Gov. Newsom announces $2.2 million grant funding for Los Angeles youth to boost mental health recovery
Los Angeles, California – New financial help is going to neighborhoods across Los Angeles to help young people deal with the emotional effects of the recent wildfires. This is part of state leaders and recovery partners’ long-term reaction to the disaster.
Governor Gavin Newsom, along with the LA Rises recovery effort, gave UCLA Health’s Sound Body Sound Mind program $2.2 million. The money will be used to provide proven mental health practices to areas devastated by the Eaton and Palisades fires. This will help students who continue to struggle with trauma become more resilient and healthier. The program will help 33 affected schools over the next two school years and is projected to reach about 30,000 kids.
State officials stressed that rehabilitation is more than just fixing homes and infrastructure. A lot of youngsters still have emotional scars from the fires, which is why long-term mental health care is such an important part of the region’s recovery process. The new funding builds on statewide efforts that have already helped tens of thousands of families in Los Angeles County with therapy, digital behavioral health services, and other forms of support.
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“Today’s announcement is about showing up for our kids. Thousands of children are still carrying the trauma of these firestorms, and this partnership delivers critical mental health support to help them heal—building on the work California has already led and deepening our commitment to these families and neighborhoods as they recover,” Gov. Newsom said.
Sound Body Sound Mind has been in Los Angeles for more than 25 years, helping about 200,000 students each year with their health and well-being. With the increased funding, the group will work directly with schools affected by wildfires to improve mental health services and keep up programs that encourage physical activity, involvement in school, and youth development both during and after school hours.
The news also shows how LA Rises, a combination of charitable leaders, community groups, and government agencies, is working together to help with recovery. The program has helped residents find reliable resources, and it just launched an online portal to support survivors through the reconstruction process.
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This new step adds to the state’s already extensive network of services, which includes resiliency centers that offer counseling, crisis-response programs that have helped hundreds of thousands of people, peer warm lines, youth digital mental health platforms, journaling tools for managing stress, and ongoing access to treatment and behavioral health care. A lot of these services will still be available in 2026.
Feedback from people who survived the fire early on in the recovery process showed that mental health should remain a top priority. This showed that emotional healing does not automatically follow physical reconstruction. The increased support is meant to address that appeal and shows California’s continuous commitment to assisting families and students affected by the disaster rebuild their stability, confidence, and optimism in the years to come.
