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Colorado is one of four states set to launch a new public-private program this fall aimed at addressing both growing youth mental health needs and a shortage of providers.
The program, called Youth Mental Health Corps, will train young people ages 18 to 24 to work with “middle and high school students in schools and community-based organizations,” according to a press release from Colorado Lt. Gov. Diane. They will act as “navigators who provide services.” Primavera office. The Youth Mental Health Corps website states that its members “work closely with health care providers and community partners to provide youth with the mental health support and resources they need.”
The federal AmeriCorps Service Program will work with the Colorado Department of Behavioral Health and the Colorado Community College System to recruit and deploy the navigators, according to a press release. Navigators receive a salary and are eligible for student loan forgiveness and other assistance with paying college costs.
“By joining this national initiative, we are not only addressing the urgent need for mental health resources, but also creating meaningful pathways for young people to pursue careers in this important field. ,” Primavera said in a statement.
Children’s Hospital Colorado declared a pediatric mental health “emergency” in 2021, and both public and private organizations around the state responded with programs to address the crisis. These include the pandemic-era state-funded “I Matter,” which offers six free telehealth or in-person counseling sessions to students in elementary through high school, and which the Colorado Legislature recently made permanent.
The Schultz Family Foundation, founded by former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and his wife, Sheri, and the online platform Pinterest are supporting the Youth Mental Health Corps program, according to an AmeriCorps press release.
The press release cited “wider concerns about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health” and said the Youth Mental Health Unit will “help people overcome social challenges online, including harassment, bullying and stigma.”
Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Texas will launch youth mental health corps programs with “several hundred” navigators in the four states in September, according to a press release. Seven other states (California, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Utah) also plan to launch programs in the fall of 2025.
Melanie Asmar is Chalkbeat Colorado Bureau Chief. Please contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.
This article was originally published by Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news site covering education transformation in public schools. Sign up for our newsletter at ckbe.at/newsletters
