Text reading 'United & Dedicated' with a large gray ampersand

Marin Healthy Youth Partnership is a local nonprofit organization that partners with community organizations and institutions, volunteers, youth and prevention experts to implement evidence-based strategies that foster a healthier environment for all Marin youth.

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People sitting around a wooden table, some taking notes, in a well-lit room.
Gray ampersand symbol on a white background.

It Takes All of Us.
Together, we unite local partners to create a healthier, substance-free future for our youth.

Who We Are

MHYP is a nonprofit based on a the 12-sector coalition model with representatives for each sector of our community. The organization is guided by a board of directors and the initiatives are led by staff and volunteers.

  • Youth
    Leo De La Huelga, Tamalpais High School
    Ruby Cole, Marin Academy High School

    Youth Serving Organization
    Don Carney, Youth Transforming Justice

    School
    Jessica Colvin, Tam Union High School District Wellness

    Recovery
    Dina Enberg

    Parent
    Hillary Whitman

    Media
    Lisa Tabb, Starhouse Media

    Law Enforcement
    Chief Michael Norton, Central Marin Police Authority

    Healthcare
    Dr. Cindy Greenberg, Pediatrician

    Government
    Gabe Paulson, Larkspur City Council

    Faith-Based
    Pastor Michael Snearly, Grace Church of Marin

    Civic
    Laura Anderson, Larkspur Community Foundation

    Business
    Michelle Leopold, Ace Hardware

  • Laura Anderson
    Chairperson

    Kelsey Fernandez
    President

    John Wright
    Vice President

    Larry Chu
    Treasurer

    Melissa Wahlstrom
    Secretary

    Ada Perlson
    Youth Board Member

    Jessica Colvin
    Board Member

    Dina Enberg
    Board Member

    Estela Merida Godfrey
    Board Member

    Linda Henn
    Board Member

    Gabe Paulson
    Board Member

    Chantel Walker
    Board Member

  • Kelsey Fernandez, MA
    Executive Director
    kelsey@mhyp.org

    Jackie Davis, MPH, MSW
    Director of Education
    jackie@mhyp.org

    Melissa Wahlstrom, MPH
    Let’s Talk Program Coordinator
    melissa@mhyp.org

    Lisa Klein
    Raising the Bar Program Coordinator
    lisa@mhyp.org

    Amanda Sheeren
    Be the Influence Program Coordinator
    Marketing Coordinator
    amanda@mhyp.org

    Kimberly Navarrete
    Program Coordinator for Spanish-Speaking Programs
    kimberly@mhyp.org

Partnerships

  • Youth Advocacy Committee
    MHYP, in partnership with Bay Area Community Services (BACR), founded the Youth Advocacy Committee (YAC) in 2018 with the goal to stimulate positive community change by promoting awareness, education, and legislative action regarding underage substance use and misuse. Under the umbrella of by BACR since 2022, MHYP continues to collaborate with YAC members on a number of prevention initiatives.

    Elevate Youth Program
    From 2022-2023, MHYP ran a youth program with 9 paid interns who identified as BIPOC or LGBTQIA+ with the goal to elevate youth voice in leadership and activism to prevent teen substance use. Specifically, the program aimed to support teen leaders from communities that have historically been marginalized, and in particular, youth of color and LGBTQIA+ youth. MHYP continues program collaboration with students in this program funded by BACR through Sierra Health.

  • Bay Area Community Resources

    OD Free Marin

    TUHSD Wellness Center

    Youth Leadership Institute

    Youth Transforming Justice

    Youth for Justice

    Marin 9 to 25

MHYP works closely with other local organizations with similar goals to create collective impact around efforts to increase protective factors for Marin youth.

  • Four women standing behind a table with informational signs and flyers in a library setting, shelves filled with books in the background.
  • Two women smiling, holding papers that say "Let's Talk" in front of a beige wall.
  • Group of five people posing for a photo indoors, two women kneeling in front and three standing behind, smiling, with a poster in the background listing rules such as no dealing, no holding drugs, and no pets.
  • Four people standing together at an event, smiling at the camera. Two men and two women, with name tags, standing against a wall with posters.
  • Two women dressed as Halloween characters, one as a witch and the other as Batgirl, standing behind a table with a Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships banner. The table has candy and small decorations, set in a park with trees and a few people sitting on benches in the background. There is also a tall blue sign promoting youth organizations' efforts to keep kids substance-free.
  • Young man speaking at a podium with microphones in a conference room.
  • Two women standing inside an indoor space, smiling at the camera. The woman on the left is holding a yellow booklet titled 'Let's Start Talking,' and the woman on the right is wearing a dark sweatshirt, leggings, and sneakers. Masks are hanging off their ears.
  • Group of women standing together at an event, posing in front of a backdrop with logos for Constellation Behavioral Health and Miracles Breakfast.
  • A woman and an older man sitting at a table, smiling. The woman has shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing glasses, a blue collared shirt under a maroon sweater. The man has long gray hair, glasses, a plaid shirt over a red t-shirt. There is a laptop, a smartphone, and a coffee cup on the table.
  • Group of teenagers gathered in a cozy, well-lit room, posing for a photo around a brown wooden table and couch.
  • Man wearing a blue sweater and black gloves sorting through a clear plastic bag filled with empty pill bottles, with more bottles in a container below.
  • Two women sitting at a table, smiling, with papers and documents in front of them, in a room with cardboard boxes and shelves in the background.
  • Two women standing close and smiling in front of wooden wall, one in a black blazer and the other in a plaid blazer and jeans.
  • Group of four young people, three men and one woman, smiling and standing together at a Raising the Bar event under a white canopy tent with a blue banner in the background.
  • Two women smiling and holding coffee cups at a volunteer event with a backdrop that reads 'CNL' and 'Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership'.
  • A young woman with dark hair pulled back, wearing a floral dress and a gold necklace, smiling and holding a colorful book titled "High" at a dining table in a home setting.
  • Two women standing behind a table at an outdoor event booth, smiling for the camera. The woman on the left wears a light blue t-shirt with the words "Raising the Bar" and the woman on the right wears a dark shirt with a leaf pattern. There is a banner behind them with the text "Marin healthy youth partnerships" and various logos. The table has a sign about a drawing contest, several small items, a water bottle, and a pen.
  • Two young women smiling at a table with papers and a laptop. The woman on the left wears a black hoodie with green and white text and a blue name tag. The woman on the right wears a black sweater with a name tag that reads Jasmine (Jazzy) Gerraty.
  • Two smiling people, a woman with gray hair wearing a maroon jacket and a man with white hair wearing a brown jacket, sitting at a table during a formal event with other attendees in the background.
  • Two people sit at a table covered with flyers, papers, and cups, holding flyers promoting youth awareness in Maine. The woman on the left has brown hair, wears a brown jacket, and smiles at the camera. The man on the right has curly hair, sunglasses on his head, in a checkered shirt, also smiling.
  • Group of five women standing together indoors, smiling for the camera, with a handwritten poster on the wall behind them and a table with a water bottle and electronic device in front of them.
  • Two young women standing indoors in front of a classroom whiteboard and a presentation slide. The slide reads "NicoTEEN: Youth Protecting Youth by Cassidy Rodgers & Morgan Salzer." Both women are smiling, with one wearing a black and white striped shirt and jeans, and the other in a pinkish-brown sweatshirt and black pants.
  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, dressed in a black and white patterned blouse with a yellow scarf, seated next to a man with short white hair, glasses with red frames, wearing a green tropical-themed shirt, sitting at a table in a classroom or conference room.
  • A young woman standing in front of a chain-link fence with signs that read "No Dogs Allowed", "No Trespassing Violators Will Be Prosecuted", and a blue sign for raising the bar and keeping youth events substance free. She is wearing a white knitted sweater, maroon bell-bottom pants, and white shoes, with a baseball field visible in the background.