Mantra Health Expands Policy Efforts with Newly Appointed Head of Government Relationships Maria Jose (MJ) Norero

NEW YORK, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mantra Health, the digital mental health provider built exclusively to support student well-being and success across higher education, today announced the appointment of Maria Jose (MJ) Norero as Head of Government Relations. This newly developed role expands the company's commitment over the last two years to shaping student mental health policy, state-level funding streams, and building accessible, high-quality mental health support at scale for public institutions and systems.

"Bringing on MJ accelerates the work we've done alongside public institutions, legislators, and state government leaders who are shaping how states invest in collegiate mental health, with the shared goal of improving graduation rates and strengthening local economies. Her experience navigating complex political environments across the country is exactly what we were looking for to deepen our partnerships with higher education systems, the state governments that support them, and the students whose success depends on both," said Matt Kennedy, CEO and Co-Founder of Mantra Health.

Mantra Health's expanding footprint includes widespread partnerships with larger public institutions, two-year colleges across the country, and higher education systems, including the Universities of Wisconsin and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. In support of these ongoing efforts, Mantra Health has partnered with Strategos Group, a nationally recognized management consultancy spanning government affairs, market intelligence, and capital markets. Strategos brings deep, firsthand expertise working with higher education systems, with a growing focus on the intersection of human interaction and artificial intelligence in education and healthcare.

Norero has worked at the intersection of healthcare policy and higher education for nearly a decade, most recently holding the roles of Vice President of Government Affairs and Chief of Staff at Hazel Health, where she spent over five years. There, Norero led strategic efforts around mental health initiatives for K-12 students, an experience that will guide Mantra Health's state-level advocacy around student mental health and wellness support for higher education institutions.

"As the affiliate mental health partner of the National Association of System Heads (NASH), we work alongside the leaders responsible for millions of students across the country, and that vantage point has shown us the structural gaps, underfunded mandates, and policy barriers preventing institutions from delivering consistent care," said Ed Gaussen, President and Co-Founder of Mantra Health. "We're committed to turning that insight into action, championing the funding frameworks, care access standards, and systemic support institutions need to meet students' evolving needs at scale."

Building on its NASH partnership, Mantra Health has convened an Advisory Council of Higher Education System Heads to help guide and amplify its state-level advocacy work and support state systems with a high-quality mental health support infrastructure. MJ's appointment brings dedicated internal leadership to this work that's been long underway. 

As student mental health and its impact on graduation rates continues to command attention from campus leaders and legislators alike, Mantra Health is committed to ensuring that policy and funding solutions match the urgency of the moment. This is why the company will be a sponsor at State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO)'s upcoming Higher Education Policy Conference in August 2026, where state leaders will convene to discuss and shape the policies that matter the most, and partnering with more and more institutions to ensure students have the resources and support they need to truly thrive on campus and excel in their post-graduation lives.

About Mantra Health:

Mantra Health is the digital mental health provider built exclusively to support student well-being and success across higher education. Its Whole Campus Care solution, a comprehensive model supporting mental health, well-being, and persistence, includes a myriad of clinical and non-clinical services, including coaching, self-guided wellness courses, peer support, therapy, psychiatry, 24/7 crisis intervention, as well as persistence intelligence technologies. This suite of service offerings have been designed to empower institutions to deliver a seamless continuum of care, ensuring that students are supported from acceptance to graduation. Currently deployed across 150+ colleges and universities, Mantra Health serves over 1.3 million students and is actively reimagining how institutions manage mental health and student success. Visit mantrahealth.com.

SOURCE Mantra Health