Napa Valley Vintners Puts Another $2.5M Toward Youth Mental Health

ST. HELENA, CA—The Napa Valley Vintners announced Tuesday an additional $2.5 million investment in youth mental health among school-age children in the county.

Through Collective Napa Valley, the group's philanthropy program, money is raised for important initiatives that have a positive impact on the Napa Valley community. The NVV has committed to making a difference in the lives of Napa County youth through its multi-year youth mental health initiative.

"We can invest deeply in the well-being of Napa County youth because of the many supporters of Collective Napa Valley," said Donna Walker, grants review committee chair for the Napa Valley Vintners and proprietor of Pulido~Walker Estate Vineyard and Winery. "The power of the program is in the multiplier effect. We’re grateful to be able to take individual donations and amplify the impact of those dollars within our community."

The NVV worked with a third-party company on a community needs assessment to help determine where NVV investments from its fundraising could make the most impact. The report highlighted a youth mental health crisis at the local level that mirrors what is happening nationally. Based on the findings, NVV committed to a multi-year initiative to develop sustainable solutions to this crisis in Napa County.

NVV's Youth Mental Health Initiative aims to reach students at school, in the community and at home. By removing barriers and stigma around mental health, increasing capacity and elevating youth voices, NVV and its partners have the opporutnity to make a significant impact. The initiative's goals are to ensure every child in Napa County has access to affordable, quality mental health services, provide parents and community members with education and tools to identify when outside help is needed, develop wellness hubs on school campuses and strengthen collaboration between schools, local government and nonprofits.

Earlier this year, NVV committed $1 million to help build the Mentis campus, which will serve as a central hub for mental health in Napa County. Since 2022, NVV has committed $5 million to a youth mental health initiative. Over the past 40+ years, NVV has invested more than $230 million in community health and children’s well-being across Napa Valley — from American Canyon to Calistoga.

This latest round of giving exemplifies NVV's commitment to addressing large-scale community challenges.

Putting $2.5 Million To Good Use

$1 million to SHINE Napa Valley, a collaborative that enables youth mental health providers to have a collective impact in Napa Valley. Following previous grants, an additional $1 million was pledged to support the work of the collaborative through 2026. With this funding, two new wellness centers are expected to open in the coming years, and the capacity to provide services will deepen across sites. Funding will also be used for a campaign to reduce stigma and encourage youth to seek mental health therapy. SHINE will also use a portion of the funding to write grants to apply for additional funds.

$300,000 to Aldea to offer bilingual mental health treatment services and drug and alcohol support services. Programs funded by the grant focus on treatment to improve the emotional and academic functioning of students with mental health challenges and treatment for substance use/abuse, as well as education, family support, and aftercare services.

$300,000 to Mentis, which provides bilingual, affordable mental health services. Prevention programs will facilitate mental health discussions among youth, promote local resources, help foster healthy relationships, teach coping skills, and offer suicide prevention training. Funds will also be used for individual treatment programs, including therapy in English and Spanish.

$300,000 to On The Move, which offers programming that challenges inequities and supports vulnerable community members. Staff will be onsite at five School Wellness Centers to provide intake services, offer coping skills and self-care tools and act as the hub for directing students and families to resources. They provide extensive support for LGBTQ, LatinX and foster youth with services uniquely tailored to these populations.

$300,000 to Napa Valley Education Foundation, which provides programs to increase student performance, inspire teacher innovation and build community engagement. They will help schools conduct behavioral health screenings to identify students in need of help as well as wider trends among youth. They host the annual Wellness Center Conference with trainings from national experts and provide a platform for youth to speak about their ideas on mental health.

$300,000 to UpValley Family Center, the primary trusted resource for low-income communities in northern Napa Valley. As the lead provider of the Calistoga Community Schools Initiative, staff will coordinate programs for school wellness centers, run prevention groups for teens, coordinate intake, conduct screening, provide referral and intervention for students and provide parent and family services to support students.

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