Program Description

Through its school-based and community health worker pathways, Colorado’s Youth Mental Health Corps AmeriCorps members will provide youth mental health support and increase workforce opportunities in the behavioral health space for young adults with lived experience.

School-based stackable certification/higher education credit pathway:

Support students in high-need K-12 schools as a mental health navigator.

• YMHC member activities may include referring students to resources, communication with stakeholders, identifying barriers to mental health services, engaging families, and developing action plans for mental health trends in schools.
• Members receive recognized work-based training to earn certifications. Partnering with the Colorado Community College System, this pathway offers in-person and online microcredential training. This leads to an  Associate of Applied Science, with plans for a Bachelor of Applied Science.

Community health worker state certification pathway:

Serve as a community mental health navigator connecting with youth in local community based organizations.

• YMHC member activities may include: coordinating mental health care, assisting with navigating services, providing case management and cultural mediation, offering mental health education, evaluating program curriculum, and maintaining records of youth served.
• Members can earn a community health worker state certification by building on Colorado's existing U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship program. This expansion aims to develop a skilled, culturally competent workforce to address mental health needs in communities with limited access to services.