Youth Mental Health Academy

Building Careers in Mental Health

Thank you for your interest in applying to join the Youth Mental Health Academy (YMHA) at the Child Mind Institute!

This is the STUDENT application for high school students located in Los Angeles County, California. 

If you participated in the 2025 Youth Mental Health Summer Academy, please do not apply to this application. 

If you are an undergraduate, graduate student, or early-career professional, please apply to the MENTOR application in early March 2026.

About the Program 

YMHA supports the early-career exploration and professional development of high school students who are interested in mental health and related fields, with a particular focus on students from structurally marginalized backgrounds. 

If accepted into the program, students will participate in academically enriching and career-building experiences, including:

• Project-based learning and team-based activities

• College and Career Readiness Workshops 

• Capstone presentations

Participation in YMHA helps students build professional, interpersonal, and life skills, expand their networks, and explore future pathways in the mental health field.

Application Deadlines:

Priority Deadline will be January 15, 2026

Final Deadline will be February 28, 2026

Acceptances:

Priority applicants will be notified by March 30, 2026

All applicants will be notified by April 15, 2026

Waitlist applicants will be notified by May 15, 2026

All accepted students MUST confirm acceptance within two weeks of notification. Students who do not confirm will be moved to the waitlist. 

Instructions 

Please complete the full application carefully and to the best of your ability. If you have any questions, please contact us at YMHAApplications@childmind.org.

Confidentiality Notice

All information shared in this application will remain confidential. Data may be used to help understand and improve the Youth Mental Health Academy; however, no identifying information (e.g., your name or address) will be collected as part of the program evaluation.