The mental health crisis among underserved youth is only getting worse with both schools lacking sufficient mental health programs and non-profits remaining siloed in their response to this challenge.
In response we supported the following two initiatives: First, the creation of an integrated model of leadership development, knowledge sharing and capacity building among youth serving organizations – America’s Promise Alliance (APA), a community of the leading youth-serving nonprofits in the country. Through our support, APA is developing a first of its kind “Youth Mental Health Institute” which will train frontline staff of participating organizations to better identify, triage, and support youth mental health issues. APA is partnering with the Jed Foundation to provide the content knowledge, training, capacity building, and strategic planning support necessary for member organizations to integrate youth mental health supports into their models.
Second, we are supporting the Health Information Project (“HIP”)’s expansion to New York.
For over fourteen years, HIP has operated in every public school in Miami-Dade and Broward County, Florida – it trains high school students (11th and 12th graders) to teach health education classes during the academic school day to all 9th graders at their school. The upper classmen serve as peer mentors, with clear and concise curriculum implemented with the help of a teacher champion on hot-topic health issues including depression, abuse, bullying, anxiety, suicide, grief, alcohol/drugs, vaping, eating disorders and stress. HIP has a 100% school retention rate in its Miami program and has already expanded to Arkansas with the help of the Clinton Foundation.