In December of 2022, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, met with After School Matters and Adler Community Health Services to see firsthand the work happening in Chicago to alleviate the youth mental health crisis and to glean input on how the programs can be replicated for other communities.
As part of the visit, NBC Nightly News joined to hear about the youth mental health crisis and the impact of the Adler and After School Matters partnership on youth in Chicago. In 2020, After School Matters and Adler University partnered to provide extensive clinical behavioral health services to teens in community-based programs in the Chicagoland area. Mental health services are offered as part of after-school programming, providing a place for care (including telehealth options) and destigmatizing what it means and looks like to receive mental health care.