HEART | Tips for Advocating for School Mental Health Needs

July 13, 2022


Before the COVID-19 pandemic, youth mental health was a burgeoning public health crisis, with the number of youth experiencing serious mental health challenges, substance misuse, and suicidal ideation rising exponentially year after year (Twenge et al., 2019). The global pandemic of coronavirus disease has exacerbated this problem, shedding light on the multiple factors responsible for this crisis, while increasing pressure on governmental, public, and community groups to respond. We developed this tip sheet to help jumpstart your own advocacy efforts to improve mental health services for youth. We address the basics—how, where, who—and give practical, targeted, and effective recommendations to help you explain why there is an urgent need to increase school mental health services.

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