Youth Employment: A Foundation for Mental Health and Well-Being

Youth Employment Webinar

DOL held a webinar on this topic on May 14. Check out the recording.

Informative

The U.S. Department of Labor knows the workforce system is an important partner in supporting the mental health of young people, and that good jobs are a critical component of well-being and security. We are committed to equipping the workforce system with resources and connections to ensure that youth employment programs are a bridge to the wellness services young people need.

Tell us how you are going to support #YouthMentalHealth by submitting a response below. Your story will help us lift up promising and best practices and expand our engagement efforts.

There are many ways our communities can step up to help young people. Here are just a few actions we can take together.

Young People
Young people are important advocates and leaders in their own, and their peers’, mental health and well-being experiences. Here are some important steps young people can take to protect, improve, and advocate for their mental health and that of their family, friends, and neighbors.
Young people can:
- Need help now? Call 988 or use the 988 Lifeline Chat and Text to connect with a caring crisis counselor for emotional support.
- Ask for help. Find and talk to a mental health care provider.
- Support friends and peers – there is power in asking and listening.
- Explore careers in mental health and wellness services.
- Use credible resources to learn about mental health, learn about important tools, techniques, and help lines, and hear from other young people. For example, check out:
  - Behavioral Health Resources for Teens and Young Adults (HHS)
  - Youth Mental Health (HHS)
- Ask for accommodations that may be needed to succeed at work.
- Begin identifying the people who you would like to be part of your support network and develop a plan.
- Know their rights under the federal parity law.
- Practice your youth development and leadership skills by joining a youth committee and sharing your ideas. Find a youth committee in your area.
- Learn about workplace protections for children and teens.
- Learn about resources to help you secure your financial future as a young person with a disability.
Workforce System
The workforce system plays a critical role in creating no wrong door approach to supportive services, including mental health services. From frontline staff to workforce system leaders, we can all take steps to ensure the workforce system contributes to identifying and responding to the mental health and well-being needs of young people.
The Workforce System can:
- Use Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding to offer professional development training to all staff that work with youth, and quality mental health training, along with training related to trauma-informed care principles. Professional development is an allowable cost under WIOA.
  - For example, WIOA can support Mental Health First Aid Training: Mental Health First Aid (SAMHSA)
- Integrate youth mental health and well-being discussions into the intake and assessment process to identify potential needs. Enable youth to be successful in the program by addressing those needs through mental health services or through referrals to mental health professionals.
- Build new – or strengthen existing – partnerships with local mental health agencies and organizations to ensure strong referral pathways are available when needed and provided in continuity with the WIOA Youth program.
  - For example, identify and connect with local Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) technical assistance partners at National Training & Technical Assistance Center (for rural areas).
- Use Summer Youth Employment Programs as an opportunity to share mental health, wellness, and know your rights resources with youth and young adults.
- Provide Guided Group Discovery services to assess interests, skills and conditions of employment for young people with mental health conditions.
Learn more about how practitioners are implementing these strategies.
- Policy brief “Leveraging State Policy to Support Positive Mental Health and Employment for Youth with Marginalized Racial Identities” issued by the Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth).
- Policy brief “Improving Mental Health Service Delivery Including Coordinated Specialty Care for Youth with a First Episode of Psychosis” issued by the CAPE-Youth.

Policy Makers
Policy makers can encourage programs and supportive practices in the workplace that help mitigate employment disparities and encourage more young people, including those from underserved communities, to work and contribute to their well-being.
Policy makers can:
- Encourage workforce systems to incorporate supports to promote positive mental health.
- Expand access to mental health benefits generally and culturally responsive mental health care in particular.
- Expand access to and develop holistic mental health programs in schools to help students access needed health services without facing stigmatization, attain higher education, and enter the workforce.
- Take steps to align policy, program, and funding infrastructure to increase access to effective service models, such as the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and customized employment models, to improve employment and education outcomes for youth and young adults with mental health conditions.
Learn more about how practitioners are implementing these strategies.
- The Mental Health in the Workforce Toolkit was issued by the Mental Health Matters: National Task Force on Workforce Mental Health Policy and includes policy reports and strategies that states can take (created by the U.S. Department of Labor's State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED).
Employers
From recruiting to hiring to onboarding to retention to professional development to benefits practices – employers have many opportunities to create an onsite culture that fosters well-being, including for young people.
Employers can:
- Know your legal obligations. For example, most employers are required to provide employees with reasonable accommodations and workplace supports, such as adjustments or modifications, to enable people with disabilities, including mental health conditions, to perform job essential functions effectively and efficiently. Similarly, coverage of mental health benefits through employment-based health plans must comply with the federal parity law.
- Develop and implement anti-bullying and anti-stigma campaigns to build awareness about mental health and improve workplace culture.
- Federal employers looking to hire college students and recent graduates with disabilities may register for a Workforce Recruitment Program account. Visit WRP.gov and click Employers Register Now to get started.
Learn more about how practitioners are implementing these strategies.
- Guide on “Fostering a Mentally Healthy Workplace” issued by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).
- Toolkit on "4As: Provide ACCOMMODATIONS to Employees" issued by Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN).

Any links to non-federal websites on this page provide additional information that is consistent with the intended purpose of this federal site, but linking to such sites does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor of the information or organization providing such information. For more information, please visit https://www.dol.gov/general/disclaim.

Tell us what your community is doing to ensure young people have the resources and opportunities they need to realize their full potential.

Share Your Story

Please respond to the #YouthMentalHealth Call to Action solicitation below. Please share what you are comfortable sharing. Comments received will be reviewed by the Department. While we intend to engage with you on submissions, be aware that information contained in submissions may be made public.

Questions? Email us at YouthMentalHealth@dol.gov.

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