June 4, 2024 (DENVER) – The Colorado Department of Law will allocate up to $20 million in grants for school-community partnerships aimed at promoting comprehensive youth mental health services and support. Several foundations have committed to aiding Colorado communities in building capacity and submitting robust proposals for this funding initiative, Attorney General Phil Weiser announced today at the Colorado Education Initiative’s Hopeful Futures Conference.
“Youth are facing a mental health and vaping crisis that is driven by a lack of meaningful connections in their lives. Even before the trauma and isolation of the COVID-19 epidemic, children and youth were facing increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, which research shows increases the likelihood of youth vaping,” said Weiser. “We are proud to advance our work with schools and communities across Colorado to develop preventive youth mental health strategies that will enable kids to live healthier lives and not turn to vaping in the first place.”
This competitive grant opportunity prioritizes collaboration between school districts and community partners to support youth connection and decrease youth vaping. Applications will open in fall 2024 and close in January 2025.
To further support these efforts, several foundations have pledged to invest in school and community-led initiatives aimed at addressing individualized community needs, creating partnerships that can promote better youth mental health, and preventing youth from turning to vaping. These foundations include Rose Community Foundation, The El Pomar Foundation, The Telluride Foundation, Western Colorado Community Foundation, The Anschutz Foundation, Gazette Charities, The Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation, Caring for Colorado, Gary Community Ventures, and the Denver Broncos Foundation. Notably, the Denver Broncos Foundation will host a youth mental health conference at Empower Field at Mile High in summer 2025.
The $20 million funding stems from the attorney general’s multi-million dollar settlement with e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs Inc., reached in 2023. This settlement resolved a lawsuit against Juul for targeting young people in its marketing and misrepresenting the health risks of its products. Colorado received $31.7 million from this nationwide settlement.
Today’s announcement builds upon Weiser’s ongoing efforts to address the youth mental health crisis. In 2021, the Healthy Youth/Strong Colorado Fund—a partnership between the Colorado Department of Law and Rocky Mountain Health Plans—provided $5 million to support youth empowerment and mental health programs statewide.
Earlier this year, the Department of Law requested proposals from non-profit organizations and governmental entities for $6 million in competitive funding opportunities. Additionally, Weiser’s office is collaborating with the Colorado Department of Education to distribute $11.4 million in grants to local education providers focused on addressing the youth vaping crisis. These grant awards will be announced in July 2024.
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Media Contact: Mallory Boyce
Communications Specialist
720-508-6787 (office) | 720-219-1898 (cell)
Mallory.Boyce@coag.gov