behavioral intervention and foundational concepts, along with a third course that can be completed either prior to or during the application process. Students will dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to their internships and participate in a weekly seminar.

Bruce Chorpita, a psychology professor and program chair, spearheaded the development of the minor to prepare students for various roles in the mental health field. Graduates of the program will attain the Certified Wellness Coach II credential, enabling them to work alongside families and treatment teams in schools and clinics. This initiative aligns with Governor Gavin Newsom's establishment of the Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health in 2022, which specified that these roles do not require a graduate degree.

Sophia Moriel, the undergraduate advisor for the new minor, noted that many psychology students express concerns regarding the job market applicability of their degrees. The minor offers a direct pathway into the mental health field immediately after earning a bachelor's degree.

In developing the minor's curriculum, the psychology department consulted approximately 40 provider agencies and 80 school districts. The pilot cohort of 36 students has already completed introductory courses and is now engaged in internships at local schools and clinics. Chorpita expressed the goal of connecting students with communities they are familiar with, aiming for scenarios where students work in neighborhoods they grew up in.