988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant
988 Minnesota Lifeline Youth Peer Leader Grant supports organizations training youth and young adults to share 988 resources, build supportive peer communities, and encourage mental health help-seeking.
Funder: Minnesota Department of Health
Due Dates: November 30, 2026, 4:30 p.m. Central (Questions) | December 18, 2026, 4:30 p.m. Central (Application)
Funding Amounts: Estimated $15,000 per award for up to six grantees ($90,000 total); February 2–August 30, 2027
Summary: Supports Minnesota organizations training youth and young adult peer leaders to share 988 Lifeline resources and encourage mental health help-seeking.
Key Information: Applicants must be located and conduct activities in Minnesota, with formal state or federal recognition or a fiscal agent.
Description
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) funds organizations engaged with youth or young adults to implement the 988 Minnesota Lifeline – Someone to Talk to Youth Peer Leader program. MDH trains organization staff as facilitators, who then prepare young people to educate their peers about 988 and encourage mental health help-seeking. The program aims to build supportive peer communities and empower young people as leaders.
Projects include peer-leader recruitment, training, presentations, and evaluation through participant counts and post-presentation surveys. Training covers mental health and suicide narratives, community helping, 988 role play, and program facilitation. The program emphasizes health equity, established relationships with youth groups, and meaningful youth involvement in planning, implementation, leadership, and evaluation.
