Background A more preventive and proactive approach in youth mental health care can contribute to reduce the severity of psychological problems in young people and help to reduce the risk on treatment resistance. Aim To show opportunities to organize youth mental health care more proactively. Method Discuss new approaches based on existing literature and examples from clinical practice. Results It is essential that young people receive treatment that is appropriate for the severity of their problems. Early detection and prevention can be systematically carried out in collaboration with public health service and schools. In addition, it is imperative that young people receive appropriate (specialized) mental health care based on their prognosis. Conclusion Committing to the right care at the right time is essential to prevent the development of co-morbidities, stagnation in development tasks and therapy resistance. Tijdschrift voor psychiatrie 63(2021)2, 111-114