Youth Mental Health in the Age of AI Featured at The Jed Foundation (JED) Third-Annual Policy Summit

National leaders across mental health, education, philanthropy, policy, and youth advocacy sectors unite to advance sustainable solutions and protect the emotional well-being of young people.

[October 21, 2025, Washington, D.C.] — The Jed Foundation (JED), a leading nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults nationwide, gathered mental health experts, policymakers, advocates, educators, and young people for its third-annual policy summit in Washington, D.C., on October 15. The summit, “Meeting the Moment: Sustaining Progress in Youth Mental Health,” focused largely on the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the role of legislative policies on the local, state, and federal levels in shaping mental health support, investments, and resources for students in the digital age.

The summit began with an inspiring introduction and framing of the moment by Dr. Zainab Okolo, JED’s senior vice president of policy, advocacy, and government relations, who reflected on the national policy landscape and what it means to sustain progress. She debuted JED policy framework, AI Policy Levers for Youth Mental Health, which calls for:

• Regulation: Establishing ethical guardrails for how AI interacts with youth in schools, health systems, and digital spaces
• Funding: Investing in innovation that is youth-informed and in evidence-based tools that support connection rather than replace it
• Coordination: Creating alignment across education, technology, and public health so that AI expands access to mental health resources rather than exacerbating gaps.

“The mental health and safety of our young people is not a partisan issue. It’s a shared national priority. JED’s summit underscored the absolute necessity of bipartisan collaboration,” said Dr. Okolo. “We must work across the aisle — among policymakers, technology leaders, or advocates — to forge solutions that secure resources and investments in vital mental health services and establish ethical, protective guardrails around emerging technologies. Our youth deserve nothing less than a united front dedicated to their well-being.”

Michael Satow, JED’s board chair, offered opening remarks grounded in heartfelt thoughts about his brother, Jed, after whom the organization is named, while praising the summit for leaning into conversations about safeguarding the emotional health of youth in digital and school spaces. 

“More than two decades after losing my brother Jed, our family continues processing a loss that may never fully make sense, but what we can do is ensure no other family endures this pain alone. This summit represents the kind of forward-thinking dialogue we need, examining how emerging technologies like AI intersect with youth mental health and suicide prevention, and translating those insights into actionable pathways that strengthen communities and save lives,” Satow said. “By sustaining these critical conversations and implementing evidence-based frameworks — like JED’s Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention — that build connection, reduce risk, and expand access to care, we move closer to a future where every young person has the support they need to thrive.”

Summit participants also discussed new National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data that offers hopeful signs about youth mental health trends, showing declines in depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts among many demographics of teens and young adults from 2021 to 2024. While these findings underscore the impact of dedicated efforts in youth mental health and suicide prevention, this progress is being challenged. Federal budget cuts have put mental health services and adjacent supports at risk, from Medicaid and school-based programs to 988 crisis line services and youth-specific resources. Simultaneously, AI and evolving technologies are presenting significant safety issues to the mental health and well-being of youth.

“Recent national data from 2024 and 2023 shows overall declines in youth depression and suicidality, offering a powerful beacon of hope, validating the tireless work of so many dedicated to youth mental health. However, these improvements were not experienced across all groups of youth, showing that youth suicide prevention remains an urgent priority, and that the progress made is uneven and fragile. Therefore, we must remain committed in our resolve to this work and mission,” said John MacPhee, JED’s CEO. “As we face federal budget cuts to essential services and confront the alarming new risks for youth posed by unregulated AI development, JED’s third-annual summit was more vital than ever. JED remains committed to working with leaders across sectors to ensure that young people’s safety is a top priority.”

Congresswoman Becca Balint (VT-AL) highlighted a bipartisan bill, co-sponsored with Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01), that aims to strengthen youth mental health supports by expanding access to care, aligning federal resources, and incentivizing cross-sector partnerships. Her remarks underscored how federal legislation can sustain progress, advance equity, and provide practical solutions for states, campuses, and communities.

“Despite the strides we have made to normalize mental health, this topic can still be incredibly hard for people to talk about, especially for young people. It’s complex. It’s personal. It can be scary and overwhelming,” said Rep. Becca Balint. “Today, I’m so proud to join JED for their policy summit to bring together experts, advocates, and young people with a common goal of addressing mental health challenges and the impacts of social media and AI. It’s more critical than ever that we take real steps to require technology companies to implement safeguards and provide our youth with the resources they need and deserve.”

Members of JED’s Youth Advocacy Coalition, including the 2025 JED Texas Youth Advocacy Coalition Fellowship Cohort, shared insights and recommendations rooted in what they identified as disconnects between youth needs and adult-led policy agendas.

“As a JED Texas Youth Advocacy Coalition fellow and event panelist, the policy summit felt like a true seat at the table,” said Rohan Satija, 2025 JED Texas Youth Advocacy Coalition fellow and 2025 JED Student Voice of Mental Health Award high school honoree. “I felt like my lived experience was heard and taken into account, helping shape policy. I’m excited to implement the insights I learned from the summit in my own community.”

Additional discussions and priority topics at this year’s summit included: 

• Youth mental health and the role of AI: Experts in suicide prevention and public health highlighted how federal research and surveillance data are informing prevention strategies, and how AI-driven tools intersect with broader public health priorities and risks.
• Guardrails for the future of AI, mental health, and responsible innovation: Panelists explored and evaluated frameworks to understand AI’s risks and benefits, alongside tech-related policy recommendations.
• State systems in action: State education leaders offered blueprints for scaling behavioral health models and prioritizing youth mental health in their strategic planning and budgeting to address youth mental health.

Featured policy summit speakers, panelists, and participants also included:

• United States Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
• Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, president of the Child Mind Institute
• Rafael Campos, former deputy director of public engagement at the Office of the Surgeon General
• Nicole “Nikki” Clifton, president of The UPS Foundation
• Kody Kinsley, former Secretary of Health and Human Services for the state of North Carolina
• Dr. William A. Smith, chief executive administrator at Huntsman Mental Health Institute
• Hollie Chessman, director and principal program officer at American Council on Education
• Jennifer Wang, senior director of policy and communications at Fountain House
• Dr. Tony Walker, JED’s senior vice president of school programs and consulting; Dawn Thomsen, JED’s senior vice president of youth strategies and chief engagement officer; and Martha Sanchez, JED’s director of policy
• Representatives of organizations including Active Minds, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Annie E. Cassie Foundation, Common Sense Media, Gates Foundation, Mental Health of America, One in Five, RAND Social and Economic Well-Being, State Higher Education Executive Officers Association, Third Way, and Trellis Foundation

The policy summit was sponsored by the Trellis Foundation and the Lumina Foundation. 

View photos from the summit. For more information on JED’s policy, advocacy, and government relations work, please visit our website.

Interviews available with John MacPhee, JED’s CEO, and Dr. Zainab Okolo, JED’s senior vice president of policy, advocacy, and government relations, as well as with youth voices from the summit.

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About The Jed Foundation (JED)
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, and school districts 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.

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Media Contact
Justin Barbo
Director of Public Relations
The Jed Foundation
Justin@jedfoundation.org