Youth Mental Health Corps in Virginia
Leveraging AmeriCorps resources to address critical community needs, the Youth Mental Health Corps (YMHC) in Virginia will serve thousands of youth and young adults who are affected by mental health challenges while also building “service-to-career” pathways for Virginians.
What is the Youth Mental Health Corps?
Nationally, the Youth Mental Health Corps is a unified, multi-sector partnership designed to address the youth mental health crisis and the mental health workforce shortage, funded through a partnership between the Schultz Family Foundation, Pinterest, America Forward, and AmeriCorps.
In Virginia, the Youth Mental Health Corps will use a near-peer model to engage young adults in local AmeriCorps service to support youth. Corps members will complete certifications and credentials—such as Peer Recovery Specialist or Community Health Worker—to prepare them for careers in behavioral health, while creating expanded mental health services for youth.
As an AmeriCorps program, the Youth Mental Health Corps in Virginia will engage new subgrantees and host sites for a minimum of 75 AmeriCorps members who will receive training from, learn through hands-on experience with youth, and engage in a new school-based stackable certification pathways, serving youth in schools, out-of-school time programs, and youth organizations in areas with limited access to mental health services.
Youth Mental Health Needs in Virginia
Mental health and substance use disorder affects young Virginians at higher rates than peers in other states. According to Mental Health America, Virginia ranks 48th out of 51 for youth mental health risk factors, indicating that young Virginians are more likely to experience mental illness and have lower rates of access to care than youth in other states. The 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey also demonstrates an increase in the percentage of students who report feeling sad or hopeless and have seriously considered suicide.
In recognition of these rising mental and behavioral health needs, Governor Glenn Youngkin created the Right Help, Right Now plan in 2022, showcasing that youth mental health is a priority area across the Commonwealth.
Partnering for Impact
Through the Youth Mental Health Corps, Serve Virginia is partnering with Youth-Nex, the Virginia Department of Education, and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to support organizations in identifying ways member service activities can support youth mental health.
The Virginia Funders Network, including the Cameron Foundation, the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation and Claude Moore Opportunities, the Wellspring Foundation, the Path Foundation, and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, have partnered on conversations about partnering with leaders from state government to develop community support and sustainability for this program.
Partners from across programming, training, and funding spaces are creating pathways for this program to provide members access to earn credentials including Behavioral Health Technician and Behavioral Health Technician Assistant, Peer Recovery Specialist, Community Health Worker, and Youth Support Partner credentials.