Jackson Johansen has a lot to look forward to in life.
The 19-year-old from Fountain Valley is a freshman at Orange Coast College studying music. He is also the lead singer of a rock and reggae band called 74odd.
Johansen recently completed Hogue's eight-week young adult mental health program.
“I’m still an anxious person,” he said. “I don't think it'll ever go away. But the intrusive thoughts are easy to deal with and they're not scary. That's probably the biggest part. They're not that scary, and now that I have these skills It's not that scary to get to that point again because I know how to stop myself from getting there, which is very, very nice.”
“That point” refers to Johansen's suicide attempt last November, several months after graduating from Fountain Valley High School. Hogue is now focused on helping more young people like Johansen.
Hogue's youth mental health program expanded from Irvine to Newport Beach this month. The first cohort in Newport Beach began treatment at the Melinda Hogue Smith Healthy Living Center on Monday, March 25, according to Program Clinical Manager Dave Cook.
Jackson Johansen, who graduated from Fountain Valley High School last year, recently completed a stint in the Hogue Young Adult Mental Health Program.
(Don Leach/Staff Photographer)
The young adult program has helped about 125 people since it started in Irvine three years ago.
Cook said there are a number of substance use programs in the area, but not many outpatient programs that focus on mental health.
Cook, who has a master's degree in clinical psychology and is a certified marriage and family therapist, said: “We are excited to be able to reach more young people at this wonderful stage in their lives and improve their quality of life. It's really great to be able to see that.” “We are also able to provide scholarships for youth by providing scholarships through the Hogue Foundation for youth who do not have access to insurance or funding.”
The Young Adult Mental Health Program is a sister program to Hoag's Afterschool Program Intervention and Resilience Education Program (better known as ASPIRE), which serves teenagers. The young adult program supports her from age 18 to age 26, and he meets three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Cook said the rolling admissions system allows patients to be referred by multiple different providers or by their parents themselves.
According to program director Dr. Sheena Safahieh, each two-week period of the program is an individual module that uses an evidence-based treatment called dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).
He said young people are one of the most underserved populations when it comes to mental health, adding that suicide is the second leading cause of death in these age groups after road accidents.
“From our point of view, they are still children until the age of 25, when their brains are fully developed,” Safahieh says. “But they are given adult responsibilities and carry the whole world on their shoulders with the burden of economic hardship and social hardship. Not having the kind of support you had back in the day can cause a lot of obstacles.”
No one will be fired from the program unless they voluntarily want to leave, he said.
“Almost every program outside of the Hogue system doesn’t have that kind of funding,” he said. “For example, let's say halfway through treatment the insurance company decides to discontinue…these patients can't be discharged. As a clinician, you don't have to worry about begging the insurance company to continue the program.”
Johansen has definitely seen a noticeable improvement. He said there was a steady increase in depression during high school, which coincided with the coronavirus pandemic. His father passed away in May 2022 after a battle with alcoholism, and Jackson feels responsible for supporting his mother, Kimberly, and two older sisters. A few months later, his grandmother died of pancreatic cancer.
“I realized I had to keep moving forward, put a smile on my face, and be the bigger man for my family,” Johansen said. “And I was wrong. I was very, very wrong. Instead of dealing with it with my family, I dealt with it myself and tried to protect myself so that my family wouldn't see me suffering.” I tried to suppress my emotions.”
After feeling extremely anxious for several days last November, he attempted to take his own life. A few weeks later, he enrolled in the Hogue program.
“For me, a big part of the young adult mental health program was just having a place to stay, a place away from home, and a support group,” Johansen said. “While this is an educational place, everyone can also talk about what is on their mind. If there are any relevant topics they would like to share, they are most welcome.”
Johansen got the word “ASPIRE” tattooed on his right leg during his last week in the young adult program.
Cook laughed, saying this is the first ASPIRE tattoo a patient has gotten, at least to his knowledge. But he also knows that expanding the young adult program to Newport Beach will create more success stories like Jackson-Johansen.
“This is all based on coping skills, very concrete skills that young people can put into practice immediately in their lives to make lasting changes,” Cook said. “We work really hard with young people to find direction in life. Can we move in that direction?”
