Crisis Text Line, youth advocates press Congress on student mental health access

Crisis Text Line and Youth Power Project will bring more than 50 young advocates to Capitol Hill on June 23 to push Congress to back a bipartisan bill that would put crisis resources on college student ID cards. The effort comes as youth mental health needs keep rising and lawmakers weigh new ways to make help easier to find.

Why it matters: - Youth mental health needs are rising, and advocates are pressing Congress for a practical way to make crisis help easier to find. - The push centers on college students, where a student ID could become a direct link to suicide prevention and counseling resources. - Crisis Text Line handled more than 1.5 million support contacts in 2025, the most in its history. - Among texters under 18, suicide was the most discussed issue.

What happened: - Crisis Text Line and Youth Power Project will bring more than 50 youth advocates to Washington on June 23 for Youth Mental Health Advocacy Day. - The advocates will meet with congressional offices and join policy discussions on Capitol Hill. - The day includes a networking breakfast and reception at 9 a.m. Tuesday, June 23, 2026, with the House Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus. - The event is at 2044 Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, and media are invited.

The details: - The main legislative target is the bipartisan Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act, S.1924/H.R. 3624. - The bill is led by Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.; Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Calif.; and Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb. - The measure would place the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, Crisis Text Line, and other campus mental health resources on student ID cards for college students nationwide. - Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7, confidential mental health support in English and Spanish. - Since launching in 2013, Crisis Text Line has supported more than 12 million conversations in the U.S. and more than 17 million globally with affiliates in Canada, the UK and Ireland. - The organization’s text line can be reached by texting HELLO to 741741. - Youth Power Project says it trains and platforms young people with adverse health experiences to help write state and federal policy based on lived experience. - Youth Power Project says it has passed more than 15 laws since its founding in 2022 and engaged more than 1,500 young advocates nationwide. - American Eagle is backing this year’s advocacy day as a longstanding partner of Crisis Text Line. - American Eagle said the partnership helps equip teens and young adults with tools to prioritize well-being and share their stories. - More information is available at Crisis Text Line advocacy day and Crisis Text Line.

Between the lines: - The bill’s student-ID approach is designed to meet young people where they already are, which could lower friction when someone needs help fast. - The advocacy day also signals a strategy shift from general awareness to direct policy design by young people themselves. - The event pairs policy lobbying with lived-experience storytelling, a combination meant to make the youth mental health crisis harder for lawmakers to ignore.

What's next: - Advocates will use the June 23 meetings to push lawmakers toward bipartisan support for the student mental health bill. - The outcome to watch is whether Congress adds crisis-resource visibility requirements to campus ID cards. - The campaign may also build momentum for broader campus good samaritan policies and other youth mental health reforms.

The bottom line: - Crisis Text Line and Youth Power Project are betting that putting crisis numbers on student ID cards can turn awareness into faster access when young people need help most.