Navigating the teen years can be challenging. Parents and youth can thrive when they have support. These resources offer a range of support options.
This list is not intended to be exhaustive.
Substance Use and Mental Health Resources for Youth and Parents
| Type | Organization | Description |
| Marijuana | Responsibility Grows Here | Information for youth and adults about marijuana. |
| Mental Health | Safe to Tell | Anonymous report line for anything that concerns or threatens you, your friends, your family, or your community. |
| Mental Health | Naropa Community Counseling | Counseling for residents with low to moderate income with slicing scale from $320-$90. Medicaid is accepted. |
| Substance Use | Natural Highs | Free after-school for youth to learn about and try alternatives to substance use. |
| Substance Use | Early Intervention Services - CU Boulder | A harm reduction-based program that helps students examine their alcohol use and reduce their risk of future problems. |
| Substance Use | Above the Influence | Information to help young people avoid substance use through empowerment. |
| Substance Use | Colorado LADDERS | Information and services for prevention, treatment, and recovery from substance use and mental health conditions. |
| Substance Use | OpiRescue | Information about opioid response for community members and first responders. |
| Substance Use | AlAnon Family Groups | Free fellowship of relatives and friends of alcoholics who have been affected by someone’s drinking or drug use. |
| Substance Use | Teen Intervene | An assessment and three 60-minutes sessions with a counselor for teens who have experienced mild to moderate substance use. |
| Tobacco Cessation | Colorado Quitline | Hotline to help youth and adults quit tobacco (including e-cigarettes/vaping. |
| Tobacco Cessation | This is Quitting | Support via text to quit e-cigarettes/vaping |
| Tobacco Cessation | Smokefree Teen | Information about tobacco risks and quitting tools to help quit. |
| Mental Health | Mental Health Hotline - 1-800-448-3000 | Get help immediately 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. |
| Mental Health | Colorado Crisis Services - Text TALK to 38255 | A confidential texting services for mental health issues. |
| Mental Health | CO Wellness Recovery | Mental health, wellness, and recovery guide. |
| Mental Health | Able to Sail | A youth empowerment camp aimed at intentionally changing the negative mental chatter of inadequacy that precedes high-risk behaviors, i.e. drug use, cutting, suicide etc. |
| Substance Use | Tobacco Education & Prevention Partnership | Boulder County Public Health’s tobacco program. |
| Mental Health | Rise Against Suicide | Free mental health therapy to uninsured and underinsured youth struggling with suicidal ideation. |
| Mental Health | Centennial Peaks Hospital | Treatment for a wide range of disorders and conditions related to mental health. |
| Mental Health | I Matter | A program that provides up to three free counseling sessions for Colorado youth. Youth and their parents can visit the I Matter platform to take a confidential online survey about their mental health and schedule sessions with a licensed behavioral health clinician, primarily online over telehealth. All Colorado youth ages 18 or younger—or 21 and younger if receiving special education services—are eligible to receive free services. |
| Substance Use | Mental Health Partners | Community mental health organization with a team of licensed therapists and certified substance use counselors. 24/7 walk-in crisis center with low-cost and sliding scale options. |
| Mental Health | Mental Health Partners | Community mental health organization with a team of licensed therapists and certified substance use counselors. 24/7 walk-in crisis center with low-cost and sliding scale options. |
Youth Development
While direct support at times of need or crisis is vital to overcoming some of life’s biggest challenges, opportunities to recognize and enhance young people’s strengths helps them to feel valued, connected, and empowered. This, in turn, helps youth to make healthy choices and become thriving members of the community.
The programs listed below help to provide these types of opportunities.
| Organization | Description |
| Longmont Youth Center | Free after-school programs (sports leagues, music studio, college prep, homework help, arts, and support groups) for youth 6th-12th grade after school and on non-school days. |
| Peers Building Justice | Education to prevent interpersonal and sexual violence and promoting social justice. |
| Teens Inc. - Youth & Family Center | Free recreational center for teens 11-21. The after-school programming is targeted at teens to do homework, socialize and learn marketable skills, as well as increase their awareness of teamwork and the environment |
| Boulder County Youth Mentoring | The youth mentoring program matches adults and teens in the juvenile justice system one-on-one to provide the youth with enduring links to positive supports in the community. |
| Out Boulder County | Free after-school youth groups and programs for LGBTIQ+ youth age 11-18. |
| YMCA of Northern Colorado | Camp, Teen Night, Before and After school programming and homework help. |
| GENESISTER | Pregnancy prevention program for siblings of teen parents. |
| OASOS | OASOS is for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) youth 13-18. |
| Longmont Community Justice Partnership: Your Story, Your Power | A new program created by LCJP, in partnership with Mirror Image Arts! Utilizing positive youth development, trauma informed and culturally relevant approaches LCJP and Mirror Image Arts create a safe learning environment where youth can take safe risks, self-reflect, and use art to center transformative and honest conversations. For more information and to register call 303-651-8879 or email cases@lcjp.org. |
Parenting Skill-Building
Parents have a major influence on most aspects of child development. Learn how to cultivate a relationship with your child(ren) so that you can make a positive impact on self-esteem, school achievement, cognitive development, and behavior.
| Organization | Description |
| Parent Engagement Network | Education and training to improve parent’s skills and knowledge. |
| Parents Involved in Education | Education and training to improve Latino parent’s skills, knowledge, and involvement in school. |
| Longmont Youth Center - Nurturing Parenting Programs | Education and training to improve parent’s parenting skills and self-nurturing. Dinner and child care provided. |
| Community Resource & Family Training | Free eight week class for parents to learn non-confrontational techniques to help youth reduce substance use and/or get treatment. Dinner and child care reimbursement available. Language interpreter available. |
| AMISTAD | AMISTAD provides programs for the Latino community in Boulder County including "Promotoras de Salud", Compañeras Emotional Wellbeing & Resiliency program, and Escuela de Padres y Madres (Fathers and Mothers School). |
| Tough as a Mother treatment finder | This is a Colorado State-wide substance use treatment provider search feature for those who are seeking substance use treatment and recovery support while pregnant or parenting young children. |
Community Efforts
It takes a whole community to address substance use. Adults and youth are invited to participate in local groups listed below aimed at reducing substance misuse in Boulder County.
| Organization | Description |
| Healthy Futures Coalition | The Healthy Futures Coalition is a group of individuals and organizations dedicated to reducing substance abuse in Boulder County. |
| Substance Use Advisory Group | The Boulder County Substance Use Advisory Group is a group of individuals and organizations dedicated to responding to the opioid epidemic and other substance abuse. |
| Communities that Care | Lafayette, Colorado is participating in the Communities that Care process which helps communities prevent problems before they start. |
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