This grant provides funding for a Capitol Hill Forum organized by the Children’s Defense Fund on evidence-based strategies to address the mental health crisis among American adolescents. The Children’s Defense Fund is a national advocacy organization seeking to promote racial equity and child-centered public policy informed by the lived experience of children and youth. The Forum, “Addressing the Mental Health Crisis Among Youth Marginalized by Systemic Inequities: A Capitol Hill Forum on Culturally Competent Interventions and Support Systems,” will engage current and former grantees working at the intersection of mental health and inequality The Children’s Defense Fund will provide a post-event resource toolkit containing an annotated bibliography, contact information for researchers, a summary of relevant legislation, sample social media posts to facilitate constituent education, and information about requesting technical assistance. They will also organize in-person meetings with Congressional staff involved in sponsoring relevant legislation to facilitate continued dialogue. With this grant, the Foundation will support efforts at the nexus of our focus areas and amplify the work of our grantees who are studying ways to reduce inequalities in youth mental health.
This grant will support the Children’s Defense Fund in organizing a Capitol Hill Forum on evidence-based strategies to address the mental health crisis among American adolescents.
