The Vistria Group, Edmentum and Media Source Inc. Act to Improve Youth Mental Health in the U.S.
Chicago, IL, June 15, 2022 — Yesterday, the United States Surgeon General delivered an advisory at the 2022 Youth Mental Health Summit, calling on individuals, organizations & communities to take action on the mental health crisis afflicting our nation’s youth. In response, The Vistria Group and companies Edmentum and Media Source Inc. (MSI) announced an expansion of their existing commitments toward addressing the U.S. mental health crisis.
“The mental health crisis among youth is escalating across the nation, and it’s become increasingly imperative for the private sector to step up and help address it,” says Jon Samuels, Partner and co-Head of Vistria, PRG, at The Vistria Group. “Our team is proud to be part of an ecosystem of stakeholders that are answering the Surgeon General’s call, utilizing private capital and outside resources to address this complex, societal problem.”
As part of their commitment, The Vistria Group has pledged $250 million towards investments in U.S. providers of youth mental health services over the next three years. “We are committed to investing behind the best providers of the most effective treatment and support services in the youth mental health space,” said Amy Christensen, Partner and Co-Head of Healthcare at The Vistria Group. In line with the firm’s foundational impact investing thesis, this capital will help quality platforms provide greater access to critical treatments aimed at driving better outcomes for patients across the United States.
Joining The Vistria Group, Edmentum and MSI announced their commitments to amplify these efforts. “We are grateful for the leadership of Edmentum and Media Source as they leverage their platforms to help schools and communities across the country address youth mental health,” added Phil Alphonse, Senior Partner and Co-Head of Education at the Vistria Group.
Edmentum is committing to bolster mental health curriculum and support services to over 250,000 students and 100,000 educators over the next three years while MSI will enhance the availability of both resources and educational tools through schools and public libraries nationwide.
“We consider it our duty to not only engage in issues afflicting our communities but to help provide practical solutions that will make a real difference,” says Jamie Candee, CEO at Edmentum. “We’re on a mission to ensure students everywhere thrive by first recognizing the challenges they face, both inside the classroom and out, so we can help create the best possible outcomes for them, their educators and the communities we all serve.”
Following today’s announcement, MSI will provide dedicated in-kind public service announcement space across MSI’s digital channels and in print in the School Library Journal and Library Journal to carry the Surgeon General’s message and key youth mental health resources to public and school librarians and educators. MSI will also extend an invitation to feature Dr. Murthy’s message as part of two leadership events in the Fall, allowing him to advance this message and key information to leading educators and librarians across the nation.
“For decades, mental health has been a blanketed issue that seemingly was uncovered and exacerbated during the pandemic and unfortunately, our nation’s youth have been deeply impacted,” says Etienne Veber, CEO & President of MSI. “We know this issue has layers but with every corner of society taking the initiative, we can help alleviate the problem and illuminate resources to help address the mental health of our young people.”
This week’s two-day Youth Mental Health Summit is purposed around building momentum and galvanizing external partners to pledge their commitments to furthering research, providing meaningful investments, and facilitating impactful discussions about mental health in the United States. The U.S. Surgeon General has defined a number of actions that every community can take, outlined in the 2021 Protecting Youth Mental Health advisory.
To view related news coverage, see here and here.
About The Vistria Group
The Vistria Group is building a new kind of private investment firm that delivers both financial returns and societal impact. It invests in essential industries like healthcare, education and financial services that deliver value for investors as well as communities, employees, and consumers. The Vistria Group works as a true partner with its portfolio companies, drawing on its deep sector knowledge, operational expertise, unique network, diverse team, and impact orientation to achieve transformational growth. With nearly $7 billion in AUM, The Vistria Group has delivered attractive returns for its investors while achieving positive outcomes for its portfolio companies, and the lives and livelihoods it supports.
About Edmentum
Edmentum is the leading provider of K-12 digital curriculum, assessments, and services to over 43,000 schools, 400,000 educators, and 6 million students in all 50 states and 100 countries worldwide. Building on our 60-year history of impact, we create innovative, proven learning technology, partnering with educators to ignite student potential. For more information, visit edmentum.com.
About Media Source Inc. (MSI)
Media Source Inc. is a market leader in providing curated content, information, and expert advice to the K-12 and public library market. MSI operates leading brands providing book selection services and expert advice to over 20,000 K-12 schools and public libraries, with offerings including print and digital collection development services, book and multimedia reviews, trade journals, and professional development. For more information, visit www.mediasourceinc.com.
JON SAMUELS — jsamuels@vistriaprg.com
MACKENZIE TURNER — mturner@vistriaprg.com
AMY CHRISTENSEN — achristensen@vistria.com
PHIL ALPHONSE — palphonse@vistria.com
