Teenagers have been invited to add their voices to the mental health landscape in Bermuda through the Youth Advisory Board.

The group’s three major goals will be policy advocacy, improving mental health literacy and campaigning against stigma.

It will drive efforts to amend mental health-related legislation that affects young people, including the Children’s Act and the Mental Act, to lower the age of consent for mental health services from 18 to 16, a statement from the Youth Mental Health Plan team said.

The team added: “The board will co-design a national youth mental health literacy programme, supporting the Youth Mental Health Plan's goal to ensure all young Bermudians understand mental health and know how to access help.”

It said: “YAB members will organise and lead a slate of impactful public events, in line with the Ministry of Health’s campaign efforts to fight stigma in our community.”

Chris Jackson, the board’s chairman, added that serving on the board is “about using young voices to create real change”.

He said: “Young people understand the mental health challenges we face better than anyone and this is your chance to be heard, to advocate and to help shape a system that truly supports us.”

The team invited residents aged between 14 and 18 to apply to join the board.

The 20 students selected will be expected to attend monthly three-hour meetings from September to June, serve on one of three subcommittees, participate in podcasts and engage with key stakeholders.

Applications involve submitting a two-minute video can be accessed via Google Docs.

• For more information, e-mail ymhbermuda@gmail.com