BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont is preparing to join the Youth Mental Health Corps, a nationwide initiative aimed at tackling the youth mental health crisis.
About one-third of Vermont high school students struggle with poor mental health, according to a 2023 survey by the Vermont Department of Health.
The Youth Mental Health Corps is a service initiative developed by the Schultz Family Foundation and Pinterest. The Schultz Family Foundation said the goal is to expand access to early intervention and reduce gaps in care, especially in rural communities.
The program teaches 18- to 24-year-olds to provide peer mental health support in schools, clinics and community organizations. Peer mentors engage in small group check-ins, develop community outreach and offer training to caregivers.
“They understand what it’s like to grow up in the communities that these students are in. They feel a closer connection and they’re able to go and build trust with the Youth Mental Health Corps members much faster and much more easily than they may with a teacher,” said Fiona Yung of the Schultz Family Foundation.
Vermont has received approval for a planning grant of more than $60,000. The goal is to spend the next year determining what the Vermont version of the corps will look like, including where members will serve and how they will be trained.
“We are certainly looking at all the relevant data that we can get our hands on. We’re talking to the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Health. We’ll be talking to mental health agencies. We will be talking to educators. Basically, anybody that interacts with youth and interacts with mental health,” said Phil Kolling, the executive director of SerVermont.
The Youth Mental Health Corps program has expanded to 11 states and is set to reach a total of 16 by the 2026-2027 school year. Vermont is among 11 additional states planning for a future rollout.
The initiative also provides a pathway for young adults in the program to earn credentials in behavioral health as part of an effort to build a long-term workforce pipeline in Vermont.
“We know there aren’t enough mental health professionals to meet the demand right now. And so the goal is really those folks will serve in this program, make a difference while they’re serving, and then leave with a credential that carries into their career,” Kolling said.
State officials said this year’s planning phase will focus on how to integrate the corps into existing school systems and community mental health networks. Leaders said they expect to focus on where and how the program will operate by spring 2027.
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