Friends,

Young people are not just our future—they are also actively shaping our communities today. Our nation’s youth are experiencing a mental health crisis, and while the 2023 Healthy Youth Survey shows that efforts since the pandemic have led to some improvement, statistics on youth mental health remain dire:

• 6 in 10 tenth graders feel nervous, anxious, on edge, or unable to stop or control worrying. Over half of WA youth experience anxiety and/or depression, and 15% contemplated suicide in the past 12 months (Source, 2023)
• As of 2021, 52% of adolescents (12-17) in WA who have depression did not receive any care in the last year (Source)

In response to these troubling trends, we are announcing the launch of the Youth Mental Health Learning Cohort. This initiative aims to build capacity, support collaboration, and equip local youth-serving organizations with strategies to better address young people's mental health in our community.

By focusing on prevention and resilience-building, the cohort will address the underlying causes of mental health challenges. These efforts will complement the vital work already being done by schools, agencies, healthcare providers, and other organizations. Ultimately, our goal is not just to increase mental healthcare for youth but to foster healthy development that reduces the need for professional intervention altogether.

We invite you to join us in this important work and support our efforts by making a donation to the Community Foundation's Youth Mental Health & Well-being Fund. Together, we can work to ensure every young person in our community has the opportunity to thrive.

Thank you for your continued engagement, and we look forward to connecting with you this fall!

With Gratitude,

Mindie Reule

President & CEO

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Why Focus on Youth Mental Health & Well-being?

Youth mental health has emerged as a pressing issue in our community, with increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide among young people. Recognizing the urgency of this challenge, we set aside funds to make a meaningful impact in this area. Over the past year, we've engaged in conversations with a wide range of community leaders, community members, service providers, educators, healthcare professionals, and government agencies. These discussions have given us valuable insights into the complex landscape of youth mental health and have shaped our approach moving forward. 

It became clear through these conversations that one of the most effective ways we can help address the mental health crisis is by building local capacity and fostering stronger connections among youth-serving organizations. These insights led us to focus on creating a Learning Cohort & Community of Practice designed to equip organizations with the tools and strategies they need to support youth effectively. By facilitating collaboration and shared learning, we aim to create a network of organizations that are better prepared to meet the needs of young people and more capable of delivering coordinated, impactful support across our region. 

‍Bright Spots

While youth mental health concerns remain high, organizations and individuals are already intervening to help address these needs. Below are just a few bright spots and positive developments showing how local people and agencies are already working together to support healthy youth development.

• In July 2022, Washington State launched the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, providing free, confidential, and multilingual support to individuals experiencing emotional crises through phone, text, or online chat.
• Earlier this year, the Attorney General of Washington released HearMeWA, a program offering support services to young Washingtonians up to age 25.
• ‍Kids' Mental Health Washington: A statewide effort to stand up Youth Regional Behavioral Health Navigation teams to focus on improved access to and coordination of services for young people needing intensive services announced its recent expansion into Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties.
• Since 2020, the Community Foundation has awarded over $1 Million to local youth-serving nonprofits through Community Grants and Resilience Fund Grants; with our new initiative, we’re poised to make a greater impact across our region.  

‍About the Initiative

The Youth Mental Health Learning Cohort will bring together 10-15 local organizations, each receiving $10,000 to participate in a series of trainings, workshops, and collaborative learning opportunities. Over the course of the year, cohort members will engage in topics like Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma-informed care, racial equity and inclusion, and youth empowerment. 

In addition to cohort learning, participants will have the opportunity to apply for collaborative grants at the end of the program. These grants will support joint projects that put into practice the knowledge gained during the cohort, with the aim of scaling solutions that can impact youth across the region.

‍What We Hope to Achieve

The goals of this initiative are threefold:

1. Increase Capacity: Equip organizations with the skills and knowledge to better support youth through science-backed, trauma-informed practices.
2. Foster Collaboration: Strengthen relationships among youth-serving organizations, encouraging the sharing of resources and strategies to create a more connected and resilient support network.
3. Plant Seeds for Systemic Change: By investing in the capacity of organizations and their staff, we are laying the groundwork for broader, long-term improvements in how our community supports youth mental health.

We are committed to addressing youth mental health not only as a health issue but as a community-wide challenge. This initiative, grounded in equity and inclusivity, will prioritize organizations that serve youth who are disproportionately impacted by mental health challenges, including youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth, and those from rural or economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Timeline and next steps

• October 18: Applications open  
• November 24 at 11:59 pm: Application period closes
• December 23: Cohort participants selected and notified  
• January 14, 2025: The Learning Cohort begins
• December 2025: Collaboration grants are awarded
• January 2026: Final convening and celebration

‍This initiative represents a meaningful step toward creating a safer, healthier future for the young people in our community. Together, we can foster resilience, support healing, and create environments where our youth can thrive.

For more information or to learn how your organization can participate, please review the Youth Mental Health Learning Cohort Guidelines and application process on our website. We are accepting applications for the cohort through November 24,2024.

Click here to access the Youth Mental Health Learning Cohort grants page.

How You Can Help

We welcome the opportunity to engage everyone in our community on this issue, and there are small ways in which you can help right now! Here are a few:

• Attend the Strengthening Families: Community Conversations presented by Family Education and Support Services (FESS) this fall to learn more about how you can help better support local youth.  
• The Olympia Education Foundation recently announced the return of its Student and Family Well-being series and actively seeks feedback from community members about topics of interest for the 2024-2025 school year.  
• Designed to provide relevant behavioral health support skills for anyone to use in support of friends, family members, or co-workers, Serve Washington is hosting a free virtual interactive training led by Dr. Kiera Mauseth on November 13.  
• Support youth-serving nonprofits during Give Local (November 11-22) and all year long through each organization’s website.  
• Give to the Community Foundation's Youth Mental Health & Well-being Fund