New York, NY February 3 — The Steve Fund, a leading organization focused on supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color, announced today that it has been named a founding member of the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health [The Alliance]. The Alliance, led by the Morgan Stanley Foundation, will build and scale proven efforts and innovative ideas that strategically address the most pressing issues related to the mental health of young people.

Research shows a troubling inequity in both the receipt of mental health care and mental health and emotional wellness outcomes for young people of color. The Steve Fund — the leading US organization focused on supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color — will lead work to break down the practical, systemic, and stigma-driven barriers creating this disparity.

Evan M. Rose, President of the Board of Directors, said, “As a founding partner of The Alliance, we will significantly increase our reach and impact. Our goal is to engage colleges, universities, and community groups to help them adopt effective programs and mental health services that address the needs of young people of color.”

As part of its commitment to the Alliance, the Steve Fund will use its $2.5M grant from the Morgan Stanley Foundation to scale the innovative approaches it has created in the past several years. This work will include key programs, services, and technical assistance to colleges, including the Equity in Mental Health Framework, a flagship program developed in partnership with The Jed Foundation that outlines ten actionable and evidence-based strategies to create campuses that equitably support the mental health and well-being of young people of color. The Steve Fund will also support nonprofit and community organizations focusing on Hispanic, African American, Asian American, Native American, and Islamic communities, families and young people, by helping to build their capacity around mental health expertise and resources. Finally, the grant will enable the Steve Fund to hold its signature convenings, Young, Gifted & @ Risk, to align thought and action, knowledge and implementation in the pursuit of optimal mental health and well-being among students of color.

“As mental health challenges amongst children and adolescents are rapidly becoming more pervasive and more urgent, we firmly believe there is not only an opportunity, but an obligation for the private sector to play a critical role in improving children’s mental health,” said Joan Steinberg, President, Morgan Stanley Foundation. “With a longstanding commitment to children’s wellbeing, we believe that the Alliance will generate conceivable and workable solutions to help improve mental health. Through education, prevention, awareness, and innovation, the Morgan Stanley Foundation is proud to make a difference in children’s mental health.”

To learn more about the Alliance, please visit morganstanley.com/mentalhealthalliance

About The Steve Fund

The Steve Fund is the nation’s leading organization focused on supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of young people of color. The Steve Fund works with colleges and universities, non-profits, researchers, mental health experts, families, and young people to promote programs and strategies that build understanding and assistance for the mental and emotional health of the nation’s young people of color. www.stevefund.org

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Please direct all inquiries to Mica Wilson at wilson.mica@gmail.com.