Youth Engagement Synergy in Mental Health Legislation and Programming.

Youth engagement in implementing mental health legislation and programming is an intuitive best practice. However, well-intentioned efforts to work inclusively with youth are often perfunctory. Drawing from select community partnership models and insights from providers, public health advisors, and youth, we examine the typology, processes, and outcomes of youth engagement. We critically apply the theory of partnership synergy to understand how the convergence of youth and adult experiences and knowledge can advance mental health programming beyond what could be achieved by a single group.