The company's investment in The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health will help students build leadership skills, learn to support their peers and connect to local health care services

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Health Net, one of California's most experienced Medi-Cal managed care health plans and company of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), announced a $412,000 grant to The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health to expand its Wellness Youth Advocate (WYA) program into Compton Unified School District. The investment will help launch the program at Compton High School, Dominguez High School and Whaley Middle School.

The grant will help equip students with the knowledge, skills and resources they need to become advocates for their own health and wellbeing while supporting the health of their peers. The expansion builds on a program that currently engages more than 100 student Wellness Youth Advocates at 12 schools across Los Angeles County, reaching more than 20,000 students through peer-led health education campaigns.

"Young people understand the challenges facing their communities because they live them every day. When we invest in their leadership, we create opportunities for students to share their experiences, support one another and help shape healthier futures for themselves and their peers," said Dorothy Seleski, President of Medi-Cal at Health Net. "We're proud to partner with The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health to help ensure more young people in Compton have a voice, feel supported and can access the services they need to thrive."

Through the peer-to-peer model, students will receive training in leadership, health education, mental health awareness, and navigating health care services. The program will also help connect eligible students to Enhanced Care Management (ECM) among other services.

"Every student deserves access to the resources and support they need to be healthy, succeed in school and reach their full potential," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. "The Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health has long been a champion for student wellbeing, and Health Net's investment will help expand opportunities for young people in Compton to learn about their health, support their peers and access critical services. This partnership is an important step toward creating healthier outcomes for our youth and our communities."

Expanding the program into Compton Unified School District will establish the model in a new district while creating opportunities to share best practices for school-based health initiatives and peer-led engagement. The grant will support recruitment and training of 60 student Wellness Youth Advocates over two school years.

The program will also convene students from across Los Angeles County through annual Youth-to-Youth Health Summits and support ongoing evaluation efforts to measure improvements in health literacy, leadership development, advocacy skills and access to care.

"We are grateful for Health Net's partnership and commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of young people," said Sarah Rodman, Executive Director at The LA Trust for Children's Health. "By expanding the Wellness Youth Advocate program into Compton Unified School District, we can empower more students to become leaders, strengthen peer support networks and help connect youth to the care and resources they need to succeed."

Over the last 5 years, Health Net has committed over $284 million to community-based initiatives that address the social drivers of health and improve access to care across California. This grant reflects Health Net's ongoing commitment to investing in innovative programs that improve health outcomes for children, youth and families in underserved communities.

About Health Net
Founded in California more than 45 years ago, Health Net, LLC ("Health Net"), a company of Centene Corporation, believes that every person deserves a safety net for their health, regardless of age, income, employment status or current state of health. Today, we provide health plans for individuals, families, businesses of every size and people who qualify for Medi-Cal or Medicare. With more than 117,000 of our network providers, Health Net serves more than three million members across the state. We also offer access to substance abuse programs, behavioral health services and managed healthcare products related to prescription drugs. We make these health plans and services available through Health Net and its subsidiaries: Health Net of California, Inc., Health Net Life Insurance Company and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. These entities are wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC), a leading healthcare enterprise committed to transforming the health of the communities we serve, one person at a time. Health Net and Centene Corporation employ more than 5,700 people in California who work at one of five regional Talent Hub offices. For more information, visit www.HealthNet.com.

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SOURCE Health Net, LLC