With Washington Cutting Programs, States Must Step Up on Child Mental Health

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The federal government recently announced a range of changes impacting agencies overseeing mental health programs and education. These include executive orders directing the dismantling of the Department of Education, the planned elimination of about 20,000 employees at the Department of Health and Human Services and the cancellation of $1 billion in school-based mental health grants. The White House is also eliminating the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, merging its responsibilities with other programs into a new proposed agency: the Administration for a Healthy America. 

The government’s role in education and youth mental health has been vast, including managing programs, distributing funds, enforcing student civil rights and tracking data on student well-being. As states adapt to the new, shifting landscape, supporting youth mental health remains a vital and necessary investment, with young people from kindergarten through college and early career facing immense levels of anxiety, depression and suicide risk. States must now take the lead in addressing youth mental health needs.

Some already exemplify the creative leadership needed at this moment. These include Pennsylvania, Oregon, Texas, Louisiana and Arizona, all of which participated in the Mental Health and Wellness Learning Community launched in 2023 by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association and The Jed Foundation. 

Their efforts highlight five state strategies for enhancing student mental health support through strategic collaboration across agencies:

1. Make Mental Health a Strategic Priority Across State Agencies and Organizations

Mental health can no longer be relegated to a single agency or initiative. State governments and organizations with whom they work should treat it core to learning, development, academic success and career readiness for students and the future workforce. Pennsylvania demonstrates this through its PA Maslow framework, which considers mental health a basic need along with housing, transportation and digital access and brings together school systems, colleges and state agencies to coordinate services. In Oregon, a statewide mental health survey gathers data across schools and local communities. Arizona’s Board of Regents has launched the Student Well-being Workgroup, which hosts listening sessions at colleges to hear directly from young people and inform statewide policies.

2. Ensure Access to Care From Kindergarten Through College

Young people don’t leave their mental health challenges behind when they graduate high school. Yet there is often a gap in services when transitioning to college or the workforce. Pennsylvania is working to close these gaps by integrating K-12 and postsecondary services. Similarly, Arizona’s Healthy Tomorrow Initiative links health and wellness strategies with economic and workforce development goals by creating a seamless continuum from high school to higher ed and career. States can build cross-agency task forces to coordinate funding, staffing and crisis response, striving to ensure that students don’t fall through the cracks simply because they change schools.

3. Ensure Effective Care is Reaching All Youth

To be effective, mental health care must be tailored to the needs, challenges and barriers experienced by each young person. Amid changing federal guidance, some colleges and universities struggle with how to sustain these efforts. States can encourage school leaders and policy advocates to implement a comprehensive approach to mental health for all students. This should focus on narrowing gaps in services and getting them to student populations that need them most. Arizona’s multilingual counseling and Louisiana’s rural telehealth expansion show it’s possible to design inclusive, customized care, while ensuring all students are supported and welcomed. These efforts focus on meeting students where they are — with respect, understanding and effectiveness.

4. Build the Workforce and Infrastructure to Meet Demand

Behavioral health workforce shortages are widespread, hindering staff recruitment and retention. States must invest in pipeline development: expanding degree programs, offering financial incentives and accelerating credentialing pathways. Arizona’s Healthy Tomorrow Initiative addresses the state’s critical shortage of health care professionals by establishing new medical schools and expanding existing programs. Pennsylvania’s stipends for student-led college mental health initiatives are another promising model. While technology, such as telehealth, can help, it is no substitute for sustained human relationships. Investments must also include training for educators, school leaders and peer mentors, who often serve as the first line of support.

5. Use Data to Drive Policy and Sustain Investment

As federal reporting requirements change, states will need to invest in data collection, track long-term outcomes and use findings to inform resource allocation. Texas links mental health investment to success metrics such as whether students remain in school and earn a degree. Pennsylvania audits school districts to identify barriers to care and implement targeted solutions for students. With the right data, states can demonstrate to the government and the public the return on investment in student mental health — and build the political will to maintain funding over time.

Students Deserve an Invested Government 

States must engage with the federal government to identify the programs and funding streams vital to their economies, schools and workforces. However, certain functions must remain at the federal level, including oversight of congressionally approved funding to ensure states enforce civil rights guidelines, collect data, coordinate public health programs and support workforce development. Policymakers must be ready to effectively partner with HHS — or whatever other new federal structures are put in place — in order to support young people’s well-being and readiness for the future economy.

As federal departments face unprecedented change, states must not only respond, but lead. Youth mental health is among the most urgent issues facing America’s education system — and is among the most solvable. This is a moment to act with clarity, courage and strategic precision. States have the opportunity to build a future in which youth are prepared to navigate mental health challenges, allowing them to thrive. 

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