About Us

StAMINA (Student Alliance for Mental Health Innovation and Action) is a passionate network of students on a mission to improve the mental wellbeing of Kentucky youth. Our work is based on the fundamental principle that, when engaged as solutions partners, students bring unique, crucial insights to inform development of high-impact youth mental health policies and programs.

Our Framework

  • Learn

    Conduct wide-ranging assessment of mental health perceptions, contributing factors, and barriers to engaging with resources

  • Build

    Develop organizational capacity, recruit key stakeholders and partnerships, and secure sustainable grant funding

  • Act

    Develop programs, products, policies, and services at state and local levels, in partnership with community stakeholders

Our Impact

  • Raised over $102,000 of grant finding from Kentuckiana Health Collaborative and the Kentucky Partnership for families and Children
  • Built a team of over 50 youth and young adult mental health advocates across the state of Kentucky
  • Completed qualitative research study, in partnership with the University of Louisville, to understand the mental health perspectives of youth and their adult allies
  • Designed and prototyped new solutions to support youth mental health at StAMINA’s Youth Mental Health Ideathon
  • Lobbied for Kentucky House Bill 604, to increase staffing of mental health professionals in schools; support from key policy leaders, including former Congressman Patrick Kennedy, Representative Attica Scott, and Attorney General Andy Beshear

Leadership

  • Allison Tu

    Founder & Executive Director

  • Tanner Pruitt

    Research Lead

  • Sufia Ahmed

    Summit Lead

  • Will Powers

    Summit Lead

Advisory Board

  • Randa Deaton

    Kentuckiana Health Collaborative

  • Teresa Couts

    Kentuckiana Health Collaborative

  • Dr. Stephen O’Connor

    University of Louisville

Our Partners

  • Kentucky Health Collaborative

  • University of Louisville

  • Kentucky Attorney General

  • Kentucky Partnership for Families and Children

  • KY Department for Behavioral Health

  • KY Department of Education

  • Prichard Committee Student Voice Team

  • Centerstone

  • IAMHOLDENON

  • TAYLRD