Youth and AI: Use context matters, but report finds ‘red flag’ for mental health support
Mental Health Care Access Must Remain a Public Priority
The Jed Foundation (JED) is deeply concerned about the fear, grief, and distress that youth and families are experiencing amid uncertainty, loss, and community upheaval. Across Minnesota and communities nationwide, critical work is being done to support individuals and families, often with limited resources.
These efforts underscore the strength of communities and highlight the limits of what local response alone can carry. They also unfold within a broader national policy and budget context that shapes both enforcement activity and access to mental health care. Taken together, they point to the urgency of prioritizing access to mental health supports and services for all, no matter their status or country of origin. Ensuring access to mental health care must remain a core public priority, especially during times of heightened stress and community disruption. Meeting that responsibility requires sustained, collective commitment so that those already responding on the ground are reinforced with the support and resources they need.
As an organization dedicated to promoting emotional well-being and preventing suicide, JED is committed to advocating for emotional health resources for all young people and families. We encourage institutions — schools, health systems, employers, and civic organizations — nationwide to expand access to emotional support services, promote trauma-informed care, and collaborate with culturally competent providers to meet the needs of diverse populations.
If you are experiencing fear, stress, grief, or anxiety related to these events:
Ask for help and connect with others.
- Reach out to trusted friends, family members, counselors, or community support networks.
- Talk about what you are feeling. Normalizing emotional responses during collective stress can be healing.
- Stay connected with supportive groups, faith communities, and peer support spaces.
Seek professional support if you need it.
- If stress feels overwhelming or impacts your daily life, please consider seeking professional care. You can contact:
- Local mental health providers, school counselors, or university health services.
- Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741741 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. For Spanish, text “HOLA.” For Minnesota residents, text “MN.”
- The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call, text, or chat 988 or 988lifeline.org): free, confidential support 24/7 from trained counselors for anyone in emotional distress.
- To access mental health crisis teams located in Minnesota, you can find county-specific resources 24/7 at NAMI Minnesota.
AI Usage Mirrors Young People’s Offline Struggles
Youth Mental Health in the AI Era: How GenAI Enters Help-Seeking Pathways
New National Research Reveals How Context Shapes AI’s Impact on Youth Mental Health
Surgo Health, Young Futures, and The Jed Foundation (JED) find uneven risks and opportunities across youth AI engagement
Washington, DC — [February 18, 2026] — As generative artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prominent in young people’s lives, new nationally representative research finds that young people’s mental health–related experiences with AI vary widely depending on context. Among youth reporting mental health struggles, 12% indicate using GenAI for mental health support and their reactions are mixed, suggesting both potential benefits and risks.
Surgo Health conducted a two-part research series: the first report (Youth Mental Health in the AI Era: Why Context Matters More Than Technology) in partnership with Young Futures looked at youth AI engagement, and the second report (Youth Mental Health in the AI Era: How GenAI Enters Help-Seeking Pathways) in partnership with The Jed Foundation (JED) looked at how AI enters youth mental health help-seeking. Results show that young people report engaging with AI in fundamentally different ways depending on social support, stress, adversity, and access to care. For youth, AI can function as a tool, a bridge to support, or a substitute for care, with very different implications for well-being.
Six Distinct Segments of Youth AI Engagement
Drawing on survey data from more than 1,300 youth ages 13–24, the first report, in partnership with Young Futures, identifies six patterns of AI engagement, ordered by increasing frequency of use. Across these segments, mental health outcomes vary widely even among youth with similar levels of AI use, reinforcing that frequency alone is a poor indicator of risk or benefit.
- Low-Use Anxious Skeptics (10%) — distressed, distrustful youth who keep distance from AI amid uncertainty and fear of rapid change
- Thriving Light-Touch Pragmatists (32%) — well-supported youth who maintain a healthy, arm’s-length relationship with AI
- Worried Strivers (7%) — highly pressured, future-anxious youth who see AI as destabilizing rather than supportive
- Emotionally Entangled Superusers (9%) — emotionally vulnerable youth who turn to AI for connection and coping when offline support falls short
- High-Hope, High-Use Skill-Builders (10%) — optimistic power-users who treat AI as a tool for learning, creativity, and future-building
- Curious Low-Concern Learners (10%) — confident, socially grounded youth who use AI to explore, learn, and solve problems
The rest of the youth are those who have never used AI (21%) and youth who don’t know what AI tools are (1%).
Different Groups, Different Needs
Patterns of AI engagement also differ across demographic groups, underscoring the need for targeted, equity-informed approaches.
- Black youth AI users are more likely to be High-Hope, High-Use Skill-Builders, engaging AI for learning and opportunity.
- Hispanic youth AI users are more likely to be Emotionally Entangled Superusers.
- Youth in families receiving government assistance are more likely to be High-Hope, High-Use Skill-Builders.
- LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to be Low-Use Anxious Skeptics, reflecting stress and concerns about safety and control rather than lack of access.
“This research confirms what we hear at Young Futures: young people aren’t a monolith and their relationship with AI reflects the broader context of their lives—their relationships, their stressors, and their access to support systems and caring adults,” said Dr. Kristine Gloria, COO & Co-founder of Young Futures. “Instead, we need an ecosystem approach that prioritizes social connection, trusted mentorship, and adaptive support structures that can meet young people where they are and respond to their diverse needs and circumstances. One-size-fits-all solutions simply can’t serve a generation this varied in how they navigate technology and seek support.”
How Youth Use AI During Mental Health Struggles
The Jed Foundation (JED) contributed to the question design and interpretation of findings in the second report on mental health care-seeking pathways. Youth who turned to AI during mental health struggles reported greater barriers to professional care, including cost, lack of caregiver support, and not knowing help was available. Many described using AI because it felt easier than talking to people in their lives and helped them avoid burdening others.
Additionally, while short-term emotional relief after AI use was common, it did not consistently translate into positive experiences over time. Neutral or negative experiences were more common when AI functioned as a substitute for care rather than part of a broader support system.
“This report confirms that many young people are turning to general-purpose AI tools to address mental health concerns, especially when they face barriers to care. Importantly, these systems were not designed for this purpose and often serve as endpoints rather than pathways to support from caring adults or mental health professionals,” said Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth, JED’s Chief Medical Officer. “The Jed Foundation is proud to partner with Surgo Health to improve our understanding of young people’s mental health-related experiences with AI.”
Implications for Policy and Practice
The findings call on public health leaders, educators, and policymakers to move beyond blanket approaches to youth and AI. Instead, the report emphasizes segment-informed strategies that strengthen offline support, protect youth agency, and ensure AI complements, rather than replaces, human connection. The findings also underscore the responsibility of AI developers and platforms for how these systems shape youth help-seeking and emotional support, particularly during moments of distress.
“The most effective responses to youth mental health in the AI era won’t come from technology alone,” said Sema Sgaier, CEO and Co-Founder of Surgo Health. “They will come from investing in the social and emotional environments that shape how young people use these tools, alongside responsible design and governance.”
Together, these studies show that generative AI is already part of youth mental health help-seeking, often on platforms not designed for this purpose. Whether AI reduces harm or deepens inequities depends on how it is built, governed, and integrated into real pathways of care.
Click Here to Read the Reports
About Surgo Health
Surgo Health is a Public Benefit Corporation building the world’s most comprehensive and insightful AI-powered data platform that reveals the why behind people’s behaviors. We uncover the unseen drivers of health—people’s beliefs, barriers, and behaviors—and transform that intelligence into scalable products that enable healthcare organizations to drive impact, reduce costs, and advance equity. By revealing the human side of healthcare, we’re making it more personal, precise, and effective—for everyone.
The Youth Mental Health Tracker (YMHT) created by Surgo Health, with support from Pivotal and Paramount, uncovers the complexities of youth mental health and well-being, providing actionable insights that equip communities, policymakers, and healthcare providers to foster environments where young people can truly thrive.
About Young Futures
Young Futures (YF) is a non-profit on a mission to make the digital world an easier place to grow-up. YF provides a social compass for teens and families navigating the tech-driven world by building an ecosystem of solutions for youth well-being. Surgo partnered with YF on the first report to integrate data-driven research with youth-centered expertise.
About The Jed Foundation
JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools, colleges, school districts, and youth-serving community-based organizations to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
Connect with JED: Email | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Snapchat | YouTube
Media Contacts
Cathryn Meurn
Chief of Staff
Surgo Health
media@surgohealth.com
Brooke Messaye
Young Futures
brooke@youngfutures.org
Justin Barbo
PR Director
The Jed Foundation
justin@jedfoundation.org
JED highlights growing youth MH risks in an AI-driven era
Youth mental health trends marked by rapid technological change, shifting social habits
Anticipated Youth Mental Health Trends in 2026
By John MacPhee
As we enter 2026, young people are growing up in systems that are fragmenting, automating, and, in some cases, withdrawing human care. Technology is accelerating while human connection and social support erode. Social connection is increasingly mediated as in-person spaces disappear. Economic and policy instability collide with developmental needs for belonging, stability, and guidance.
At the same time, young people are navigating a broader climate of uncertainty and division, from global conflict and political polarization to fears about immigration enforcement and school safety — conditions that shape daily life and contribute to chronic stress, anxiety, and even dread.
This moment clarifies what matters most: Young people deserve stronger, more stable systems of support, and that belief must fuel our work forward. Although the challenges facing young people in 2026 are complex, we also acknowledge hope in the way young people remain resilient and how many people and systems are responding.
Digital Systems Are Optimized for Engagement, Not for Care
The speed and scale of artificial intelligence (AI) innovation far outpace the development of clinical safeguards, safety standards, and clear accountability. Much of this innovation is being driven by profit-maximizing, market-share-seeking corporations, making it clear that we cannot rely on industry self-regulation alone to protect young people. As a result, young people are increasingly exposed to systems that can shape emotional development, decision-making, and behavior without transparency, oversight, or meaningful recourse when harm occurs.
As highlighted in our Open Letter to the AI and Technology Industry, the impacts of AI are neither hypothetical nor distant. When AI is used not to support learning but to replace core acts of thinking and creating, it may narrow opportunities for creativity, critical thinking, and independent problem-solving, particularly for adolescents. More concerning emerging evidence suggests AI is already contributing to suicidal ideation and planning, underscoring the need for policymakers to require safety-by-design defaults and establish explicit boundaries around what AI can and can’t do. AI holds promise, such as supporting earlier detection of mental health concerns and expanding access to mental health services, but those benefits are only realized when innovation is explicitly paired with clinical oversight, rigorous safety standards, and clear lines of responsibility.
Child Mind Institute is one organization demonstrating what that approach can look like in practice, by developing trustworthy, youth-centered tools, such as the journaling app Mirror. Designed with safety at its core, the app detects warning signs of mental health distress and prompts users to reach out to a trusted adult and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. That model shows how AI, when built with intention, accountability, and care, can meaningfully support youth well-being rather than undermine it. Yet such tools are challenging to build, maintain, and market in a sector that is designed for profit.
Looking at the year ahead, the central question is not whether AI will continue to shape young people’s emotional lives but whether safeguards, standards, and accountability will be put in place quickly enough to protect them. Progress will depend on treating AI not simply as a promising new business innovation, but as a powerful system that influences youth development — one that demands the same level of clinical rigor, transparency, and responsibility as any other mental health intervention for children.
Public Systems of Support Are Shrinking as Needs Intensify
Crisis care remains a critical frontline resource for all youth, and the opportunity to strengthen youth-specific crisis response is especially urgent as suicide and suicide attempts among young people remain a serious concern. Yet in a time of greater need for mental health supports, we are seeing funding cuts that undermine the very systems we need to prevent suicide and protect the emotional health of teens and young adults.
For example, LGBTQ+ young people have greater suicide risk and mental health challenges than their peers, but their access to critical supports such as the LGBTQ+ suicide lifeline has been cut, underscoring the urgency of strengthening support systems rather than allowing recent gains to erode. The recent loss of federal funding highlights the need for stable funding streams to sustain this work.
As the largest payer of mental health services for children and adolescents, Medicaid is also undergoing significant shifts that are limiting young people’s access to health care. Changes to eligibility rules and procedural disenrollments have created instability for families, leaving many young people at risk of losing coverage during critical periods of need or with drastically increased premiums that are unaffordable for many families. Many states are expanding school-based Medicaid billing, enabling districts to seek reimbursement for a broader range of mental health services, but implementation remains uneven and administrative burdens continue to pose challenges for schools and providers.
Looking ahead, new opportunities are emerging through increased cross-agency collaboration, offering glimmers of hope for meeting the mental health needs of young people. The future of Medicaid’s role in supporting youth mental health will depend on whether policymakers strengthen enrollment access, streamline school-based reimbursement processes, and ensure consistent and affordable coverage for preventive and early intervention services that can meaningfully improve long-term outcomes.
Social and Economic Systems Are Limiting Pathways to Connection, Mentorship, and Purpose
Connection is built through environments that provide repeated, low-stakes opportunities for young people to belong, practice relationship skills, and build trust with peers and adults. Many young people are being asked to develop these skills in contexts that offer fewer shared spaces, fewer informal interactions, and fewer trusted adults.
Against that backdrop, it is not surprising that many young people are struggling to build and sustain connections. Social life is increasingly mediated through screens, and, for some, digital tools are filling gaps once occupied by peers, mentors, and community. Nearly half of Gen Z reports not having had a romantic relationship during their teenage years — a shift that may reduce certain risks, but also limits opportunities for closeness, vulnerability, and mutual support, all of which help build social emotional skills.
The consequences are especially visible among boys and young men, many of whom report feeling isolated and reluctant to seek help or confide in trusted adults. According to the latest Surgo Health report, more than three-quarters of young men struggling with their mental health don’t want to confide in their parents and more than half believe they don’t need professional help. That is particularly concerning, given that males are much more likely to die by suicide than females.
For many young people, early relationships are not only social, but also foundational to how they develop confidence, identity, and belonging. The workplace has traditionally been another key site for that development, one that is increasingly difficult for young people navigating the transition from school into early adulthood. AI-driven changes to hiring have accelerated automation and reduced opportunities in entry-level roles, narrowing traditional pathways into the workforce. With youth unemployment in recent months at some of the highest levels since 2021, these shifts carry serious implications for young adults seeking stability, purpose, and a foothold toward meaningful careers. These conditions can heighten anxiety, disrupt identity development, and limit access to the social connections that support emotional well-being.
When connection is optional or filtered through screens and algorithms, it’s easier for young people to slip into isolation and harder for anyone to notice when they’re struggling. Addressing that challenge will require deeper investment in schools, community-based organizations, mentorship programs, and peer leadership opportunities that serve as everyday relational hubs where young people can connect, be seen, and build supportive relationships long before they reach a point of crisis.
Looking Ahead With Hope
This year will be shaped by rapid technological change, shifting policy landscapes, economic uncertainty, and deepening social isolation. We remain optimistic, though, because across the country, youth are stepping into leadership roles, speaking out against stigma, advocating for mental health literacy, and helping shape solutions that reflect their lived experiences.
At the same time, states are collaborating more intentionally, sharing strategies and investing in innovative approaches to prevention, crisis response, and recovery. The Arizona State Department of Education, for example, collaborated with JED to develop a training course for school mental health professionals on how to recognize and respond to suicide risk. In Texas, seven school districts are participating in a new District Mental Health Initiative with the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center to strengthen districtwide approaches to youth mental health and build more coordinated, sustainable supports for students.
As federal resources remain uncertain, coordinated efforts like those demonstrate promise by ensuring that young people receive vital services and communities have support when they need it most.
At JED, we remain committed to meeting this moment with care, urgency, and collaboration. In 2026, our work will continue to center youth voices, mobilize communities, build coalitions, and strengthen school systems that make it easier for young people to access support, find connection, and build healthy futures. To deepen our impact, reach more young people, and strengthen the systems that support youth mental health and suicide prevention nationwide, we need the continued support of and collaboration with partners across programmatic, financial, and community sectors. Progress is possible when we respond to systems under strain with sustained, human-centered commitment.
Restoring Mental Health Funding Was the Right Move. It Saved Lives.
[January 15, 2026, New York, New York] — Last night’s decision to restore billions of dollars in federal mental health and substance use grants was necessary. Communities across the country rely on these investments to keep counseling centers open, sustain treatment and recovery programs, retain trained clinicians, and deliver life-saving prevention services. Reinstating the funding averted immediate disruption for thousands of providers and millions of people who depend on them.
But the brief cancellation exposed a dangerous reality: our nation’s mental health infrastructure is fragile, vulnerable to abrupt policy shifts that can destabilize care overnight.
According to multiple reports, more than $1.9 billion in grants administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) were abruptly terminated on January 13 across more than 2,800 awards. Programs supporting suicide prevention, youth mental health, overdose prevention, workforce development, domestic violence services, and community recovery were swept into the action. Termination notices landed in inboxes with little warning and limited clarity. Within hours, organizations across the country began preparing for layoffs and service closures.
Even though the funding was restored less than 24 hours later, the disruption was real: trust was shaken, operational planning was destabilized, and frontline providers faced the possibility of essential services vanishing without notice.
“This episode showed how quickly critical mental health infrastructure can be destabilized without clear guardrails,” said Dr. Zainab Okolo, senior vice president of policy, advocacy & government relations at The Jed Foundation (JED). “If we want crisis systems like 988 to work, policymakers must protect the community services that make follow-up care possible. Funding stability is not optional. It is foundational.”
We welcome the swift reversal of the funding cuts, and also recognize the bipartisan leadership in Congress that spoke up to protect mental health and substance use investments. But this episode should serve as a clear warning that crisis response alone cannot support the full range of prevention, treatment, and recovery services that youth need, and families depend on.
The federal government has rightly invested in the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which has become a vital entry point for people seeking immediate help during moments of acute distress or crisis. Millions of calls, texts, and chats are answered each year, and lives are being saved.
Yet a crisis line cannot function in isolation.
Counselors cannot refer callers to services that no longer exist. Families cannot stabilize loved ones without accessible treatment and follow-up care. Schools and community organizations cannot absorb the downstream impact when prevention programs are stripped away.
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 34. Nearly 50,000 Americans die by suicide each year, and millions more experience suicidal thoughts or attempts. More than 2 in 5 adults personally know someone who has died by suicide, meaning the ripple effects touch tens of millions of families, workplaces, classrooms, and neighborhoods.
Decades of research tell us that suicide risk is not random. It increases when mental health and substance use conditions go untreated, when social connection erodes, when trusted adults, peer supports, and prevention programs disappear, and when follow-up care becomes harder to access after moments of crisis.
What Works: Prevention, Early Intervention, and Community-Based Systems
When funding for prevention and treatment is destabilized, the consequences are predictable. More people reach crisis, and fewer pathways exist to support recovery and stability afterward. Crisis systems become overloaded. Local capacity erodes. The safety net frays and individuals and families are left to shoulder impossible burdens.
In an interdependent mental health ecosystem, the brief cancellation of these grants—even though reversed— is deeply consequential. It revealed how quickly essential infrastructure can be put at risk and underscored the need for stronger guardrails to protect life-saving services from abrupt disruption.
Mental health and suicide prevention are not discretionary luxuries. They are core priorities for public health and community safety. Protecting lives requires sustained investment across the full continuum of care, from upstream prevention and youth engagement to crisis response and long-term treatment and recovery.
Policymakers and Federal Leaders Should Take Three Immediate Steps
- Safeguard community-based mental health and substance use funding from sudden destabilization. Providers need predictability to retain staff, serve patients, and plan responsibly.
- Protect prevention and early intervention infrastructure that reduces suicide risk before a crisis occurs. Cutting upstream supports increases downstream emergencies and costs.
- Ensure that 988 remains integrated within a functioning system of care. Maintain accessible referral pathways and continuity of services beyond the initial call.
Restoring the funding was the right decision. Now we must ensure this moment becomes a turning point toward greater stability, stronger protections, and a mental health system that is resilient enough to meet the needs of the people it serves.
When suicide prevention is treated as optional, the outcomes are predictable and preventable harm follows. We have the opportunity, and the responsibility, to choose a better path forward.
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About The Jed Foundation
JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools, colleges, school districts, and youth-serving community-based organizations to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
Connect with JED: Email | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Snapchat | YouTube
https://www.nami.org/press-releases/nami-reacts-to-abrupt-termination-of-samhsa-grants/
Local Philanthropy Funds Student Mental Health Scholarships for Texas Region 10 Districts
Selected districts will be guided through a comprehensive process to evaluate their current systems, identify student mental health needs, and enhance systems of support for all pre-K–12 students.
[January 15, 2026, New York, Virginia, and Texas] — Protecting students’ mental health and emotional well-being is crucial to their development and ability to thrive academically, socially, and in their future careers. Yet, building top-tier mental health systems in schools is complex and requires deep expertise. The Jed Foundation (JED), in partnership with AASA, The School Superintendents Association, and the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center, announced today the recipients of full scholarships to participate in the North Texas JED and AASA District Mental Health Initiative to strengthen their school mental health systems.
This two-year program is made possible in part through philanthropic support from the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the WoodNext Foundation, a component fund administered by Greater Houston Community Foundation. United Way is a social change organization that unites the community to create opportunities for all North Texans to thrive. The WoodNext Foundation manages the philanthropy of tech innovator and Roku CEO/founder Anthony Wood and his wife Susan, and one of WoodNext’s priorities is youth mental health. They have partnered with JED since 2023 to promote student mental health, and donated $3 million to implement JED’s school-based mental health support systems throughout Texas.
Recent Texas data shows 17% of young people under 18 have experienced a mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenge, and Texas ranked nearly last in the United States for mental health care access. Nationwide, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 34.
“Ensuring the next generation of students across Texas have the resources they need to achieve their full potential is one of our core priorities,” said Nancy Chan, WoodNext Foundation’s Executive Director. “We’re proud to support JED, AASA, and the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center in strengthening and supporting school districts through vital, life-saving support for pre-K–12 students struggling with their emotional health.”
“At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we believe all students deserve the chance to thrive, dream big, and grow into the leaders of tomorrow,” said Susan Hoff, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Chief Strategy and Impact Officer. “This work is rooted in partnership — it takes all of us, coming together, to create lasting systemic change. We’re proud to support JED, AASA, and the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center in driving meaningful, measurable progress in youth education, mental health, and well-being across north Texas.”
School districts across the country are currently facing budgetary constraints, which requires making tough decisions and often cuts to programming — this can result in setbacks to student mental health support. This unique partnership can serve as a potential scalable and replicable model for other districts to help leverage the power of local support through the collaboration of national expertise and technical assistance.
“Region 10 is proud to partner with JED and AASA in launching the North Texas District Mental Health Initiative. We are eager to contribute to their proven track record of success across the country by supporting our local school districts in building strong mental health systems that serve the needs of students, staff, and communities alike,” said Jennifer Farley, Region 10 Special Populations Program Coordinator for Mental and Behavioral Health.
Grounded in JED’s Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for Districts, the North Texas JED and AASA District Mental Health Initiative integrates recommended practices with field expertise to foster connected, thriving school communities and help make meaningful, sustainable, and measurable improvements in student well-being.
“As a proud Texan, former school district leader, and current school programs leader at JED, I’ve witnessed the emotional health and academic challenges facing schools, administrators, teachers, students, and families across my home state and the country,” said Tony Walker, JED’s Senior Vice President of School Programs and Consulting. “We know there’s a clear link between students’ mental health challenges and their engagement in the classroom. JED, AASA, and the Texas Region 10 Education Service Center are pleased to provide financial scholarships and technical assistance to help positively reshape school mental health systems.”
Participating Region 10 districts will benefit from customized, strategic school mental health support and consultation from national experts. They will also engage in cohort-based learning with peer collaboration and have access to curated training sessions that meet requirements of the Texas legislated mandates (HB8/SB11) for school mental health.
“At AASA, we believe that every student deserves access to a safe, supportive, and emotionally healthy learning environment,” said David R. Schuler, Executive Director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. “This initiative represents a powerful step forward in equipping school districts with the tools, guidance, and community partnerships necessary to build sustainable mental health systems. We are proud to collaborate with The Jed Foundation and Region 10 to support the well-being and success of students across North Texas.”
Seven districts, representing more than 170 schools and 116,900 pre-K–12 students, have confirmed their participation in the inaugural cohort of the North Texas JED and AASA District Mental Health Initiative, including:
- Commerce Independent School District (Commerce, Texas)
- Crandall Independent School District (Crandall, Texas)
- Garland Independent School District (Garland, Texas)
- Irving Independent School District (Irving, Texas)
- Scurry-Rosser Independent School District (Scurry, Texas)
- Sherman Independent School District (Sherman, Texas)
These districts were chosen based on their shared enthusiasm, focused approach, and support of students’ mental health. JED is dedicated to providing programs to all school districts, and more districts are expected to join this initiative in the near future. To learn more about our fee structure and opportunities for funding the JED and AASA District Mental Health Initiative in your school community, visit our website and complete the interest form.
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About The Jed Foundation
JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools, colleges, school districts, and youth-serving community-based organizations to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
Connect with JED: Email | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Snapchat | YouTube
About The WoodNext Foundation
The WoodNext Foundation manages the philanthropy of tech innovator and Roku CEO/Founder, Anthony Wood, and his wife Susan. Their philanthropic efforts are guided by their overall mission to advance human progress and remove obstacles to a fulfilling life. The WoodNext Foundation’s priorities include mental health, homelessness, scientific and biomedical research, disaster recovery, and economic opportunity with a focus on addressing root causes. As the Woods have strong ties to Texas, WoodNext’s domestic grant making has a particular focus on strengthening communities across the southern United States.
About United Way of Metropolitan Dallas
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is a social change organization that unites the community to create opportunity and access for all North Texans to thrive. We bring together passionate change-makers alongside corporate, civic and nonprofit partners to drive lasting change in education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity. We encourage every North Texan to join this movement and Live United.
About AASA, The School Superintendents Association
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org
About Region 10 Education Service Center
We are one of 20 regional service centers established by the Texas State Legislature in 1967 for the purpose of delivering professional development and a range of other innovative solutions. Our consultants provide services at our offices in Richardson as well as in field locations across the Region 10 area. We proudly serve more than 890,000 students and 118,000 school staff, of which 60,000 are teachers in over 130 ISDs, charters and private schools across 10 north Texas counties.
Media Contact
Justin Barbo
Director, Public Relations
The Jed Foundation
Justin@jedfoundation.org
Robin Kelly Chandler
Public Relations
WoodNext Foundation
howdy@woodnext.org
Lara Wade
Communications Director
AASA, The School Superintendents Association
lwade@aasa.org
Rachel Frost
Chief Communications Officer
Texas Region 10 Education Service Center
rachel.frost@region10.org
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Youth Mental Health: National & Local Coverage of JED’s POV and Recommendations
Amid the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the emotional well-being of teens and young adults, JED has been tracking AI’s impact on youth mental health supports, legislative policies, and education.
Find news coverage of JED’s mental health experts speaking on the impacts that AI technologies can have on young people, especially minors, what the industry can do to implement safeguards for its users, how policy plays a role in protecting youth, and more.
AI & Its Impact on Youth Mental Health
- USA Today: Her 12-year-old son was talking to Grok. It tried to get him to ‘send nudes.’
- USA Today: Character.AI announces major change to its platform amid concerns about child safety
- ABC News: Is your teen using AI companions? What are the risks?
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Despite risks, most teens are regular users of social media; most have used chatbots
- USA Today: Her 14-year-old was seduced by a Character AI bot. She says it cost him his life.
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Youth mental health org asks AI developers to slow down, weigh safety risks for teens
- USA Today: ChatGPT-induced ‘AI psychosis’ is a real problem. I talked to the chatbot to figure out why.
AI & Its Impact on Policy
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Illinois law bans AI use to provide mental health advice
- Sinclair Broadcast Group: Congress passes ‘Take It Down Act,’ aims to empower victims of deepfakes, revenge porn
AI & Its Impact on Education
- Mashable: Colleges are giving students ChatGPT. Is it safe?
- The Chronicle of Higher Education: AI Tools for Mental Health