California Gov Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Wednesday to address a growing issue: the alarming rise in suicides and disconnection among California’s young men and boys, according to a press release from his office. The order directs a coordinated statewide response to enhance mental health outcomes, reduce stigma, and expand access to meaningful educational, employment, and mentorship opportunities.
The order highlights apprenticeships, skilled trades, and a Master Plan for Career Education.The governor has frequently discussed the need to support men and boys on his podcast.
“If you tune into the podcast, you may have noticed a theme — a theme that continues to emerge around men and boys,” the Associated Press quoted him as saying. “What is going on with our men and boys? Increasingly isolated, increasingly feeling disengaged, disconnected, depressed.”
“Women and men face different challenges, but there are systemic barriers we can take on together,” FOX-40 in Sacramento quoted him as saying. “Whether it’s the shortage of male mental health providers, outdated ideas about care work, or boys falling through the cracks in school, this Executive Order is a step toward real solutions. … Our young men and boys are facing a crisis of loneliness and social isolation that is showing up in their mental health, educational outcomes, future economic opportunities, and more. Raising healthy boys will take all of us — moms, dads, teachers, coaches, and mentors — working together to find new ways forward.”
Reaction to the move has been positive.
