Please join Philanthropy Colorado and colleagues for a member briefing on an innovative solution to youth mental health that also offers young people pathways to behavioral health careers.
There is no more serious issue in Colorado than youth mental health. Suicide remains the leading cause of death among Colorado youth and while more than a third of Colorado youth reported feeling sad or hopeless for multiple weeks, only 22% of those youth with a severe mental impairment are receiving care. One reason for the low rate of care is a shortage of mental health professionals in Colorado.
Serve Colorado is championing an impactful solution: Colorado Youth Mental Health Corp (a new Americorp community service program)Colorado Youth Mental Health Corp (CO YMHC) is a collaborative initiative that supports both youth mental health in schools and communities, and gives young adults on-ramps into behavioral health careers. The CO YMHC leverages the best practice of effective peer-to-peer mental health support from other youth. At the same time, young people enrolled in the program will receive quality training, skills, experience and a professional credential that can launch their behavioral health career and result in a larger pool of professionals and increased capacity to serve Colorado.
You will hear details of the CO YMHC program from Service Colorado, as well as nonprofits implementing the program and funders providing support.