Recap of the 2024 Mental Health America Policy Institute

On Sept. 17, Mental Health America carried out its 2024 National Policy Institute: Social Drivers of Mental Health in Washington, D.C. The program explored the influence of social drivers akin to integrating care in colleges, housing, meals, and financial safety on the psychological well being of youth and their households. Experts mentioned the want for extra social employees to fulfill the wants of college students, how creating communities that help housing for all is the resolution to homelessness, and the way youth can depend on friends to know what is offered to them in the type of financial help in our communities.

Participants included Simon Borger, VP for Mental Health and Wellness at Policy Institute sponsor Kaiser Permanente; Lena O’Rourke, Healthy Schools Campaign; Jessica Lee, Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services; Richard Cho, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Sakeenah Shabazz, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Tegan Lecheler, Bridge Project; Anna Bailey, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; and Saiarchana Darira, an alumna of MHA’s Youth Policy Accelerator.

At the finish of the day, the Youth Policy Advocacy Award was introduced to Cole Ramsey of Indiana. When introduced with the award, Cole shared, “I implore leaders across the nation in small rural areas like mine or in large urban environs to just follow the lead and give them a seat at the table because youth know the best way to address mental health. They’ve lived it.”