For some teens across San Antonio and South Texas, critical mental health support can feel out of reach. A shortage of professionals, coupled with long waits, transportation barriers and stigma, can leave young people without help when they need it most.
Working to bridge that gap is UT Teen Health, a grant-funded program in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine. Its community initiatives include Project YES (Youth Empowerment and Support), a partnership with Northwestern University and Koko, a nonprofit whose mission is to help end the youth mental health crisis by integrating tools into platforms young people use daily. The initiative offers teens ages 13–17 free, anonymous online sessions designed to help them learn new ways to manage stress and anxiety.
By meeting teens where they frequently are — online — UT Teen Health and Project YES are helping to close the mental health gap. The accessible tools available on the Project YES website are aimed at helping young people boost mood, build confidence, ease stress and anxiety and open a path to additional care when needed.
“Teen mental health has always been important, but it’s especially crucial right now,” said Jacklynn Ware, UT Teen Health project coordinator. “Many teens find it hard to talk openly with a parent or guardian, and there can be a stigma that suggests something is ‘wrong’ if they’re feeling anxious or going through a tough time.”
To provide San Antonio teens a more tailored mental health resource, UT Teen Health and Project YES worked with youth across the city to tailor the Project YES website. Their input helped shape a more locally oriented and relevant resource, paving the way for a redesigned website launched in early 2025.
A website with San Antonio teens in mind
The youth-informed redesign of the Project YES website connects local teens directly to free, practical support accessible by mobile phone, any tablet or computer.
For ease of use and anonymity, participants do not need to register or make an account to participate. They can simply visit the site and click on the modules that resonate with them without any pressure.
“Some teens want to talk things out, while others prefer space and time to themselves,” Ware said. “This is why a resource like Project YES, where teens can anonymously access mental health resources online that are tailored for them, is so important. It’s a great resource because it gives teens the chance to reflect on their feelings independently, and it can be a first step toward opening up to a trusted adult. Normalizing these conversations and encouraging young people to seek help when they need it can make a huge difference.”
Participants can choose from a variety of 10-minute modules ranging from improving their mood and rethinking body image to reframing negative thoughts and staying safe while having dark thoughts.
The updated site reflects feedback from San Antonio teens involved in the Youth Leadership Council, which focuses on teen health and community impact, and the Project YES Teen Ambassador Program, whose members are passionate about improving teen mental health. Youth from both groups reviewed the Project YES modules and provided feedback that was incorporated into the updated site.
Among the website’s most distinctive features is voice recordings from teens from the Youth Leadership Council sharing their mental health stories, including the challenges they faced and how they overcame them.
“The other thing that makes [the website] unique for San Antonio is that some of our teens wanted to share their story in their native language, which was Spanish, so there [are] voice recordings in Spanish as well,” said Jennifer San Pedro Todd, director of UT Teen Health.
That emphasis on accessibility extends beyond language, shaping how the platform responds when a teen’s answers signal that more immediate support may be needed.
If a teen provides concerning answers during a module, the session will stop and direct the teen to crisis resources.
“Anything that the student types in, the AI runs through it and … looking for … words that we have marked as trigger words or something that indicates that the student is in a crisis,” Todd said.
In a situation deemed a crisis, the teen will be redirected to what is called a “crisis flow” in which they are asked questions to gauge where they are so they can be directed to appropriate crisis resources.
“There is a trade-off with doing things anonymously. And we also have both crisis and non-crisis resources listed on Project YES that anyone can access,” Todd said. “[The] AI crisis detection is just one of the ways we try to keep students safe as they go through these modules.”
Upcoming mental health workshop for middle schoolers
To foster open discussions about mental health, UT Teen Health is inviting middle school students ages 11–14 to build skills for emotional well-being at a free mental health workshop on Monday, Oct. 12, from 8 a.m. to noon. The workshop will be held at the Academic Learning and Teaching Center at The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Health Science Center, located at 7703 Floyd Curl Drive in San Antonio.
Through interactive activities, students will identify their strengths, practice healthy ways to manage stress and build supportive connections. They will also explore self-care, peer support and free mental health resources, including Project YES.
“We’re going to discuss things like, ‘how do I know if someone’s struggling with their mental health? And what are some ways I can take care of myself when I may be struggling with my mental health?” Ware said.
Participants will also learn about when to get an adult involved if they are facing mental health challenges.
“Most teens feel more comfortable telling their friends something than their parents, so understanding when it’s time to get an adult involved is really important,” Ware said.
Parental consent is required for middle school students to attend the event. To give students a safe space to discuss sensitive topics such as mental health, parents will not attend. However, they will receive a toolkit and resources to guide follow-up conversations with their children.
“The hope is that [students continue] the conversation at home and with their friends,” Ware said.
To register for the event, click here.
UT Teen Health will also offer a free lunchtime webinar for parents and guardians on how to talk with teens about mental health. The same webinar will be presented twice, from noon to 1 p.m. on Oct. 26 and Nov. 19. Designed as a primer, it will share communication best practices and science-backed health information.