PhD student Lily Chen contributes to major youth mental health grant effort

Jian (Lily) Chen, a third-year PhD student at the UNC School of Nursing and a Royster Fellow, is helping lead efforts to expand mental health support for youth across North Carolina as Executive Director of UCA WAVES.

UCA WAVES has received a three-year, $655,000 grant from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. The funding is part of a broader $4.5 million initiative by the Foundation to support new and community-centered approaches to youth mental health.

The program will focus on providing Youth Mental Health First Aid, suicide prevention training, and outreach initiatives for youth, caregivers, and trusted adults. Plans also include efforts to train youth service members and veterans, develop educational storytelling materials, host youth mental health conferences, and promote the use of AI-powered emotional support tools.

The UNC School of Nursing congratulates Chen on this accomplishment and her continued leadership in addressing youth mental health needs in North Carolina.

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