Programs

Leadership Development

Mental Health America's Youth Leadership Development Initiatives identify, empower, and elevate the next generation of mental health leaders. Previous Youth Leadership Development partners include Harvard Medical School and YouTube.

Young Leaders Council

The Young Leaders Council (YLC) is made up of young people (18-25) who have created programs and initiatives to fill gaps in mental health support and resources in their communities. Each year, 10 leaders are selected and participate in this six-month leadership development program where they build connections, receive mentoring, share their ideas, and expand their knowledge, skills, and network. The YLC has a 3% acceptance rate with over 2,000 applicants since the program launched in 2017.

Program graduates have gained leadership positions in the public and private sectors, including at Google, UNICEF, the National Academies of Sciences, and the White House. YLC efforts and leaders have been highlighted in the media, including Teen Vogue, and by partner organizations, including the National Governors Association.

Learn about YLC

Youth Policy Accelerator

The Youth Policy Accelerator partners with young people to identify and create policy solutions that are most important to them. In this two-month intensive program, participants build confidence, explore their interest areas, gain policy knowledge, and develop skills like storytelling. They then co-create a campaign and resources to advance their collective priorities.

Graduates of MHA’s youth policy leadership initiatives have spoken at MHA’s Regional Policy Council meeting and Annual Conference, attended Annual Hill Day meetings with U.S. congressional offices, and engaged in advocacy with our state and local affiliates.

Learn about YPA

Evolving Impact Network

The Evolving Impact Network is an ongoing personal and professional development community for the more than 100 graduates of MHA’s youth leadership programs. It includes monthly learning sessions across a wide range of topics in mental health advocacy, including community care, mental health rights, and media, as well as ongoing internal and external leadership opportunities.

Policy and Research

MHA's Youth Policy and Research Initiatives partner with young people to document and advance their priorities for mental health change across policy, research, programs, and practice.

Campus Mental Health Disability Rights Project

In 2023, MHA is leading a yearlong initiative to advance student-driven priorities and solutions to mental health discrimination. Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, we are working with more than 20 current and recent college students with mental health disabilities to document their recommendations for improving (1) the accessibility of mental health accommodations, (2) campus mental health crisis response, and (3) re-integration on campus post-crisis.

You can learn more about the issues in an MHA blog post by the project team and find the full project description on the PCORI site.

Campus Peer Support

MHA is collaborating with the Temple University Collaborative for Community Inclusion and Doors to Wellbeing to identify and explore the experiences of college students in peer support programs. Additionally, the project aims to bridge the gaps between the peer support movement with the growing number of campus-based peer support programs.

B4Stage4 Policy Fellowship

The B4Stage4 Policy Fellow supports MHA’s work to advance innovative, evidence-based, and equitable youth mental health programs. Each year, the fellow conducts original research and provides research to create and advance policies that promote mental health, well-being, and inclusion among young people.

Reports

MHA’s Youth Leadership reports document youth perspectives and recommendations to address mental health as well as provide inspiration and guidance to expand the work being led by young people across the U.S.

MHA’s Youth Leadership reports have appeared in The New York Times, NPR, and the San Diego Union-Tribune. They have been used to create policy and advocacy priorities, including updating federal regulations on mental disability-related discrimination and national and state school mental health policies.

Read our reports