In 2024 the NGA Center for Best Practices Children and Families team coordinated the Policy Academy to Drive Thriving Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing. Built off the success of the 2022-2023 Chair’s Initiative on Strengthening Youth Mental Health and the youth mental health Playbook for Governors, this year-long policy academy supported Governors’ offices in developing or advancing their holistic agenda to protect and support strong youth mental health and emotional wellbeing across all state agencies, including strategies across prevention, awareness, treatment, and community and youth engagement.
The purpose of this policy academy was to support Governors’ offices in developing and advancing a holistic agenda to protect and support strong youth mental health and emotional wellbeing across all state agencies, including strategies across prevention, awareness, treatment, and community and youth engagement.
Through the Policy Academy, Alabama, Hawai`i, Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Virginia:
- (1) participated in a kick-off meeting and wrap-up meetings,
- (2) attended monthly virtual learning and peer-sharing opportunities and participate in monthly 1:1 check-ins with the NGA team,
- (3) developed a strategic action plan to implement new strategies or strengthen existing strategies,
- (4) received ongoing technical assistance from NGA Center staff and partners in support of project goals,
- (5) identified and nominated a youth to participate in the Policy Academy’s Youth Advisory Council and serve as the voice of lived experience on the state team,
- (6) began the work of enacting the plan,
- (7) submited a brief final report on progress to the National Governors Association in tandem with a presentation at the wrap-up meeting.
Please reach out to Jess Kirchner (jkirchner@nga.org) or Jordan Hynes (jhynes@nga.org) with any questions.
