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Youth-led survey finds high levels of distress; commissioners and Metro Health outline next steps
Summary
Youth ambassadors and Metro Health staff presented results from a 2022–2024 youth mental-health survey showing elevated anxiety, depression and self-harm indicators in some groups, outlined microgrant activity and announced a pre-conference event for March 2, 2026.
Youth ambassadors and Metro Health officials told the Health Committee that a youth-led mental-health survey showed persistent mental-health challenges among San Antonio adolescents and that the city and partners are working to turn survey findings into local supports.
Robert Jiménez, a representative to the San Antonio Youth Commission (District 7), summarized the project and said the 2024 survey yielded a large response: “Recibimos 100,145 respuestas válidas,” he said. He added the survey was translated into five languages and reviewed by mental-health experts before publication on the SPEAKUP platform.
Presenters reported that some groups — including LGBTQ youth and some racial groups — reported higher rates of suicidal thoughts, self-harm and feelings of hopelessness. Jiménez said the survey team found that 49% of respondents in an earlier wave reported feeling without help or hope, and other subgroups reported higher rates of self-harm and attempted self-harm.
Jesse Higgins, identified in the presentation as a mental-health official, placed the survey findings in the context of crisis response, saying, “Para el 2024 estamos muy cerca de 31,000” 911 mental-health calls and noting ongoing contract-based counseling and case-management services. Higgins said the department expected to serve about 650 clients in 2026 and that an additional $150,000 was allocated for FY26-27.
Presenters described funding and local investments tied to the survey: SAIC provided $100,000 in project funding, microgrant rounds received 147 applications with 27 projects funded, and the city and partners supported trainings and activities tied to school and community settings.
Next steps highlighted by presenters include a pre-conference event scheduled for March 2, 2026, and continued collaboration with school districts, community partners and a second larger summit to translate survey results into practical programs and policy recommendations.
The committee did not take a formal vote; members thanked youth ambassadors and asked staff to continue refining implementation plans and return with specific proposals for scaling services and measurement.
What’s next: organizers will move toward implementation planning, with the pre-conference and follow-on summit intended to shape citywide efforts.
