AmeriCorps has announced the launch of a public-private partnership to address youth mental health, with partners including the Schultz Family Foundation, Pinterest, and 11 states.

According to AmeriCorps, one in three high school students report persistent feelings of hopelessness. Approximately 122 million people live in a mental health professional shortage area, where there is a shortage of more than 6,000 practitioners, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Youth Mental Health Corps aims to help teenagers access critical mental health resources and bolster the mental health workforce. Other partners include America’s Service Commissions, America Forward, and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. The Schultz Family Foundation and Pinterest, which worked together to establish the initiative, will provide financial support to participating state service commissions to design and adapt the initiative to meet local needs, including providing training and credentials to AmeriCorps members. Hundreds of AmeriCorps members will be deployed in Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas starting in September 2024. Seven other states—California, Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Utah—have received planning grants and intend to launch their own Corps in the fall of 2025.

“National service is a win-win for addressing the teen mental-health crisis because it allows young adults to support each other peer-to-peer while gaining valuable skills and experience, getting paid and earning a credential,” said Schultz Family Foundation co-founder and chair Sheri Kersch Schultz. “The Youth Mental Health Corps demonstrates the power of philanthropy, business, government and non-profits partnering to create innovative solutions to critical national challenges.”

“We are at a critical moment where we must act with urgency to address the mental health crisis that is impacting millions of our children,” said AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith. “This innovative cross-sector partnership will build on AmeriCorps’ 30 years of hands-on experience supporting youth mental health and well-being.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/SDI Productions)