Expand Access to Community- and School-Based Behavioral, Mental, and Physical Health Care

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans ages fifteen to twenty-five face increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. At the college level, learners may continue to grapple with academic demands, financial stress, social isolation, and the pressures of transitioning to adulthood. The “Healthy Minds Study,” for instance, reported a jump in depression rates among college learners from 22 percent in 2019 to 41 percent by 2023.1 Long-standing pressures include a focus on performing well academically, navigating complex peer relationships, and meeting societal expectations, which can be amplified by financial, food, and housing insecurity.

Locating health care services in educational settings can improve access and reduce barriers due to inequities in health care coverage and provider availability by geography.2 Efforts to further normalize and destigmatize behavioral and mental health care are also critical to supporting all learners in meeting their basic needs.

The Youth Mental Health Corps is a promising model of cross-sector partnership among schools, mental health providers, service-year programs, youth, and philanthropy, currently active in eleven states. This model meets learners in need where they are, at schools, community-based programs, or community health centers, to provide peer support. Serving as a navigator with the corps also provides service and work experience to young people ages eighteen to twenty-four who are interested in exploring a career in health care.3