Youth Mental Health Advocate (YMHA)
Pilot Program
The Youth Mental Health Advocate (YMHA) program strengthens the capacity of NYC youth and youth-serving organizations to protect and promote youth mental health.
Part of Working the Gap, an initiative of CUNY SPS Youth Studies, YMHA simultaneously advances the well-being and professional development of Youth Advocates; capacity of NYC community-based organizations; availability of youth-centered mental health supports; and, development of NYC’s mental health and social services workforce.
Get Involved
Are you a supervisor, manager, director, or executive leader in a New York City non-profit organization that serves young people ages 10-18?
Take this survey to shape the YMHA program model.
Who Youth Mental Health Advocates are:
- ages 18-24
- have completed HS or a GED, do not have a college degree, and are not currently enrolled in college
- seek a pathway to helping professions where they can make a difference in youth mental health in NYC
- share a connection to the mission of a host community-based organization (CBO)
What Youth Mental Health Advocates do:
- Model and share tools to promote mental health
- Provide 1:1 support and referrals to other young people
- Co-facilitate groups
- Use participatory action research skills to carry out a community project
- Contribute their insights and perspectives to CBO programs and policies
And more
YMHA logo by Julia Bennett, LAc.
“During COVID, mental health was declining for every person I knew, including me. Isolation became a bigger issue for myself and my friends, and people were grieving loved ones. My interest has always been in helping others. YMHA gave me an opportunity to learn more about mental health, support others, learn skills to apply in the future, and get paid. As a YMHA, I support and uphold positive mental health values, organize events for youth, learned pitfalls of mental health and how to counteract them, revitalized my love for sketching and drawing, and met so many wonderful people.”
—Former YMHA
YMHA Timeline
Pilot Year 1
July 2023-June 2024
23 Youth Advocates
8 CBOs
Pilot Year 2
July 2024-June 2025
15 Youth Advocates
5 CBOs
Design Year
July 2025-June 2026
A dedicated year to assess pilot implementation and refine the program model.
Pilot Year 3
July 2026-June 2027
30 Youth Advocates
10 CBOs
CBO Recruitment: Sep-Oct 2026
YMHA Recruitment:
Nov-Dec 2026
YMHA Fellowship:
Jan-Jun 2027
Pilot Year 4
July 2027-June 2028
30 Youth Advocates
10 CBOs
Partners
The Youth Mental Health Advocate Program is made possible by support from the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity.
YMHA is a program of the Academy for Community Behavioral Health at CUNY SPS. It is part of Working the Gap, a youth and workforce development initiative of CUNY SPS Youth Studies.
Working the Gap equips young people ages 18-24 who have completed HS or a GED and are not currently enrolled in college with applied skills training, meaningful work experience, free college credits, and support to advance their education and career. Working the Gap includes the following tracks:
- Community Wellness Champions, CUNY SPS Youth Studies
- Restorative Practice Fellows, Change Impact
- Youth Mental Health Advocates, Academy for Community Behavioral Health
In Pilot Years 1 and 2, YMHA also received support from Working the Gap and its sponsors, the Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation and the Solon E. Summerfield Foundation.
NYC Community-Based Organizations
The Academy thanks the following youth-serving organizations for hosting Youth Mental Health Advocates and participating in the development of the YMHA program:
| Pilot Year 1 | Pilot Year 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge Street Development Corporation | ✔ | |
| Center for Community Alternatives | ✔ | ✔ |
| Children’s Aid Society | ✔ | |
| The Door | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hebrew Educational Society | ✔ | ✔ |
| Kingsbridge Heights Community Center | ✔ | ✔ |
| Red Hook Initiative | ✔ | |
| Rising Ground | ✔ | |
| Youth Justice Network | ✔ |