Never a Bother Website

About Project

In the wake of the pandemic, California's youth faced unprecedented mental health challenges, with rising suicide rates, especially among BIPOC communities. The Never a Bother campaign by the State of California set out to create more than a resource—it aimed to build a supportive digital space that empowered youth through connection and understanding around suicide prevention. Our goal was to develop a website that felt like a friend, providing:
- Knowledge and tools to recognize mental health crises and take action.
- A breakdown of barriers to seeking help by fostering trust and reducing stigma.
- 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 young people would engage with, feel represented by, and share with peers, driving a transformative shift in attitudes toward mental health and suicide prevention.

A Website Designed With—and for—Youth
Guided by the principle of "Nothing for us without us," the website was created with youth involvement at every stage. Our strategy centered on authentic youth engagement, ensuring their voices shaped every aspect of the design.
- Youth-Driven Co-Creation: The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) played a key role in shaping the site’s design, from vibrant colors to an intuitive layout. Their input ensured the site felt personal, engaging, and shareable.
- Relatable Visuals & Interactive Features: The website’s retro-inspired flower characters served as friendly guides, easing fears around reaching out for help through animations that demystified suicide prevention crisis lines and mental health support.
- Seamless, User-Centric Navigation: With two-click access to key resources, the homepage asks: "I'm here for: Me, My friend, or Youth in my care," ensuring quick, tailored support. The "Get Help Now" feature is prominently displayed, while explanations about crisis resources help reduce mistrust and encourage help-seeking.
- Content Rooted in Youth Experiences: The site was shaped by listening sessions with over 170 youth, emphasizing validation, trust, and safety. Real stories from their peers help reduce isolation and reinforce that seeking help is an act of courage.
- Ongoing Testing & Refinement: Through AI-facilitated feedback sessions with diverse youth, community-based organizations, and Tribal partners, we continuously improved accessibility, user experience, and emotional impact.

Since launching in March 2024, the Never a Bother website has achieved:
- 1.5 million+ unique website visitors, seeking mental health support around suicide prevention and sharing Never a Bother resources.
- The Help For Myself and Help For My Friend pages account for 55% of total views, proving that young people are actively seeking immediate mental health support.
- 3.3 events per session, showing high engagement.
- Increased crisis resource click-through rates, proving effective navigation and trust-building.

This website is more than a resource—it’s a lifeline. Visit www.NeveraBother.org to see how we’re making a difference and ensuring every youth knows: they are never alone, and never a bother.