WATCH: Learn more about the Institute for Youth Mental Health

The Institute for Youth Mental Health

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

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

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 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-based tools, and a clear, structured process for integrating mental health into their work.

The Institute for Youth Mental Health provides that pathway, helping organizations adopt the practices, systems, and staff training needed to meet youth mental health needs consistently and effectively.

Methodology

Each participating organization designates two leaders at the national level to drive this work. Throughout the initiative, participating staff engage in monthly training and peer learning sessions that focus on evidence-based strategies, including help-seeking messaging, promoting connectedness, reducing stigma, and safety planning.

APA facilitates coordination across the cohort, providing shared tools and resources, while JED offers individualized technical assistance and coaching.

By the end of the Institute, participating organizations are equipped with the knowledge, systems, and confidence to identify and respond to youth mental health needs, embed supportive practices throughout their programs, and connect young people to high-quality care.