The Soluna California Cycle Tour, an inspiring collaboration with adventure cyclist Ed Hack to increase awareness about youth mental health, is underway in California. Known as a passionate mental health advocate, Ed is cycling across California to help promote Soluna, a free, safe, and confidential mental health app designed specifically for California youth ages 13-25.
The State of California announced the launch of its Behavioral Health Virtual Services Platform, a cornerstone of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health and the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI). Launched as a part of California’s CalHOPE program, the Behavioral Health Virtual Services Platform is a technology-enabled solution to provide free web and app-based support for all children, youth, and families in the state. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) partnered with Kooth Digital Health to develop and launch the Soluna app.
To help kick off the Soluna launch and promote mental health awareness for California youth, Ed will bike more than 1,000 miles from the California/Oregon border to the Mexico border.
The Soluna California Cycle Tour runs from January to February 2024 to help spread awareness about and encourage young individuals to embark on their mental well-being journeys. Throughout the tour, Ed will engage with people in communities across California, sharing stories and learning about the unique mental health challenges facing today’s youth. Joining him will be some of the state’s top athletes, symbolizing that no one is alone in their mental health journey and highlighting the importance of support, motivation, and guidance when dealing with any issues or concerns.
“Just like with my cycling journey, mental health is a journey filled with ups and downs, highs and lows,” said Ed Hack. “My goal is to help as many young people and their families, caregivers, and communities as possible by building awareness for Soluna to help reduce the stigmas and lower any potential barriers to care so today’s youth can get the support and help needed to build strong and resilient lives.”
The Soluna California Cycle Tour will cover many difficult terrains, from mountains to valleys to plateaus, and cities and towns, including Redding, Sacramento, San Francisco, Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego. To learn more and follow Ed’s journey, please visit https://cycletour.solunaapp.com/.
About Soluna
Powered by Kooth Digital Health, Soluna, a CalHOPE program, is a safe, confidential, and free behavioral health and wellness app available to millions of Californians ages 13-25. Soluna is part of DHCS’ CYBHI, a historic, five-year $4.6 billion initiative designed to transform the way California supports children, youth, and families. Soluna removes the barriers to behavioral health care by connecting young people with resources to support a variety of areas, including stress, anxiety, loneliness, bullying, and more. Soluna offers clinically moderated peer forums, chat-based sessions with behavioral health coaches, journaling, and educational content, including age-tailored articles, videos, podcasts, and stories. Soluna is available for iOS and Android. For more information, visit https://solunaapp.com/.
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