Dr. Zainab Okolo of The JED Foundation: Building the Workforce and Systems Needed to Support Youth Mental Health

One in four young people in the U.S. experience a mental health condition or illness, but partly due to a shortage of trained child and adolescent mental health professionals, the majority will not receive the help they need. This leaves the door open for the unregulated offerings of AI platforms, an option that, according to a new study, 60% of middle school and high school students turn to when they feel sad, stressed, or lonely. “The important takeaway is not that every use of AI is harmful, but that for someone who feels isolated or cannot access care, it may become a substitute for professional support,” says Dr. Zainab Okolo, senior vice president of Policy Advocacy and Government Relations at the JED Foundation, which conducted the research. That’s why Dr. Okolo and her colleagues at JED are working with hundreds of schools and other organizations to build a coordinated system of supports for teens and young adults in an effort to protect their emotional health and prevent suicide. These “JED campuses” are trained to not only look for distress or crisis, but to create an environment in which mental health is considered a key marker in student success. As we mark Suicide Prevention Month, join WorkforceRx host and Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan for an exploration of ways to grow and supplement the mental health care workforce and the other resources our young people need.

For More Information: JED Foundation