September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to face a hard truth and hold onto real hope. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Orange County alone, at least 179 young people ages 18 to 34 have died by suicide since 2024, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. But there’s encouraging news, too: nationally, the suicide rate among 15- to 34-year-olds fell 4% between 2023 and 2024 (CDC). That progress shows prevention works and why we need to keep investing in it.
One strategy playing a growing role in that progress is the “third place.” The term comes from sociologist and urban theorist Ray Oldenburg, whose research on informal community gathering spaces transformed how we understand the link between social connection and well-being.
A third place is a community anchor that invites broader, more creative social interaction beyond our two primary environments, home (the “first place”) and work or school (the “second place”).
Many teens today report feeling isolated, with few places to build meaningful connections outside home or school. Third places give them somewhere to come and go without obligation or invitation, where they’re always welcome and can feel a genuine sense of comfort and belonging. A 2019 study published in the journal Health & Place found that third places help buffer regular visitors against loneliness, stress and alienation, over time boosting overall wellbeing.
Over time, though, third places have been disappearing, squeezed by the rise of digital life and social media, and by economic pressures that make it hard for local bookstores, cafes and community centers to compete with chains and online businesses.
allcove is working to change that. The youth mental health network now has six centers open across California, with six more in development, giving teens and young adults a third place of their own to build social skills, connection and confidence. “We talk now about third places, spaces that aren’t home or school, and really see these allcove centers now as important third places for young people to come together and to find a range of activities or other kinds of supports, while also accessing a range of services,” said Dr. Steve Adelsheim, who helped launch the allcove model through Stanford University.
allcove brings the third-place concept to life through a few core commitments. It’s a walk-in space where young people ages 12 to 25 can simply “just be”, doing homework, grabbing a snack, playing a game or finding a quiet corner, with no pressure to use any clinical service. It’s designed with, by, and for youth: each allcove is shaped by a local youth advisory group that helps choose everything from the furniture to the workshops offered, so the space feels authentic rather than clinical. Unlike many traditional third places, allcove keeps its spaces, events and professional resources completely free for everyone ages 12 to 25, removing a cost barrier that keeps teens away from other gathering spots. Throughout, allcove emphasizes culturally responsive care, creating spaces where LGBTQ+ youth, unhoused young people and others facing acute life stressors feel genuinely safe.
By stepping away from rigid clinical settings, allcove gives young people a low-barrier, community-driven space to socialize, rest and help destigmatize mental health care, while still connecting them to higher levels of support when they need it. That combination makes third places like allcove a hopeful tool in suicide prevention; reducing isolation, building confidence and skills, and keeping the door open to more help. All third places can play a role in protecting our youth. You can learn more about allcove at allcove.org or contact allcove San Juan Capistrano (operated by the Wellness & Prevention Center) for information at (949) 234-8116.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available: call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Lauren Gallegos is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Prevention Director at the Wellness & Prevention Center (WPC).