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LIVE BEYOND: A New Resource for Youth Mental Health, Sorrel Leaf Healing Center Transforms Crisis Care for Young People in Northern California

PART 3 of 3 Part series of Lost Coast Communication’s partnership with the CA DHHS, the Office of the Surgeon General, and the “Live Beyond” ACEs & Toxic Stress campaign.

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Our past experiences don’t define us, but they can have a lasting impact. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful or potentially traumatic experiences that happen before the age of 18, like having a caregiver who struggled with mental health or substance use, witnessing domestic violence, or experiencing abuse or neglect. When we experience persistent and ongoing stressful or traumatic events, or ACEs, they can cause a toxic stress response.

This can affect our bodies’ and brains’ development as children, and our physical and mental health well into adulthood. While ACEs and toxic stress may not always have a huge impact on our lives, for some of us they can influence our self-esteem, our ability to do well in school or at work, and our relationships, for example. The impacts may also show up in unexpected ways and situations affecting how we feel and act.

But most importantly, ACEs might be a part of our story, but they don’t define who we are or what happens next. We can learn how to heal and live beyond what happened to us.

Hear real Californians talk about their healing journey, and how they live beyond their ACEs.

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Local Resource Highlight:

A New Resource for Youth Mental Health: Sorrel Leaf Healing Center Transforms Crisis Care for Young people in Northern California

In a region where youth mental health statistics tell a sobering story, a groundbreaking initiative is bringing hope to Humboldt County and the surrounding counties. Sorrel Leaf Healing Center, set to open its 12-bed youth residential healing center in Spring 2026, represents a fundamental shift in how our community approaches youth mental health crises—keeping children close to home while providing innovative, whole child, trauma-informed care.

Born from A Deep Need in the Community

Founder and Chairperson Evan Buxbaum MD MPH (he/him).

For pediatrician and founder Dr. Evan Buxbaum, the turning point came in 2019. After referring a suicidal 14-year-old to the emergency room at St. Joseph Hospital, he watched as she remained there for weeks because of the scarcity of youth mental health beds in the state. Eventually she was transferred hundreds of miles away, only to return four days later on multiple new psychotropic medications while her family and team scrambled to arrange appropriate follow-up care.

“That experience crystallized so much that was going wrong with our system,” reflects Dr. Buxbaum, who practiced pediatric medicine in Humboldt County for over a decade. “We were sending our most vulnerable young people far from their families and support networks during their most difficult times. We were relying on medication to address deep mental health, spiritual and trauma-rooted symptoms, and when they returned to our community there was little preparation for how their families might receive them or how they would ensure timely continuity of care.”

That realization led to the creation of Sorrel Leaf Healing Center, 501(c)(3), a first-of-its-kind home-like mental health healing center where young people in crisis could receive comprehensive, compassionate care without leaving Humboldt County.

Addressing a Critical Gap

The need couldn’t be more urgent. Humboldt County bears a disproportionate burden of the state’s childhood trauma and mental health challenges. Local youth report Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) at nearly double the state average, while suicide has become the leading cause of death for those aged 15 to 24 in our community.

“In a recent survey, twenty percent of Humboldt County’s 11th graders report having seriously considered ending their lives within the past year,” Dr. Buxbaum says. “Yet until now, we’ve had no pediatric residential mental health crisis resources within hundreds of miles to help these young people when they attempt suicide or have a critical mental health event.”

The statistics are particularly alarming for some of our more vulnerable populations. Indigenous youth, representing 6.5% of Humboldt’s population but 14.5% of all youth crisis events, face rates of adverse childhood experiences two to three times higher than their non-Indigenous peers. LGBTQ+ youth attempt suicide at four times the national average, while suicide rates among Black youth have increased 78% in the past 25 years.

For years, the northern third of California has struggled with this growing crisis without adequate resources to help young people when they reach a mental health crisis or attempt suicide. When local youth needed crisis residential care, they were often transported to facilities in the Bay Area or beyond, separating them from family and community.

A Comprehensive Approach Takes Shape

In 2020, Dr. Buxbaum joined forces with concerned community members, mental health professionals, philanthropists, Humboldt County’s Department of Health and Human Services, and affected families to form Sorrel Leaf Healing Center as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The organization purchased a park-like 13-acre property off Indianola Road in Eureka in 2022, which will serve as the campus for its residential healing center. Last year marked the launch of their Child and Adolescent Mobile Response Team, already making a significant impact through on-the-ground de-escalation and short term outpatient crisis care and case management throughout Humboldt County.

Sorrel Leaf’s comprehensive program serves children and adolescents ages 7 to 18 through three interconnected components:

Mobile Crisis Response: Operating now, this team intervenes with clinical care and case management in real-time anywhere in the county, preventing hospitalization when possible and providing individual and family resources to support them through the crisis through up to a 6-week crisis intensive program that takes place in the home or school, meeting and providing care for youth and their families where they’re most comfortable. Through intensive mobile care, many young people can avoid the trauma of hospitalization or inpatient placement.

Residential Program: Beginning in Spring 2026, Sorrel Leaf’s 12-bed Children’s Crisis Residential Program (CCRP) will offer stays of up to 10 days or longer if needed at the Eureka campus. Youth will receive transformative care supervised by a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, alongside a full spectrum of therapeutic healing modalities that includes art, music, movement, gardening and cooking, as well as somatic and talk therapies tailored to their needs and what will work best for them as individuals.

Aftercare Services: Following crisis intervention, young people will receive continuing support through Sorrel Leaf’s aftercare clinic and remote or in-home care, ensuring a successful, structured transition back to daily life and promoting long-term recovery.

New Leadership Brings Additional Expertise

Shireen Varga ​Executive Director.

As Sorrel Leaf prepares for its next phase of growth, the organization recently welcomed Shireen Varga, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), as its new executive director in February 2025. Varga brings over a decade of experience as clinician and program manager for The Priority Center in Orange County, with expertise including 24-hour youth and adult in-home crisis mobile response, substance use treatment, outreach and school readiness programs, as well as early-childhood development programs.

“Shireen’s diverse and multifaceted background aligns perfectly with our comprehensive approach,” says Buxbaum. “Her experience implementing similar programs will be invaluable as we prepare to open our residential healing center next year.”

Varga joins a team of healers and community members who, under her leadership, are carefully supporting crafting a residential program designed to provide the deep healing that young people deserve.

“What drew me to Sorrel Leaf was their commitment to truly transformative care,” says Varga. “This isn’t about quick fixes or symptom management—it’s about helping young people rediscover their strength, purpose, and connection during and after a crisis.”

Reimagining Youth Mental Health Care

What sets Sorrel Leaf apart isn’t just filling a geographical gap in services—it’s reimagining how youth mental health crisis care can be delivered.

“We’re not just building a facility; we’re adopting a new paradigm for healing,” says Buxbaum. “Our approach focuses on restoring wholeness and meaning to young people’s lives, not simply managing their symptoms.”

The center’s strength-based therapeutic approach is rooted in mindfulness, focusing on embodied healing and connection to self, community, and nature. Young people will gain tools for emotional regulation, acceptance, and distress tolerance. They’ll learn key life skills, receive comprehensive sleep assessment and optimization, and understand the power of healthy nourishment on mood and well-being.

Importantly, Sorrel Leaf’s model engages family, caregivers, and the young person’s community of support and culture to ensure lasting stability.

A Healing Environment

The Healing Center’s location itself serves as a therapeutic tool. Situated on a 13-acre working farm and conserved land with a native species restoration plan, a wetland pond and acres of lush pasture and forest, residents will benefit from daily interactions with plants, therapeutic animals, and nature.

The campus will feature a 7,000-square-foot main house, an aftercare clinic, arts building, movement and mindfulness pavilion, greenhouse, barn, gardens, and a courtyard with expansively designed outdoor spaces.

“Environment plays a critical role in healing,” explains Buxbaum. “Connection to nature, animals, art, and physical movement aren’t afterthoughts here—they’re essential components of helping young people reconnect with their lives and find meaning during difficult times.”

A Model for Rural Youth Mental Health Care

While addressing the immediate local need for these services, Sorrel Leaf Healing Center aims to serve as a model for rural communities across the country facing similar challenges with youth mental health services.

“Rural counties nationwide face these same barriers to care,” notes Varga. “We hope our approach demonstrates how communities can come together to create solutions that honor the unique needs and strengths of their young people.”

For communities like Humboldt County with historically high rates of childhood trauma and limited mental health resources, Sorrel Leaf represents more than just a new resource—it symbolizes a community-wide commitment to the wellbeing of its youngest members.

“When we invest in healing our young people, we’re investing in the future of our entire community,” says Buxbaum. “The effects ripple outward, strengthening families and creating more resilience and interconnectedness.”

As the Spring 2026 opening of the residential healing center approaches, the organization continues to build partnerships with local schools, healthcare providers, tribal health centers, and community organizations to ensure seamless coordination of care. They are partnered with County Mental Health on their core grant, and will be working closely with the County to make sure these youth’s needs are met.

“We can’t address these challenges in isolation,” emphasizes Varga. “Our success depends on strong collaboration with existing community resources as well as our youth, and creating a continuum of care that supports young people at every stage.”

For a region that has long struggled with mental health challenges, particularly for its youth, Sorrel Leaf Healing Center represents a transformative shift—one that brings much-needed services close to home while pioneering a holistic, compassionate approach to youth mental health crises.

As Buxbaum reflects on the journey from that pivotal moment in 2019 to today: “Our young people deserve more than just crisis management—they deserve deep healing and the chance to thrive. At Sorrel Leaf, we’re creating a place where that transformation can happen.”

For more information about Sorrel Leaf Healing Center, contact Shireen Varga and Evan Buxbaum at info@sorrelleaf.org or 707-267-7812

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY BY THE NUMBERS

• Suicide is the leading cause of death for Humboldt County residents ages 15-24
• 20% of local 11th graders report having seriously considered suicide in the past year
• Humboldt County youth experience Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) at nearly double the state average
• Until Sorrel Leaf Healing Center, no pediatric residential mental health facilities existed within hundreds of miles

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Sorrel Leaf Healing Center is not yet open. If you are currently experiencing a mental health crisis, please reach out to the following resources:

• 911 or 988
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• Humboldt County 24-Hour Behavioral Health Crisis Line: 707-445-7715

Sorrel Leaf Healing Center is currently in their design and build phase, but because of unexpectedly high construction costs they are seeking funds from donors, companies, sponsors, and individuals to create a truly transformative experience for our residents. Their Center is of our community and for our community. They need your help. If you would like to donate, click here or you can also send a check to: Sorrel Leaf Healing Center, 124 Indianola Road, Eureka, CA 95503

Sorrel Leaf Healing Center will offer immediately help with their Mobile Response. If a young person is struggling, they will go anywhere in the county to help. Their goal is to de-escalate the crisis situation, provide immediate counseling and case management, and whenever possible, to prevent hospitalization or the need for higher-level care.

Healing is possible, and you are not alone. You CAN live beyond the things that happened to you. 

Live Beyond ACEs!

Our past experiences don’t define us, but they can have a lasting impact on our mental and physical health and even our relationships. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are not our fault. We didn’t have control over when or why they happened, but we can live beyond ACEs and take steps toward healing.

LIVE BEYOND