Newsom signs executive order targeting mental health crisis among young men, boys in California

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed an executive order directing California state agencies to launch a coordinated response to what he called an urgent and growing crisis facing young men and boys: rising suicide rates.

“Too many young men and boys are suffering in silence — disconnected from community, opportunity, and even their own families,” Newsom said in a statement. “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.”

The executive order directs state agencies to create new pathways to help reconnect men and boys with the support, assistance, and help they need.

According to the governor’s office, suicide rates for California men ages 15 to 44 are three to four times higher than for women, with firearms being a common method.

The executive order also supports workforce reentry by directing state programs to increase access to apprenticeships, job training and youth employment opportunities.

Additionally, $20 million in new funding from the California Apprenticeship Council Training Funds will be allocated to expand training in the building trades, which is part of a broader initiative to recruit 500,000 apprentices statewide by 2029.

Newsom’s order builds on Proposition 1, approved by voters in 2024, which allocates $6.4 billion in bond funds to expand mental health treatment facilities and housing statewide, along with other initiatives to address “negative outcomes for men and boys.”