Youth advocates at Tay Days at the Capitol practice storytelling to press for transitional-age mental health attention

At Tay Days at the Capitol, young advocates gathered in a workshop setting to practice telling personal stories and to prepare for advocacy visits with legislators and their staff. A moderator opened the event and thanked attendees for coming to support youth mental health.

A presenter framed advocacy as a way to combat stigma, saying, "Advocacy means shining a light in the dark corners where stigma and misunderstanding thrive." The presenter urged building relationships, creating trust and allowing vulnerability to guide advocacy work.

A trainer led a session on how to structure stories for decision-makers, advising participants to consider how "if this bill had existed" their own experiences might have differed. "Telling your story can be a very vulnerable moment for a lot of us," the trainer said, and encouraged attendees to use narrative to educate, not to demand a specific vote.

Organizers and participants described meeting with legislators and legislative staff during the visit. An organizer said the meetings underscored the importance of considering how mental health affects transitional-age youth. Several participants said pre-visit workshops and host organizations such as Cayenne helped them prepare and made the outreach more manageable. One first-time attendee described the experience as positive and empowering.

Speakers thanked hosts, including Kyan, for making the event possible and noted participation from organizations across California, including Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento. The gathering combined practical training with opportunities for direct constituent engagement; organizers said the goal was to leave attendees better prepared to educate lawmakers about the impacts of policy on youth mental health.