Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente committed $10 million to expand the Youth Mental Health Corps, a national initiative that connects teenagers with young adult peers who provide mental health and navigation support. The funding aims to increase access to mental health support for an additional 200,000 youth nationwide.
Kaiser Permanente will join the founding organizations Schultz Family Foundation and Pinterest as a strategic leader and national partner for the initiative, according to a July 28 news release from the system. The Youth Mental Health Corps recruits, trains and places young adults ages 18 to 29 to provide peer support in schools, health clinics and community organizations. Since launching in 2024, the program has trained and placed nearly 1,000 members, reached more than 44,000 teens and community members, and is active in 16 states.
Before scaling across Kaiser Permanente’s nine-state footprint, the funding will initially expand existing programs in California, Maryland and Oregon, according to the release.
As a nonprofit health system and health plan, it said the investment builds on its broader efforts to expand access to mental health support through workforce development, educational partnerships and other community-based initiatives.
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