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Serve as a Youth Mental Health Corps Member

Continue your training and education or step directly into a behavioral health job that makes an impact.

As a YMHC member, you will serve alongside staff in schools, community organizations, and clinics through activities such as:

Conducting 1:1 and small group check-ins with students and providing peer or near-peer guidance
Offering trainings for caregivers
Developing community outreach campaigns
Identifying barriers to mental health access for youth
Educating students and school staff on healthy social media use, digital safety and wellbeing, and online safety

Find Your State

Certification Pathways

As a Youth Mental Health Corps Member you’ll have the opportunity to enter a mental health career path through one of three certification pathways:

School-based Mental Health Navigator

Members will earn stackable certificates, credentials and/or credits toward a higher education program as they serve in schools, out-of-school-time programs, and community-based youth organizations in communities  with limited access to mental health services.

Peer Support / Recovery Specialist

Members who have lived experience with mental health challenges and/or substance use disorder will support peers and near-peers along their recovery journey while getting the training and experience required to earn a peer support/recovery specialist state certification. This pathway is open to those up to age 29.

Community Health Worker

Members will have the opportunity to serve youth and young adults in communities where access to mental health resources is limited, all while receiving the training, support, and experience to earn a community health worker state certification.

The Member Experience

Youth Mental Health Corps Members will have the option to serve in schools, community based organizations, and community health clinics on 1-2 year projects while earning a living stipend and other support.

What’s the process?

May–June 2025

Learn all about the Youth Mental Health Corps

May–August 2025

Find a credential pathway that interests you; apply for a YMHC Program in your community

July–August 2025

Join the Youth Mental Health Corps; access career guidance and exploration; receive specialized training to prepare you for your service

September 2025

Serve in the Youth Mental Health Corps; enroll in a formal training program

May–August 2026

Complete your service and earn a credential and/or college credits

Meet Our Members

“Being part of the YMHC also means being that figure they can always count on, but I like to build their own resilience and make them realize they know how strong they are.”

JOSIAH

Colorado Youth For Change

"I do not expect trust, I know I must build it. I try to open up on my own vulnerability, so they know we have many things in common. Making sure they know I see them as human beings and I care."

TORY

City Year

"YMHC training has helped me deal with my own mental health and wellbeing. Understanding that the mental health spectrum goes beyond anxiety and depression has allowed me to identify these issues on my students and given me the tools to address them"

"I have learned that education, in all of its many forms, is something that is needed in order to promote positive change. Change starts with education, and mental health is a vast field that deserves my investment."