A new resource center that connects youth with a variety of services, organizations and activities has opened in downtown Merced.

Merced Focus Staff

The Merced FOCUS

The new Healing Generation Center is a youth wellness hub dedicated to providing resources and services for vulnerable youth in Merced County, according to a news release.

Located at 1726 M Street, the center was spearheaded by the Youth Leadership Institute in collaboration with Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. A grand opening event was held Tuesday, Oct. 1.

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A Long-Awaited Resource

Jesse Ornelas, program director of Youth Leadership Institute, said the center was six years in the making. The idea was sparked after teen participants in a summer academy emphasized “very passionately” the need for a youth wellness center, said Ornelas.

He added that the center’s partnership with Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services enhances its ability to connect youth with services they need.

Ornelas, whose term is about to expire representing District 1 on the Merced City Council, said he’s looking forward to putting his energy into the wellness center as part of his post-political life.

“It’s been a goal of mine for a long time. I think I have the right people at the right time on my team to really make this happen,” he said.

Ornelas said his organization collaborated with Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services in applying for a grant to make the center possible.

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Addressing Mental Health Stigma

“Currently in youth communities of color, there’s a stigma around mental health, and getting help,” Ornelas said. “We kind of want to normalize conversations about wellness, especially among young people.”

Supervisor Rodrigo Espinosa, who represents District 1 on the Merced County Board of Supervisors, came out to the grand opening in support of the effort, saying it will be another resource to help young people in need.

“Whether it’s mental (health), or finding themselves, or finding a job, I think this is just a perfect location,” Espinosa said. “We need to continue supporting, as a county, these centers.”

He hopes the center can eventually expand beyond Merced to other areas of the county.

The center will also offer programming and resources provided by local organizations like Valley Onward, Hlub Hmong Center, Somos Familia Central, and Urbanists Collective, according to the YLI website.