Youth initiative "Healing Through Justice" gets $10 million grant for mental health efforts

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A youth-led movement for mental healing in Chicago is getting a major grant to expand its activism and leadership training.

The Kellogg Foundation is awarding $10 million to the Healing Through Justice project in the next eight years.

Healing Through Justice is a partnership between the non-profit Communities United and Lurie Children's Hospital, which focuses on supporting Black and Brown youth in Chicago as they work to create and modify traditional mental health systems to recognize systemic racism and be accountable to the communities they serve.

"We are facing a national youth mental health crisis compounded by a pandemic and our city is looking for solutions to address its impact on safety and the wellbeing of young people," said Laqueanda Reneau, Youth Organizer of Communities United. "Young people are leading us in an effort to address the trauma, especially in communities of color, that they and their families are experiencing."

The initiative also focuses on allowing Black and Brown youth to lead efforts to find new pathways to recovery for those suffering a mental health crisis. The project will use the money to invest in 3,000 young leaders and implement new mental wellness strategies.