A recent partnership between Kaiser Permanente and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation aims to connect young people with accessible, inclusive and equitable mental health resources and work to reduce the stigma around mental health.

Kaiser is providing a $350,000 grant to the Born This Way Foundation’s Kindness in Community Fund, which is dedicated to supporting community organizations focused on youth mental health and wellness.

In 2022, the Born This Way Foundation’s Kindness in Community Fund provided grants to 22 nonprofit organizations in the United States, ranging from $25,000 and $50,000, focused on youth mental health and wellness.

“We are proud to partner with Kaiser Permanente in their commitment to ending the stigma that surrounds mental health, building a culture of acceptance, and helping individuals understand how to build resilience,” said Maya Enista Smith, executive director of Born This Way Foundation. “This investment bolsters our efforts to build a kinder and braver world, so we can continue providing accessible, inclusive, and equitable mental health resources for young people.”

Co-founded and led by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, the Born This Way Foundation supports the mental health of young people and aims to validate the emotions of young people, and eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health through high-impact programming, youth-led conversations and strategic partnerships, according to a Kaiser news release.

The grant will also help support the Be There Certificate, which is a free, self-paced, interactive online course that teaches mental health literacy by providing the skills and knowledge to have conversations about mental health. The grant will also assist in increasing outreach for the course.

As of March 2022, more than 30,000 Californians have accessed the Be There Certificate course.

Since the start of the pandemic there has been a spotlight on the mental health crisis in the United States, particularly among youth. In California, more than 284,000 youth are coping with major depression and 66% of those cases don’t receive treatment according to Governor Gavin Newsom’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health. According to the master plan, suicide rates for ages 10 to 18 have increased by 20% between 2019 and 2020.

“Kaiser Permanente is committed to removing the barriers that prevent young people from receiving the support and care they need to address their mental health and wellness,” said Yvette Radford, vice president, External and Community Affairs, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “Through partnerships with organizations like Born This Way Foundation, we are helping to increase access to mental health services in our communities, while also creating a culture of acceptance and support for young people living with mental health conditions.”