Updates on Transformative Investments in Mental Health Services and Programs for Youth and Families

Mayor Michelle Wu, the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), and Boston Public Schools (BPS) today announced the City’s progress in supporting mental health for youth and families across Boston. In March 2024, the City announced its plan to invest $21 million over five years in transformative funding for mental and behavioral health programs and services and to develop a larger and more diverse behavioral health workforce. In the first year, 318 mental health practitioners and clinicians received training and licensure support or career placement in Boston; more than 1,090 youth-facing staff from City departments, BPS schools, and community organizations received behavioral health training; and more than 2,000 youth were directly supported by programming. 

“It’s essential that every young person and family in Boston has access to the care and support they need because mental health is just as important as physical health," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "I’m thankful to the Boston Public Health Commission and Boston Public Schools for expanding access to mental health resources and creating safe and healthy environments for youth today and for future generations.” 

“Over the course of the last year we have responded to the mental health crisis among our youth by training hundreds of culturally and linguistically diverse health care providers and establishing new pathways to careers in behavioral health,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston. “Our goal is to continue to build capacity to treat mental illness so that no child or adolescent in Boston is left without mental health support when they need it.” 

“We recognize that a student's ability to thrive academically is deeply connected to their social and emotional health,” said Superintendent Mary Skipper. “Throughout May and indeed year-round, we encourage open conversations about mental health and want to ensure our community knows that support is available. We are incredibly fortunate to live in a city that generously invests in behavioral health programs and services. This dedicated funding will allow us to continue to strengthen crucial supports, increase access to mental health professionals, and implement innovative initiatives that foster a culture of care and understanding across our district and city.” 

BPHC’s Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness is working with UMass Boston and Franciscan Children’s to increase the number of mental health clinicians from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Through a new fellowship program with UMass Boston called Transforming Boston Access to Mental Health, UMass students interested in clinical and non-clinical behavioral health careers can receive financial support, internship stipends, mentorship, and additional resources. Students in the Mental Health Counseling track also commit to working in Boston for three years after graduation to ensure that the investments result in long-term impact. As of May 2025, this program has supported 175 students and served 446 youth and adult clients.  

BPHC’s Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness, BPS, and Flourish Agenda are also working to address how structural racism and trauma impact students and how to improve school policies and procedures accordingly. For its first year, Flourish Agenda has been hosting training sessions for BPS staff, equipping them with practical skills to create safe spaces for youth to share their experiences while maintaining staff’s own wellness. In March 2025, Flourish Agenda hosted a Healing Day for BPS students and staff from 10 schools to come together to build community and learn how to prioritize well-being while honoring culture and identity.     

Other key impacts include providing behavioral health training to community-based organizations that serve youth of color or LGBTQ+ youth, who face significant behavioral health disparities. In the past year, BPHC’s Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness and Health Resources in Action have trained staff from 36 organizations in Boston to better support immediate and long-term youth mental health needs.   

“Our investments reflect what young people and families have told us—mental health care must be accessible, culturally responsive, and grounded in trust. This work isn’t just about expanding services; it’s about reimagining systems. By integrating behavioral health into the daily rhythms of schools and communities, we’re driving lasting, equity-centered change so no youth is left without support,” said Dr. Kevin Simon, Chief Behavioral Health Officer for the Boston Public Health Commission. 

“These investments come at a critical time. As mental health challenges among youth continue to rise, we are grateful we can respond with comprehensive, equity-based programming that is shaped by young people, tailored for those who need it most, and supported by holistic wraparound services,” said Samara Grossman, Director of BPHC’s Center for Behavioral Health and Wellness. "People often say, 'It takes a village to raise a child.' We're building that village by providing real, meaningful support to the caring adults in young people's lives—giving them the tools they need so no one has to face youth mental health challenges alone." 

The $21 million in funding is from federal funds and grants, including the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the U.S. Department of Education, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The investments over five years will serve more than 50,000 students, directly impact 21 BPS schools, support more than 600 people in pursuing behavioral health careers in Boston, grow and diversify BPS’s mental health staff, and provide more than 1,000 youth-facing staff with behavioral health training. 

“One of the most inspiring aspects of our work at Flourish Agenda is how deeply our shared commitment to healing communities resonates,” said Jakira Rogers, Project Manager for Flourish Agenda. “Our partners like BPHC and BPS understand that healing is possible, and we are here to help support Boston’s healing journey, so that communities can continue to flourish.” 

“As someone born and raised in Boston, our partnership with BPHC to strengthen the mental health capacity of youth-serving organizations has been a full-circle moment for me,” said Gina San Inocencio, Associate Director for Health Resources in Action. “Through this collaboration, we’ve trained over 60 youth workers in neighborhoods like the ones I grew up in, working with programs I myself attended as a youth. These efforts are now reaching hundreds, if not thousands, of our city’s most marginalized young people. It’s initiatives like this that fuel my commitment to this work: supporting youth in meeting their mental health needs and empowering them to grow into thriving, successful adults.” 

The full breakdown of funding investment updates is detailed below: 

 Boston Public Health Commission 

• Grant to UMass Boston for “Transforming Boston Access to Mental Health” focuses on preparing diverse, youth-facing practitioners to serve Boston communities. Fellows will receive education, training, and fieldwork and commit to practicing in Boston. Across three years, at least 185 students will be trained to serve 1,750 clients, with over 850 being youth. To date, 53 Mental Health Counselors, 116 Therapeutic Mentors, and 6 School Psychologists are enrolled and supported, serving 446 clients, 200 of them youth. 

• Grant to Franciscan Children’s to expand the “Children’s Wellness Initiative,” which provides mental health clinicians and psychiatry services in BPS schools. The grant will enable Franciscan to expand to an additional 10 BPS sites for a total of 22 BPS sites over three years. The grant will also grow recruitment efforts and provide at least 180 people advanced training in behavioral health. To date, 12 clinicians have been placed across eight schools, serving at least 166 BPS students. 

• BPHC and BPS are piloting a “Trauma-informed School System Transformation” at 10 BPS schools, reaching up to 3,500 students and 750 staff. In April 2024, Flourish Agenda started using trauma-informed methodologies to examine and improve BPS policies and systems of care. In the first year, Flourish Agenda hosted 29 training sessions for 817 BPS staff.  

• Funds went to public awareness campaigns and other resources to destigmatize mental health among disproportionately impacted BIPOC youth. Initiatives included supporting BPHC’s Cope Code Club, a creative arts project with The Family Van, and a youth-created and youth-led campaign called “Heads Up Boston,” normalizing youth talking to their friends and seeking help from trusted adults when needed. To date, these initiatives involved 430 youth and reached over 21 million views on social media.  

• In June 2024, Health Resources in Action started providing behavioral health training to community-based organizations in Boston. To date, staff from 36 organizations received training and 60 youth workers have been named “Behavioral Health Champions.”  

• BPHC’s Boston Area Health Education Center helps train youth in careers in health education, particularly from BIPOC populations underrepresented in health. This funding will go towards after school and summer programs focused on behavioral health careers and will train 400 students over three years. To date, 122 students have enrolled in behavioral health career programming, with 40 of them participating in teen Mental Health First Aid training.  

• BPHC’s “Capacity Building and Training Initiative” will provide trauma and equity training for City employees who serve youth and families. Training will reach about 600 staff over three years. To date, 15 staff from 5 City departments have participated in train-the-trainer sessions and reported increased skills and knowledge compared to their baseline. 

• BPHC’s “Boston Children’s Mental Health Initiative” will work with Children’s Services of Roxbury to support Black and Latinx children under four years old who are connected to the state child welfare system or BPHC family support services and in need of early social and emotional development. Over the next four years, this includes training at least 37 family partners, nurses, social workers and case workers; providing services for 275 children; screening 1,800 families for social and emotional wellness; providing more behavioral health services; and increasing awareness of early childhood mental health. To date, 13 people have completed training; 224 children, caregivers, and families have received services and screenings; and 155 people have been engaged through direct outreach and education.  

Boston Public Schools 

• In 2023, the Department of Behavioral Health Services at Boston Public Schools partnered with Boston University to launch “Project PROVIDE,” a workforce development training program which aims to increase the number of diverse and highly qualified school psychologists, social workers, and school counselors through yearlong mentorship, stipends for university interns, and consistent and comprehensive PD. Since its inception, Project PROVIDE has provided over 200 hours of free professional development to BPS school-based mental health practitioners and mental health community partners that work in the community, trained over 80 masters, specialist, and doctoral level interns, and mentored over 70 early career staff to improve the quality of care for more than 46,000 students in the district. In addition, this grant has enabled BPS to more effectively convert trainees into employees to fill vacancies and support the retention of mental health providers. 

For more information about behavioral health resources or other needs, call the BPS Helpline at 617-635-8873 or visit BPHC’s website.   

 

About Boston Public Health Commission 

The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is the country’s oldest health department and envisions a thriving Boston where all residents live healthy and fulfilling lives. To accomplish this, BPHC works in partnership with communities to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, especially those impacted by racism and systemic inequities. Learn more about our work at boston.gov/bphc. 

About Boston Public Schools 

The Boston Public Schools (BPS), the birthplace of public education in the United States, serves more than 48,000 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students in 119 schools. BPS is committed to transforming the lives of all children through exemplary teaching in a world-class system of innovative, welcoming schools. We partner with the community, families, and students to develop in every learner the knowledge, skill, and character to excel in college, career, and life.