Teens and PA Teen Mental Health Coalition Rally at State Capitol to Advocate for Increased Mental Health Resources

Teens from the PA Youth Advocacy Network rally around a prevention agenda and with the support of state legislators and a newly formed PA Teen Mental Health Coalition.

HARRISBURG (March 24, 2025) – With youth mental health at a tipping point, Pennsylvania teens are taking the lead in calling for more funding for prevention and support systems. Teens from the PA Youth Advocacy Network held a press conference at the State Capitol on March 24 to highlight the urgent need for early intervention and prevention services for youth.

The PA Teen Mental Health Coalition, a newly formed network of 60 community-based organizations (CBOs) providing services across the entire commonwealth, attended in support of youth and to showcase the impact of CBOs in providing early intervention and prevention services for youth.

According to the 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey, 37.3% of students in grades 6-12 reported feeling sad or depressed most days in the past year, and 16.1% seriously considered suicide. Additionally, 27.9% of teens indicated they had no one to talk to when feeling sad, lonely, or worried. In response to these alarming statistics, the PA Teen Mental Health Coalition is advocating for sustainable, statewide investment in teen mental health resources.

“Much like all parts of our country, Pennsylvania is experiencing the fraying of traditional social ties, after-effects of the COVID pandemic, pervasiveness of social media, and the incredible stress youth in our world feel today. Any of these factors cause youth to feel isolated and lose hope. To tackle these challenges, we are focusing more resources on the mental health care workforce, building a world-class education regardless of zip code, delivering robust school-based mental health services, and helping students see opportunities for success post-graduation,” State Rep. Mike Schlossberg, D-132, said.

Youth advocates from the PA Youth Advocacy Network, a program of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation, have been working on research projects to strengthen mental health systems and develop clear policy proposals for better prevention statewide. Four youth spoke in support of several key initiatives, including excused mental health days, supportive communities, peer leadership, and mental health education all focused on prevention. Many community-based organizations provide these opportunities by creating peer programs, sharing mental health education, and providing safe spaces for out-of-school time. These services can help address workforce shortages by preventing mental health from escalating and requiring higher level of care and extend resources by partnering with schools.

“Our ask is simple: We want to create inclusive spaces by partnering with community-based organizations already working with teens,” said Nehal Trivedi, a high school student from Berks County. “Increased funding can help schools provide more therapists, psychiatrists, and counselors to support students before they reach a crisis point.”

During the press conference, speakers applauded the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s creation of allocation under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) program. The current $11.6 million allocated for this year aims to reduce community and gun violence, support afterschool programs, and expand critical mental health services for youth.

“I’m incredibly proud of the afterschool programs back home like SHINE and Schuylkill ACHIEVE,” said Senator David Argall, R-29. “Students rely on after school programs for additional academic and extracurricular opportunities. Parents rely on them to provide a safe environment for their children while they finish out the workday. Ensuring these programs have reliable funding will make our communities stronger and safer.”

After school and out-of-school-time programs provide a $7 return for every dollar invested, offering high-impact opportunities for youth development and violence prevention. However, demand significantly exceeds availability— for every child enrolled in an afterschool program, four more are waiting for a spot. This need was evident in the first BOOST grant cycle, where nearly 300 applications were submitted, requesting six times the available funding. The proposed 2025-26 budget includes an additional $10 million investment in BOOST funding, which supports a range of local initiatives, from mentoring programs to violence prevention strategies.

“It’s a joy and an honor to be supporting the community-based organizations that deliver the solutions and care our young people crave as they navigate their mental health journeys, and I’m deeply grateful for their incredibly impactful work. I look forward to their continued success ensuring that every student has the full support of their schools, communities, peers, and caregivers so that every opportunity is available to them, exactly where they are,” said State Rep. Jay Costa, D-43.

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About the PA Teen Mental Health Coalition

Established in 2025, the PA Teen Mental Health Coalition brings together community-based organizations (CBOs) and partners across Pennsylvania to advocate for policies and funding to support CBOs in providing teen mental health prevention and early intervention services.

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About the Jewish Healthcare Foundation
The Jewish Healthcare Foundation and its three operating arms — the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, Health Careers Futures, and WHAMglobal — offer a unique brand of activist philanthropy to advance healthcare innovation, advocacy, collaboration, and education in the interest of better population health. For more information, visit jhf.org.

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