TRUE NORTH YOUTH PROGRAM
navigating opportunities for teens
~ True North youth have earned over $3.5 million in college scholarships & financial aid since 2014 ~
Voted Telluride Middle High School's 2022 "Friend of Education"
Mental Health Matters!
"Just because no one else can heal you or do your inner work for you doesn't mean you can, should or need to do it alone."
- Lisa Olivera, licensed marraige and family therapist
Resources, Practices and Protective Factors
Loneliness and isolation have been identified by many mental health experts as one of the key risk-factors leading to substance abuse, depression, and other mental health disorders, and these issues have been especially compounded for teenagers by the pandemic and the transition to and from online learning.
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True North’s programs directly confront these risk-factors by providing key protective factors every week of the year: hundreds of hours of social activities, group programming, experiential education opportunities, outdoor recreation programming, peer-to-peer and adult mentorship and frequent communication.
Through community service, outdoor excursions, workshops, art projects, and more, True North positively engaged 150 students from Telluride, Norwood, and Nucla high schools throughout the pandemic. True North also offered virtual and in-school programming throughout the year as well as matched students with private academic tutors. Our total combined student engagement hours from March of 2020 to March 2021 was 1,249.
Mental Health Partners
True North works with many regional partners to engage students in positive mental and physical health practices. The following are links (underlined) to some of the program resources of our partners. For a full list of collaborators, please visit our Partners page.
- Communities that Care Coalition
- SafeTALK Suicide Intervention Training
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- Crisis Intervention
- Legal & Personal Advocay
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Telluride High School Counseling Department
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San Miguel County Juvenile Services
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- Equine Workshops
- Equine Therapy
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- Therapy
- Substance Use Counseling
- Psychological Evaluation
- Medication Management
Important Numbers
AXIS Health System (Previously Center for Mental Health) -
24hr Support Line - 970. 252.6220
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National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 1.800.273.8255
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San Miguel Resource Center 24-hour Hotline - 1.844.816.3915
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Telluride Medical Center - 970.728.3848
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Uncompaghre Medical Center - 970.327.4233
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Basin Clinic - 970.865.2665
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True North Staff:
Loren - 970.708.1986
Vivian - 970.708.7195
Helpful Resources
*Please click on each topic and the link will open in another browser.
AXIS Health System Student Referral Form
*For suicide prevention
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How to talk to children about suicide: An age-by-age guide
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Youth Mental Health Toolkit from Children’s Hospital Colorado
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Teen Suicide: Risk Factors, Screening and Prevention (S1:E24)
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True North Inclusion Specialist - Yoda is currently a certified Emotional Support animal and is in the process of receiving his license as a therapy dog through Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
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Soundproof Phone Booth - Need to have a safe, private conversation? Stop by our Naturita drop-in center to use this secure space.
Mental Health is a roller coaster and you do not need to ride it alone! True North staff are trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid and our programs are intrinsically designed to support mental and physical health while combating life's stressors. We strongly encourage students to get involved in their community, get outside, unplug their devices and recharge! Please contact us if you have more questions on how we can support you or your teen.