Engaging, inspiring and empowering youth living with mental health challenges.
Today’s youth are facing unique challenges. Tackling the youth mental health crisis will take bold and innovative solutions.
Our Approach
Instead of providing support from the outside in, One in Five addresses the youth mental health crisis from the inside out—empowering youth to build critical knowledge and skills to manage their conditions and support others.
We believe that youth are strong, resilient and capable of thriving beyond any condition, with important voices and perspectives to share. We work alongside youth to develop new models for supporting youth living with mental health challenges, helping them grow and find strength in their lived experiences.
Our Programs
Our innovative and evidence-based programs are designed in close partnership with youth and rooted in a core belief that all youth are strong, resilient and capable of thriving beyond their condition. Programs empower youth to understand their mental health challenges and become inspiration and support for others.
Youth Mental Health Empowerment Curriculum
Designed for organizations seeking solutions that prioritize empowerment and promote peer-based connection. Our flexible curriculum can be used in a variety of ways within youth settings including before and after school settings, camps, classrooms and community-based programs.
Peer Mentoring
Program
Our school-based program provides in-depth support for youth to understand their lived experiences and build knowledge and skills to support others. Program length and scale can flex based on the needs of the school or organization.
Youth Mental Health Apprenticeship Program
This immersive course for high school students builds knowledge and skills and offers practical exposure to and real world experience in mental health careers.
Our Impact
External evaluation of One in Five’s peer mentoring program focused on qualitative impacts and the unique benefits yielded by the program for youth, educators and school administrators. While small in scope, the initial study showed positive results with participants crediting the program with helping them learn how to better navigate their emotions so they can have more positive reactions and behaviors in stressful situations. School staff reported seeing growth in both the mentors and the mentees and believe the program had a positive impact in the school.
“I’ve learned how to focus more on the person I’m with in the moment, to support my mentees, but in general, too. I also know how to advocate for what I need, and put experiences in context.””
“Even for myself, when I find myself in situations I am more able to get myself out of them and avoid unnecessary conflict. I am more open-minded and have learned to expand my social circle. I ask more questions now instead of being closed-minded. The program has taught me to be more patient, too.”
“I now know different ways to deal with anger. One of my friends was having an anger outburst and I knew what to say and what tools to give her to calm herself down. I also see that different people have different problems in life that you may not see just by looking at them. It’s important to respect people’s differences, and listen to them and honor their emotions.”
Join the Movement
Our youth need your support. Sign up for One in Five’s newsletter for program updates, impactful stories and opportunities to get involved.