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Young Adult Advisory Board (YAB)

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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 Values

These are our core principles and beliefs that influence the YAB’s approach to meetings and membership. These values help ensure that the YAB operates under a shared agreement that provides the foundation for collaboration in our community.

Equitable and Inclusive

We welcome different opinions and stay curious and open-minded, fostering robust discussions from various viewpoints.
We value lived expertise and believe that feedback from diverse experiences improves systems for future generations. We strive to ensure that feedback is heard and integrated into projects.
Moments of silence allow for reflection, giving individuals time to develop their thoughts at their own pace.

Meeting Members Where They Are

We strive to be respectful and empathetic to each person's unique context, recognizing that members may show up differently depending on external factors. Rather than expecting uniform participation, we prioritize flexibility and responsiveness, offering the necessary resources and accommodations for individuals to engage in ways that work best for them. We acknowledge that, as board members, we all bring different perspectives and may even show up as different versions of ourselves at times.
We understand that members can contribute in various ways and may have different levels of involvement at each meeting. We support diverse forms of engagement, such as using the chat, sending follow-up emails, or expressing thoughts with emojis.
We also normalize workplace accommodations and offer one-on-one discussions to clarify presentations and address any questions.

Our Products

S.T.A.Y. Tuned Podcast

Episode 25: The Journey Within, Together: Spiritual Exploration and Community

Episode 24: Roots and Change: Youth Advocacy in Rural Communities

Episode 21: Improving mental health through community-based music, writing, and art programs

Episode 17: Leveling Up Together: Gaming, Community, and Mental Health

Episode 13: Salsa Dancing, a Youth Advisory Board, and Peer Support for Mental Health

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

Reels Project

The Reels team delivers engaging short-form content on the CIRC Center and other initiatives at Transitions ACR, focused on improving mental health and community participation outcomes for young adults with mental health conditions. Watch the Shorts on YouTube or follow along on Instagram.

YAB Portfolio

The YAB provides valuable feedback that impacts research, training, and dissemination projects across the Transitions ACR at UMass Chan and beyond. Below is a non-exhaustive list of projects and publications that the YAB has been a part of over recent years, either by consultation or by more substantial involvement.

For more information or to join our YAB, contact:

Tracy Neville and Mei Pearlstein Co-YAB Facilitators

Why Join the YAB

Are you passionate about improving the lives of young adults? Do you want your voice to be heard to shape the future of young adult mental health research and services?

Build your resume
Make lasting friendships
Uplift your own lived experience to help others
Influence National Research
$40/Hour Compensation
Must be 18 to 30 years of age with a self-identified mental health condition

The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research at UMass Chan Medical School has research and knowledge-sharing projects that aim to support young adults like you with mental health conditions. Some projects include efforts to improve learning, working, and other community participation outcomes among young adults from disadvantaged, vulnerable, or marginalized backgrounds. Young Adult Advisory Board members offer ideas, feedback, and other contributions to various aspects of the Center’s projects based on their lived experience and expertise.

Testimonials

"I've had such an honor and privilege to serve and lead within the YAB. I value the fact that my perspectives are truly embedded into the numerous projects and innovative work that we advise upon. I have much enjoyed working with such a diverse group of ambitious young adults, each so eager in their own advocacy to put in the work to bring their voices to the table. At the end of the day, I am excited to have helped drive forward meaningful lasting change for our peers." - YAB Member

“YAB feedback was not only helpful but also necessary in order for the project to move forward.” - Researcher

“In planning the Fall 2024 Workshop series, we incorporated all of YAB's suggestions. They were excellent and touched on some things that we had not considered, such as giving workshop participants specific tasks in the sessions.” - Researcher