Youth Mental Health Corps
The State of Youth Mental Health
One third of high school students report persistent feelings of hopelessness and approximately 122 million people live in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area in the U.S., where there is a shortage of more than 6,000 practitioners, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. There is also broad concern about the impact of social media on the mental health of young people.
Why it matters
45%
of young people feel hopeless and anxious
122m
Americans are living in communities lacking adequate mental health services
62%
increase in suicide rates for young people in the last 15 years
How are we responding to America’s youth mental health crisis?
States are leveraging the power of national service, deploying the nation’s first Youth Mental Health Corps to address the teen mental health crisis.
Conceived by the Schultz Family Foundation and Pinterest, the Youth Mental Health Corps has been developed in consultation with hundreds of experts and practitioners. The Corps was launched in partnership with AmeriCorps, America Forward, and state service commissions. Four states have already launched a Youth Mental Health Corps as of Fall 2024, with hundreds of members already making an impact across 165 service sites. Applications for additional states to join the Youth Mental Health Corps open in 2025.
Utilizing national service as a pathway to economic mobility
The Corps will leverage the power of national service as a bridge to career pathways to simultaneously address the youth mental health crisis and empower young adults with promising and meaningful careers. The Corps is designed for young people between 18 to 24 years old to earn a certification or higher education credit while serving. These young adults bring a personal connection and motivation that uniquely position them to work with youth.
Urgently addressing the youth mental health crisis
Corps members will serve in communities with limited access to mental health resources.
Members will support staff in schools, community organizations, and clinics through activities such as conducting 1:1 and small group check-ins with students, providing peer or near-peer guidance, offering training for caregivers, developing community outreach campaigns, and identifying barriers to mental health access for youth.
