WATCH: Learn more about the Institute for Youth Mental Health

The Institute for Youth Mental Health

A Collaboration Between The Jed Foundation (JED) and America’s Promise Alliance

The Institute for Youth Mental Health is a structured, 18-month initiative that equips nonprofit and community-based organizations to embed high-quality mental health and suicide prevention strategies into their existing programs and operations.

Read the press release

Photo Credit: Let’s Get Ready

The Need

Across the country, young people are navigating increasingly complex emotional and psychological challenges. Yet, the systems intended to support them are often fragmented, under-resourced, or misaligned with the environments where youth spend the majority of their time.

While investments in clinical care and school-based mental health services have increased in recent years, many of the spaces where young people regularly engage, such as afterschool programs, mentoring initiatives, and community-based organizations, remain disconnected from these formal systems.

An Untapped Opportunity

Nonprofits and community-based organizations have the trust, reach, and daily contact with youth to serve as a frontline force in addressing the mental health crisis—but they need support to do so. To take on this role, they require expert guidance, evidence-informed tools, and a clear, structured process for integrating mental health strategies and supports into their work.

The Institute for Youth Mental Health provides that pathway, helping organizations adopt the practices, systems, and staff training needed to consistently and effectively support young people’s mental health.

Photo Credit: Summer Search

“At JED, we believe that weaving mental health support into youth-serving institutions is one of the most powerful ways to prevent crises before they happen. Through the Institute, we’re equipping organizations with the tools, training, and strategic guidance they need to meet young people where they are with care, intention, and data-driven practices.”

John MacPhee, CEO
The Jed Foundation

Photo Credit: Summer Search

Methodology

Each participating organization designates two leaders at the national level to drive this work, with the flexibility to also engage regional and city-based teams during the pilot phase where it strengthens alignment and impact. Throughout the initiative, participating staff engage in monthly training and peer learning sessions grounded in JED’s Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for Community-Based Organizations.

Over the course of the engagement, participating leaders receive expert training and hands-on support in creating and implementing organization-specific strategic plans that integrate mental health and suicide prevention into their day-to-day programming.

Participating Organizations

Intended Outcomes

After completing the Institute, participating organizations are equipped with:

1

A strategic plan customized to their work and their model, allowing them to embed supportive practices throughout their programs and scale high-quality mental health supports and suicide prevention strategies across their network.

2

The knowledge, systems, and confidence to identify and respond to youth mental health needs and connect young people to high-quality care.

These tools and training enable participating organizations to identify and respond to emerging youth mental health needs, implement comprehensive prevention strategies, and establish stronger pathways for referral and care. Over time, the Institute aims to create a replicable model that can be scaled across APA’s full membership and, eventually, the broader nonprofit sector.