Ross Szabo

Ross Szabo is a speaker, author, educator, and social innovator whose work has influenced how youth mental health is taught and discussed in the United States. Szabo began his advocacy after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 16 and experiencing a suicide attempt during his senior year of high school. After navigating mood swings, substance abuse, denial, and secrecy, Szabo reached a sense of stability with bipolar disorder and committed his career to advancing mental health education.

Szabo's professional experience spans more than two decades. He served as director of the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign, where he established the first national youth mental health speakers' bureau, reaching over 1.5 million students in 46 states and working to reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking among young people. That bureau later became part of Active Minds. Since beginning his work in a high school classroom, Szabo has spoken to more than 2 million people about mental health issues.

As an author, Szabo has written "A Kids Book About Anxiety" and co-authored "Behind Happy Faces: Taking Charge of Your Mental Health." "Behind Happy Faces" is recognized for its comprehensive approach to youth mental health, addressing topics such as barriers to seeking help, differences in race, class, gender, and sexual orientation, and strategies for supporting oneself and others. The "Behind Happy Faces" Mental Health Curriculum is used by more than 300,000 middle school, high school, and college students nationwide, including at institutions such as Cornell University, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, Duke University, Oregon State University, and UC Irvine.

Szabo joined Geffen Academy at UCLA as a founding faculty member and wellness director, where he integrated mental health education into the core curriculum. He developed a program for students to learn about mental health weekly from grades 6 through 12. Szabo also launched the Mental Health Education Institute at Geffen Academy, providing best practices and training for educators to incorporate mental health programming into school curricula. As CEO of the Human Power Project, Szabo works to make mental health information accessible by offering free educational resources online.

Szabo's work in mental health education and advocacy has been recognized with the Didi Hirsch Erasing the Stigma Leadership Award, the Changing Minds Award, and the Excellence in Education Award. His advocacy has been entered into the Congressional Record. Szabo frequently appears in media to discuss mental health and continues to address students, educators, and the public on the importance of mental health awareness and education.