08/22/2025 | OhioMHAS Awards $1.2 Million to Youth to Youth International to Lead New Ohio Youth-Led Collective

(COLUMBUS, OH) - The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) today announced a $1.2 million grant award to Youth to Youth International, a program of CompDrug, to serve as the lead organization for the newly established Ohio Youth-Led Collective.

"This investment reflects our commitment to supporting young people as leaders in prevention, their schools, and their communities. The Ohio Youth-Led Collective is an exciting new way to make that happen," said OhioMHAS Director LeeAnne Cornyn.

The Ohio Youth-Led Collective will build and sustain a coordinated, statewide infrastructure that advances youth-led prevention efforts to address substance use and suicide among young people. The Collective will:

• Provide specialized training and technical assistance and statewide events for youth-led programs and adult allies.
• Expand workforce development opportunities for youth and adult allies.
• Offer prevention project grants to Collective members.
• Maintain a statewide inventory of youth-led programs to guide strategic resource allocation.

"This grant funding marks an exciting milestone as we launch the inaugural year of the Ohio Youth-Led Collective. It will allow us to not only provide meaningful programs, trainings, and events for young people, but also support communities that are just beginning-or looking to strengthen-their youth-led efforts," said Cheryl Sells, Director of Youth Prevention, Youth to Youth International.

Youth-led prevention is grounded in decades of research showing that when young people are actively engaged in identifying community challenges, designing solutions, and leading implementation, they are more likely to adopt healthy behaviors and influence their peers. This is particularly important because suicide is the second leading case of death for youth ages 10-14 in Ohio.* The approach builds leadership skills, fosters resilience, and strengthens connections between youth and caring adults, all proven protective factors against substance use and suicide.

"We are inspired by OhioMHAS' vision of investing in the collective future of Ohio through the individual development of our youth across the state. They are the workforce and leaders of tomorrow. Their future is our future, and we are excited to collaborate with and promote organizations across Ohio through the Ohio Youth-Led Collective," said Dustin Mets, CEO, CompDrug.

"Being a part of youth-led prevention has given me a voice to speak up as a representative for my generation in spaces that I would've never thought of," said Trinity Collins, a Youth to Youth participant from Columbus.

In the coming year, the Ohio Youth-Led Collective will strengthen partnerships with existing youth-led programs and bring new youth prevention initiatives into the fold, creating broad geographic reach and representation across the state.

# # #

*Ohio Department of Health. (2025, January). 2023 Ohio Suicide Report. https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/a79b2c14-8d21-4354-9292-58ca041de8d3/BHIW_2023+Ohio+Suicide+Report_01222025.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

OhioMHAS Media Contact:
Eric Wandersleben, Director of Media Relations and Outreach

[email protected]| 614.359.6754