On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to address a growing issue — the alarming rise in suicides and disconnection among California’s young men and boys.
The order directs a coordinated statewide response to improve mental health outcomes, reduce stigma, and expand access to meaningful education, work and mentorship opportunities.
The full order can be found here.
“Too many young men and boys are suffering in silence — disconnected from community, opportunity, and even their own families,” said Newsom. “This action is about turning that around. It’s about showing every young man that he matters and there’s a path for him of purpose, dignity, work, and real connection.”
“Women and men face different challenges — but there are systemic barriers we can take on together,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. “Whether it’s the shortage of male mental health providers, outdated ideas about care work, or boys falling through the cracks in school, this Executive Order is a step toward real solutions. Our young men and boys are facing a crisis of loneliness and social isolation that is showing up in their mental health, educational outcomes, future economic opportunities, and more. Raising healthy boys will take all of us—moms, dads, teachers, coaches, and mentors—working together to find new ways forward.”
The executive order helps address this crisis, directing state agencies to create a new focus on this issue and creating new pathways to help reconnect men and boys with the support, assistance, and help they need.
Ending mental health stigma
Lack of mental health support and gender stereotypes have perpetuated a culture where men and boys feel unable to ask for assistance or support, leading to higher rates of disconnection, suicide, drug use, crime, and lack of participation in the workforce.
Depression is ranked as a leading cause of death among men, and mental health conditions often go untreated among men because they are far less likely to seek mental health treatment than women.
Newsom’s office said this crisis impacts everyone. Violence is focused both internally and externally, affecting all people in the community. Men are responsible for almost 80% of violent crime, and almost half of female homicide victims are killed by a current or former male intimate partner.
Although California consistently has one of the lowest gun death rates in the nation, the toll remains too high – about 3,200 Californians lose their lives to gun violence each year, with suicides making up a significant share, especially among men. In California, men aged 15–44 die by suicide at 3 to 4 times the rate of women, often by firearms.
Strengthening mental health support
The executive order directs the California Health and Human Services Agency, or CalHHS, to develop recommendations to address the suicide crisis among young men.
The governor is also ordering CalHHS, with support from the Center for Data Insights and Innovation, to examine existing data on gender disparities to identify any gaps in service delivery and assess potential changes to address disparities.
Crisis of loneliness
Young men are more disconnected from school, work and relationships than ever before, with nearly one in four men under 30 years old reporting that they have no close friends, a five-fold increase since 1990, with higher rates of disconnection for young Black males.
A lack of social connection is associated with increased risk of poor health, including mental health disorders, poverty, and even premature death.
This disconnection has pulled men out of the workplace. Labor force participation among men without a college degree is currently at historic lows, with about one in nine men aged 25-54 neither working nor looking for work.
The unemployment rate for men in California is also higher than the rate for women, and college enrollment and completion rates for men have dropped significantly over the past decade.
Pathways to work and education
The executive order aims to reconnect men and boys with pathways to enter education or the workforce, including through service opportunities.
The governor is directing the Office of Service and Community Engagement, in consultation with the Office of the First Partner and the executive director of the State Board of Education, to identify opportunities for promoting and enhancing the participation of men and boys in service opportunities through California Volunteers.
The order also will help improve opportunities for the full participation of men and boys as part of California Jobs First, the Master Plan for Career Education, the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, and the California Community Schools Partnership Program, which are being implemented by the Governor’s Office for Business and Economic Development, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the California Health and Human Services Agency, the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement, and the California Department of Veterans Affairs, and in consultation with the Office of the First Partner and the Executive Director of the State Board of Education.
The order also helps address the lack of male role models in educational settings, by directing the executive director of the State Board of Education and requesting the California Department of Education and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to identify opportunities to improve recruitment of men as teachers and school counselors.
Ongoing funding for job training and apprenticeship programs
The governor’s announcement of the executive order comes alongside the new announcement of $20 million awarded through the California Apprenticeship Council Training Funds. This funding will go to support apprenticeship training in the building trades.
Apprenticeship funding is a key component of the Governor’s Master Plan for Career Education, which focuses on creating different career pathways that do not necessarily rely on a four-year college degree.
Apprenticeships in the building trades are a debt-free option and can lead to stable jobs with family-sustaining wages and help support the governor’s efforts to address this crisis.
With California leading the way in apprenticeship programs nationwide, Gov. Newsom aims to serve 500,000 apprentices by 2029; 219,784 registered apprentices have been served thus far.
At-risk young men may also be connected to the workforce through California’s Youth Employment Opportunity Program, which helps young people ages 15 to 25 who may be struggling with school or work. Advisors for the program are available across California.
In March 2025, EDD and the LWDA awarded approximately $1,700,000 of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Governor's discretionary funds under the Opportunity Young Adult Evaluation and Technical Assistance Program. These funds support organizations who help young adults reach educational and employment goals.
Ongoing initiatives
The Newsom administration is in the midst of implementing several initiatives that are directly responsive to addressing negative outcomes for men and boys, including:
California Jobs First, a statewide plan built with input from 13 regions to drive sustainable economic growth, innovation, and access to good-paying jobs over the next decade, paired with $125 million to support new projects and $92 million for new apprenticeship and job programs.
The Master Plan for Career Education, which focuses on strengthening career pathways, prioritizing hands-on learning and real-life skills, and advancing educational access and affordability and complements additional investments.
Mental Health for All, California’s plan to build a stronger and more equitable behavioral health system, with the goal to make sure every Californian — especially those who have struggled to get help like men and boys — can access high-quality mental health and substance use disorder treatment when and where they need it.
Proposition 1, passed by the voters in 2024 to modernize the state’s behavioral health care delivery system and provide $6.4B in bond funds to build treatment facilities and housing.
The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative, which invests billions of dollars to create a larger and more representative workforce supporting behavioral health for young people and improve coordination and integration across different settings delivering behavioral health care.
The California Community Schools Partnership Program, which is transforming more than 2000 public schools into community hubs that provide integrated educational, health, and mental health services to students and families through more than $4 billion in grants.
California Volunteers, which is tasked with engaging Californians in service, volunteering, and civic action and operates the largest service force in the nation, in addition to facilitating volunteer and civic engagement opportunities across the state.
How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
