Fairfax County program uses capstone event to introduce high-schoolers to behavioral-health careers

Fairfax County program staff said the Public Health Youth Ambassador capstone at FARC is designed to address a national shortage of behavioral-health workers by giving high-school students direct exposure to careers in the field.

"We know there's a national shortage of behavioral health care workers," a program staff member said, adding that the program seeks to "build a pipeline of our future candidates." Organizers outlined a curriculum for students in grades 10–12 that pairs two taught tracks with hands-on experiences.

The event brought together county partners, which organizers described as the Community Services Board and the Health Department, to run stations where students met professionals in a "Human Library," visited a wellness room for mindfulness activities and crafted thank-you cards, and completed simulations intended to demonstrate peer pressure and altered perception.

A facilitator described one exercise in which students navigated a maze first without and then with impairment goggles: "What you see through that is it's not as easy," the facilitator said, explaining the activity is meant to show how changes in perception and peer influence can affect choices.

Students who spoke during the event described the activities as meaningful. "I really liked doing the thank you cards because I really like crafts. I think it's really therapeutic," one student participant said. Another called the day "inspirational," and students rated the experience highly.

Organizers said the program grew from an annual student community-health project requirement, during which students repeatedly identified mental health and substance misuse as top concerns. The capstone, organizers said, was intended to translate that recurring student-identified need into a concrete learning experience and community-oriented solutions.

No formal decisions or votes were recorded in the transcript. Organizers said they hope the event will both change how students see themselves and open pathways to careers and community change in behavioral health.