Hill Day

July 20, 2026 — Young leaders from across the country urged Congress to strengthen mental health support for youth and young adults through federal policy. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Active Minds, the nation's leading nonprofit mobilizing youth and young adults to change the culture around mental health so that it is valued and prioritized in society, marked a historic milestone on Thursday, July 16th, as hundreds of youth and young adult mental health advocates from across the country gathered on Capitol Hill for the inaugural Active Minds Hill Day + Mental Health Conference. Representing communities nationwide, advocates met with congressional offices to share their lived experiences and urge lawmakers to advance policies that strengthen mental health support for youth and young adults. Throughout the day, participants demonstrated the power of youth leadership by bringing firsthand perspectives into conversations that shape the future of mental health policy in America. Throughout Hill Day, advocates called on lawmakers to make mental health support more accessible by increasing the visibility of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline on student identification cards and strengthening the Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Program to expand student-led mental health outreach and early intervention efforts on college campuses.