Two Feathers wins $350,000 Irvine grant for culturally rooted youth mental health

Humboldt County nonprofit Two Feathers Native American Family Services in McKinleyville has been named a 2026 Leadership Award recipient by The James Irvine Foundation and will receive a $350,000 grant to grow its culturally grounded youth mental-health programs. The award, announced Feb. 24, 2026, comes as the organization seeks to scale school-based counseling, cultural programming, and Youth Ambassador workforce development across the county.

Two Feathers says it has grown from a single therapist to delivering over 7,900 counseling sessions annually to 280 youth across 12 school districts, and that it serves Native American youth ages 10 to 25 and their families in Humboldt County. The organization’s YouTube video and program materials describe an array of clinical programming, cultural groups, outreach activities and community events conducted both in schools and in community settings.

The nonprofit’s Youth Ambassador program - now running its 2025-2026 cohort - combines clinical care with traditional practices and paid workforce development. Two Feathers’ program update notes Ambassadors earn paychecks while engaging in wellness education, advocacy, and experiential learning and are supported by therapy, case management, and mentorship rooted in cultural practice. The 2025-2026 cohort "has worked diligently to build essential workforce skills, including résumé building, CPR/First Aid training, interview preparation, and conflict-resolution skills," the organization wrote, adding that youth attended college tours and planned community advocacy projects.

Two Feathers has framed culture as the backbone of prevention and healing. In a YouTube transcript an organizational voice said, "We believe as local Native people that if we listen to the teachings of our ancestors, take care of the land, take care of your family, of people in the community, if the youth learn those practices, they're going to be healthier people and healthier communities." The same transcript describes programs that "offer really holistic wraparound [...] we treat them as if they are living, with respect" and mentions cultural practices including the "flower dance."

Alumni impacts are highlighted but at times reported incompletely in published materials: the YouTube summary states, "Alumni report improved confidence, reduced substance use, and strengthened [...]," with the transcript cutting off after "strengthened." Community reaction posted on a republished press release captured local support: "Two Feathers is the most amazing organization for mental health/native . My niece nephew and son all have worked in the youth program s . The counselors are absolutely amazing kind generous with their time. They’re all about saving lives /changing lives... They SAVE LIVES," a commenter wrote on the Kymkemp post.

Two Feathers’ staff updates provide local color on program culture and capacity-building: staff held a retreat in "a beautiful ocean-view space in Trinidad" hosted by the Mariposa Team, shared lunch from Lighthouse Café, and the Chekws clinical team had a staff appreciation brunch at Bayfront Restaurant. The organization also reported, "After serving 298 Native youth over the past year, it was important to pause and honor the care, dedication, and countless lives touched through this work."

The press release republished on local outlets names Virgil Moorehead Jr. and Amy Mathieson as organization leaders and invites media to contact them; it lists a call/text line at 559-393-3398 for those interested in learning more. Two Feathers’ website and video materials together map a program model that the $350,000 Irvine grant is intended to expand - scaling school counseling across 12 districts and strengthening culturally rooted clinical and workforce pathways for Native youth across Humboldt County.