Voices Rising
Developing Young Leaders. Strengthening Communities.
Voices Rising is a leadership development program that equips young adults with the skills, support, and confidence to create meaningful change in their communities. Through trauma-informed programming, dedicated mentorship, and hands-on experience, participants develop as effective advocates and community change-makers.
Program Components
HandS-on Community Engagement
Participants engage in community-based projects focused on substance use prevention, harm reduction, mental health promotion, and self-care practices.
Projects are grounded in an understanding of the social determinants of health—recognizing that factors like access to resources, geographic location, economic opportunity, and life circumstances all shape health outcomes. Through these real-world applications, young adults gain practical experience creating resources and initiatives that meet people where they are.
Dedicated Mentorship
Participants are connected with dedicated mentors from the prevention, harm reduction, and behavioral health fields—as well as other areas aligned with participant interests.
Mentors meet regularly with small groups of participants, providing guidance, support, and accountability while fostering peer connections and community belonging. These relationships extend beyond program activities, creating lasting connections that support continued growth and development.
Trauma-Informed Approach
The program creates a safe, supportive environment where participants can heal, grow, and thrive while developing leadership skills. Our trauma-informed framework acknowledges the impact of trauma while building resilience, self-awareness, and community connection.
Leadership Training & Real-Life Application
Leadership skills are developed through practical experience in substance use prevention, harm reduction, mental health awareness, and self-care advocacy. Participants apply what they learn to authentic community challenges, building confidence and competence through meaningful action.
Cohort 1:
Community Impact in Action
Our inaugural cohort of young leaders engaged in hands-on projects addressing substance use prevention, harm reduction, and mental health across San Diego County. Working in small teams, participants identified issues they cared about and developed community-facing campaigns, resources, and educational initiatives designed to reach their peers.
Projects
Youth Vaping Prevention Campaign
A social media campaign raising awareness about the harmful effects of youth vaping, developed to reach college students at Southwestern College through engaging digital content and educational messaging.
Harm Reduction & Naloxone Training
A harm reduction initiative combining hands-on Narcan training workshops with social media outreach, designed to equip college students—particularly LGBTQ+ students and students of color—with lifesaving overdose prevention skills and resources.
Pathways to Wellness
Educational presentations and resource materials connecting community college students to treatment options, harm reduction tools, and support services—with a focus on reducing stigma and increasing access for immigrant students, students of color, and LGBTQ+ students.
Alcohol Prevention Workshops
Interactive workshops and promotional media focused on alcohol misuse prevention, designed specifically for first and second-year college students living on campus.
of participants feel more prepared to take on leadership roles
feel confident collaborating with others to lead a community prevention project
feel more connected to their community since joining the program
improved their ability to work through challenges as a team
In Their Own Words
I learned how to pivot and adapt when things don’t go according to plan. [My mentor] always had great thoughts and advice that helped me and my group make a better decision about what should come next.
The most valuable part was being able to talk about such vulnerable topics with similar people—it helped empower me to turn my passion for mental health and substance abuse prevention into actionable advocacy.
See Our Work in Action
Explore Our Initiatives
CCR proudly serves the San Diego region through multiple key Initiatives and Programs aimed at addressing public health issues: the San Diego County Substance Use and Overdose Prevention Taskforce (SUOPT), the Countywide Media Advocacy Initiative (CWMA), the San Diego County Cannabis Public Health Initiative (CPHI), and Evaluation Resources.
Our success is based on our collaborative, community-based approach utilizing data to inform our campaigns.