Mental Health Ambassadors: A Model for Supporting Youth Mental Health Within Mentoring Programs

Contemporary youth mental health challenges necessitate collaborative approaches to prevention and support. The Mental Health Ambassador (MHA) program was developed to equip youth and adults in mentoring programs with the skills and confidence to discuss and support youth mental health, with the broader goal of creating meaningful impact within their local communities. The 8-session MHA program involves group-based learning and a local youth-led advocacy project. This mixed-method pre-post pilot evaluation examined program acceptability, implementation experiences, and potential for effectiveness. Participants included youth aged 14–18 years (n = 9) and adult mentors (n = 11) from mentoring organizations across five counties in Minnesota. Quantitative surveys assessed mental health resource awareness, preparedness to address youth mental health concerns, confidence in engaging in mental health conversations, and confidence in providing resources and referrals. Post-program focus groups explored participants’ experiences, perceived benefits, and implementation challenges. Findings indicated that both youth and adult participants reported positive experiences with the program and demonstrated increases in resource awareness, preparedness to address youth mental health concerns, confidence in discussing mental health, and confidence in providing resources and referrals. Qualitative findings further highlighted the value of youth-led advocacy activities and identified key considerations for implementation within mentoring settings. Mentoring programs may represent an ideal context for equipping youth and adults to provide early, community-based support for youth mental health concerns.