Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) announced a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to combat the youth mental health crisis in the United States through trauma-informed approaches to behavioral health care. By investing more than $10 million over four years, this partnership will help Boys & Girls Clubs of America implement trauma-informed practices in its more than 5,000 Clubs by 2026 to train over 48,000 staff to better support the emotional and mental well-being of over 3.6 million children.

With BCBSA’s support, Boys & Girls Clubs of America will be able to incorporate trauma-informed practices in Clubs across the country by:

• Creating and implementing resources to integrate trauma-informed strategies throughout Clubs.
• Increasing staff awareness and skills through trauma-informed professional development and expanding regional trauma-informed training centers to reach staff across the country.
• Providing programming and resources that build young people’s social-emotional development skills and equip them to navigate challenging experiences.
• Increasing access to mental health services by piloting virtual therapy sessions for youth and staff.
• Evaluating Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s trauma-informed strategy to inform learnings and drive quality improvement.

Today’s youth are living through a time of increasingly collective trauma with almost half of youth experiencing a mental health disorder. While the pandemic exacerbated the mental health crisis, trauma, isolation and other societal factors are increasingly impacting youth mental health at staggering rates.

New BCBSA research finds that diagnosed rates of anxiety among those 13 to 18 years of age have steadily risen between 2017 and 2021 and rates of ADHD and depression have grown roughly 50% to 60% during the same period. Black and Hispanic youth with a mental health condition are more likely to have negative outcomes compared to their white counterparts. And all youth of color, as well as youth in rural areas are less likely to be diagnosed with mental health conditions.

This national partnership builds off the more than 250 mental health programs that Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies offer to meet the unique needs of their local communities. A localized approach to care fosters trust, accessibility and engagement, making it easier for young people to access the mental health resources and support they need to thrive.