Youth Mental Health Corps Expands Nationwide, Deploying Hundreds of Near-Peer Advisors to Support Youth Mental Health in 11 States

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 30, 2025--

The Youth Mental Health Corps (YMHC), a pioneering service initiative addressing the nation’s youth mental health crisis, launched its second year today across 11 states, deploying 600 young adults to communities with limited access to mental health resources. A new WestEd evaluation shows the program is already reducing behavioral referrals, boosting attendance, and helping more students seek support.

The YMHC directly addresses the escalating youth mental health crisis while simultaneously cultivating a new generation of behavioral health professionals. Conceived by the Schultz Family Foundation and Pinterest and recognized by Fast Company as a "World Changing Idea," the YMHC is designed for young adults to earn a credential or higher education credit while gaining valuable work experience by serving youth in schools, nonprofit organizations, and health clinics. YMHC members bring a personal connection and motivation that uniquely position them to work with youth.

In its first year, the YMHC deployed 317 Corps members across 172 service sites, serving more than 16,000 young people in four states—Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, and Texas. For the 2025-2026 school year, the Youth Mental Health Corps will be active in 11 states, expanding into California, Iowa, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia. An additional seven states are preparing to launch their programs in fall 2026, bringing the total number of states actively engaged to 18.

“Colorado is proud to be one of the first states to launch the Youth Mental Health Corps, and we’ve seen firsthand how this effort makes a real difference for students and families,” said Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D). “By expanding access to support and creating pathways into behavioral health jobs, the Corps is improving lives today and strengthening our workforce for the future. We’re excited to see our model grow nationwide."

As part of an expansive national solution, more states are adopting the Youth Mental Health Corps.

“In Utah, service is part of who we are. By connecting young people with opportunities to serve and support their peers, the Youth Mental Health Corps reflects the values that make our state strong. It’s an investment in our kids and in the future workforce that will keep Utah a great place to live, work, and raise a family,” said Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox (R).

WestEd’s report, Local Partnerships, National Impact: Year One of the Youth Mental Health Corps, highlights the program’s early impact. School leaders in participating sites reported reductions in behavioral referrals and improved student attendance. Additionally, students in those schools began to seek out mental health support proactively – a critical cultural shift that suggests decreased stigma and increased comfort with help-seeking behaviors. These early outcomes suggest that the YMHC model is not only addressing immediate student needs but also shows promise as a model for creating the systemic changes necessary for long-term impact.

“Our nation’s young people are facing two urgent crises – struggles with mental health and a lack of access to opportunity,” said Sheri Schultz, co-founder and chair of the Schultz Family Foundation. “Early indications suggest that the Youth Mental Health Corps is effectively addressing both, offering a model of how powerful multisector partnerships can create innovative solutions to meet urgent needs.”

While students benefit from the immediate support of a near-peer mental health navigator, the Youth Mental Health Corps is also a powerful work-based learning pathway for those who serve. YMHC members gain hands-on experience in youth development, trauma-informed care, and system navigation while earning stackable credentials that position them for careers in the field – ultimately building a pipeline of diverse, community-connected behavioral health professionals.

"In its first year, the YMHC has had a meaningful impact on thousands of middle and high school students across the U.S., demonstrating the power of collective action," said Wanji Walcott, Chief Legal and Business Affairs Officer for Pinterest. “Pinterest is deeply committed to supporting youth mental health both online and in real life, and will continue to come to the table with meaningful solutions."

The Youth Mental Health Corps is driven by national partners including AmeriCorps, America’s Service Commissions and a growing group of individuals and organizations who are committed to its potential to transform lives. Funders such as DreamMachine.org, Mae Philanthropies, Pivotal, and The Starbucks Foundation are helping expand the program’s reach, bringing this innovative model to more young people and communities nationwide.

“I joined the Youth Mental Health Corps to support students and to help them build relationships, manage emotions, and just be kids,” said Myah Wiersema, a 2024-2025 Youth Mental Health Corps member in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “But I also wanted to know if this was something I could see myself doing in the long term. Because of what I learned in the Youth Mental Health Corps, I feel more confident about pursuing a Master’s in Social Work.”

To learn more, visit YouthMentalHealthCorps.org.

About the Schultz Family Foundation

The Schultz Family Foundation's mission is to create greater opportunity, accessible to all. Our work is deeply rooted in the lives and values of our co-founders, Sheri and Howard Schultz, who believe talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. We seek to apply the lessons they have learned over the decades to seed innovations and scale solutions to help young people successfully navigate the transition to adulthood and positively impact the trajectory of their lives. We are investors in unleashing potential and unlocking opportunity, working in partnership with employers, entrepreneurs, non-profits, and governments that share our aspiration of enabling everyone to access the full promise of America. Learn more at: schultzfamilyfoundation.org.

About Pinterest

Pinterest is working to build a more inspired internet and a better world, creating safer and healthier spaces online and in our communities. That means fostering positivity across our global workforce, inspiring progress in our industry and prioritizing meaningful climate action. To date, Pinterest has invested $30 million in its Impact Partners, who work to advance youth mental health and emotional well-being programs.

About WestEd

WestEd is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency that aims to improve the lives of children and adults at all ages of learning and development. We do this by addressing challenges in education and human development, increasing opportunity, and helping build communities where all can thrive. WestEd staff conduct and apply research, provide technical assistance, and support professional learning. We work with early learning educators, classroom teachers, local and state leaders, and policymakers at all levels of government.

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PUB: 09/30/2025 03:52 PM/DISC: 09/30/2025 03:50 PM

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