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Welcome to the Ortus Foundation. Together, we create networks of change to support mental health and suicide prevention for youth and young adults.
At the Ortus Foundation, we’re uniting passionate advocates and exploring promising avenues to mental health. Together, we create networks of radical, lasting transformation by:
Championing mental health in schools
Building partnerships to support direct-service providers
Funding research in mental health and healing
Investing in early stage, for-profit mental health companies
The Ortus Foundation was founded in 2022, inspired by our lived experiences. “Ortus” is rooted in the Latin word for “rise,” captures our hope and determination for improvement and change in our mental health crisis.
The Ortus Foundation funds and promotes work that addresses the greatest needs in youth and young adult mental health, shows promise and is close to our hearts. These four focus areas guide our relationship-building, funding decisions and models of support.
Sabrina believes we have both the responsibility and ability to change the story of youth mental health in this country. This deep personal commitment was the catalyst that inspired Sabrina to create the Ortus Foundation in 2022.
Stay connected to @ortusfoundation and our work in youth and young adult mental health and suicide prevention. When you join our newsletter community, you receive bi-annual updates on:
• The latest news about our work and partnerships
• Data reports and novel research
• Resources for supporting youth and young adult mental health and suicide prevention
Sign up at the link in bio!
The @trevorproject 2025 The Mental Health and Experiences of LGBTQ+ Young People in the Rural U.S. shows that, compared to their non-rural peers, LGBTQ+ young people in rural areas:
• Are half as likely to say their community is supportive
• Have less access to mental health care
• Are more likely to have considered suicide
These numbers underscore the importance of listening to LGBTQ+ young people living in the Intermountain West frontier.
The Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth is now open. The Intermountain West consistently reports the lowest participation in national LGBTQ+ data collection. So, policies, funding and mental health programs may not reflect the needs of LGBTQ+ young people here.
Please take a few minutes to share this post and send the survey to someone between the ages of 13 and 24.
Visit the link in bio for the survey.
As part of #mentalhealthawarenessmonth💚 and beyond, @ortusfoundation is spotlighting our incredible partner organizations in the Intermountain West frontier.
About the Jed Foundation
Donna and Phil Satow founded @jedfoundation in 2000 in honor of their son, Jed, who they lost to suicide. Today, JED’s work centers on three focus areas:
💪 Equipping Individuals
✏️ Strengthening Schools
👥 Mobilizing Communities
This work helps students nationwide navigate the emotional challenges of high school and college, prepare for adulthood and thrive.
🤝 How we’re working together: Ortus is partnering with JED to expand their high school and district programming across the Intermountain West, with a focus on Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. Through a multi-year grant, Ortus is supporting the launch of two specialized roles within JED dedicated to increasing capacity, providing tailored technical assistance, and deepening regional engagement. This collaboration aims to strengthen suicide prevention infrastructure and equip more schools with evidence-based support for youth mental health. With suicide rates double the national norm for this region, we are helping build capacity for mental health support in schools and communities.
📍 Fast fact: More than 9,000 high schools, colleges and universities use JED resources to strengthen their mental health and suicide prevention safety nets for students.
💬 Help Ortus and JED shift from awareness to measurable impact.
🔁 Please reshare to help broaden the conversation and amplify JED’s important work!
#mentalhealthawarenessmonth #mhm #mentalhealthmonth #turnawarenessintoaction #youthmentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #ortusfoundation #mentalhealthadvocate #suicideprevention #tetonvalley #idahomentalhealth #wyomingmentalhealth #coloradomentalhealth #montanamentalhealth #utahmentalhealth
June 6 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the U.S.
As an organization focused on the Intermountain West frontier, @ortusfoundation knows firearms are often a part of everyday life and the culture of a community. Secure storage of firearms supports responsible use and helps save lives.
“The essence of doing this work [of secure storage] is trying to help families create time and distance between a highly lethal means and a suicidal crisis.” —Dr. Kurt Michael, senior clinical director at @jedfoundation. Dr. Michael is both a father and a gun owner.
Guns and youth mental health:
📈 80% of youth ages 18 and under who died by suicide with a gun used a firearm owned by a family member.
🚫 Consistently securing firearms and supporting youth mental health both help reduce gun violence.
Visit the link in bio to:
🧠 Learn more about the link between lethal means restriction and suicide reduction
🔒 Secure lethal means: Learn how to safely store firearms to protect yourself and others
As part of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, @ortusfoundation is spotlighting our incredible partner organizations in the Intermountain West frontier.
About the Mental Health Coalition of Teton Valley:
The Coalition formed in the fall of 2009 following a tragic cluster suicide event that claimed the lives of 19 people.
Today, the Coalition, including Executive Director and Chief Joy Officer Sara McKeown White, is a diverse group of dedicated community members who share a common passion for enhancing mental wellness in Teton Valley. They are committed to providing the
community with the skills, resources and tools everyone needs to thrive.
🤝 How we’re working together: In 2025, the Ortus Foundation awarded a grant to MHCTV’s Community Counseling Fund, ensuring access to vital mental health services for more than 60 individuals in Teton County, Idaho, and Alta, Wyoming.
📍 Fast fact: Supporting one person can positively impact the lives of 10 others. MHCTV’s Community Counseling Fund reaches at least 700 people across the region.
💬 Help Ortus and MHCTV shift from awareness to measurable impact.
🔁 Please reshare to help broaden the conversation and amplify MHCTV’s important work!
Reducing access to lethal means — including firearms — is a crucial step to reducing suicide rates among our young people.
📍 Intermountain West states like Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have some of highest rates of firearm suicide among young people ages 10–24 (CDC data).
📊79% of youth ages 18 and under who died by suicide with a gun used a firearm owned by a family member (Everytown data).
🗨️ "Most people would help someone if they knew what to do.”
— Ryan Price, @afspnational
As a former firearms retailer, Ryan’s insight has shaped new, lifesaving tools. Here are 2 key ways you can help reduce access to lethal means:
1️⃣ Download the Suicide Prevention Toolkit
AFSP + @thenssf created a toolkit for firearms instructors and retailers.
📥 Link in bio
2️⃣ Take CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) Training
Learn how to safely store firearms, medications, and other lethal means.
🧠 Link in bio
Today’s educators are expected to teach children and guide their mental and behavioral health.
Increased pressure, responsibility and workloads are leading to teacher burnout.
It’s harder for districts to hire and retain passionate educators.
How can we better support educators?
Teton County School District in Jackson, WY, is taking proactive steps to address these issues:
🎤 Special programming
🎓 Greater access to teaching degrees out of high school
🏡 New housing
🍎 And more
▶️ In this video, Dr. Gillian Chapman, TCSD superintendent, tells educators and families that she understands the unique pressures in the world of education today. “It’s OK if students don’t do well on a standardized test,” she says. “It`s going to be OK.”
🔁 Reshare this post to spread awareness about how we can better support our educators.
💻 Get mental health resources for both students and educators at jedfoundation.org.
@ortusfoundation
@jedfoundation
@mentalhealthamerica
May is Mental Health Awareness Month 💚
This year’s theme — #TurnAwarenessIntoAction — hits close to home.
At @ortusfoundation, we’re all-in for youth mental health in the Intermountain West: Wyoming. Utah. Colorado. Idaho. Montana.
This region is called the “suicide belt, and our teens face some of the highest suicide rates in the country.
📊 In Wyoming, suicide takes twice as many young lives as the national average.
🎥 In this video, we show why we’re focused here — and what action looks like.
🙌 Help us grow this movement.
🌀 Share this post and tag someone who cares.
Together, we can save lives.
Happy National Teacher Appreciation Week! From teachers and principals to school food professionals and custodial staff, it truly takes a village to educate our children.
As education expert Dr. Tim Dohrer notes, “It is harder to be a teacher than it was 10 years ago.”
Dr. Dohrer and Dr. Thomas Golebiewski’s book, "The Schools We Need Now," advocates for a student-centered, emotionally supportive approach to education that also prioritizes the well-being of school staff and fosters equity, connection, and compassion.
Take time out this week to thank the educational professionals who support your child’s learning and wellbeing.
@tdohrer
@NEAToday
@Ortusfoundation kicked off #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth the best way we know how — by advocating for youth and young adults.
On May 1, Program Director Marcy Madigan (@mteodoro1) joined representatives from @AFSPnational, @TheDefensiveLine and other likeminded organizations for @NamiTexas Capitol Day in Austin.
Together, they officially swore in Mental Health Awareness Month at the Texas Capitol. The group also met with state representatives to advocate for mental health bills, including a Texas trust fund for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Thursday’s actions were an energizing reminder of our “why” — creating change and hope for youth and young adult mental health and suicide prevention. Visit ortusfoundation.org to learn more about our work.
Join @afspnational and @afsp.wyoming on May 3 at the @uofwyoming for an Out of the Darkness Campus Walk in Laramie, WY.
Out of the Darkness walks empower students and communities while raising awareness and funds in the fight against suicide — the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15-24.
👉 Register. Donate. Spread the word. Every step makes a difference.
Get more information and sign up using the link in bio.
Amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding state and federal funding for mental health services, collaboration between the public and private sectors is more critical than ever to safeguard the well-being of young people. These partnerships can bridge resource gaps, foster innovation and build sustainable systems of care that effectively support vulnerable youth populations.
It was a privilege to contribute to a dynamic panel at the @worldeconomicforum 2025 in Davos, “Shaping the Future of Global Youth Mental Health.” @sabrinapaolak joined Vooha Vellanki, Todd Khozein from secondmuse, Katherine Hay at @kidshelpphone and Diana Chao from @l2smentalhealth to address the future of global youth mental health by listening to youth needs. Together, the group explored the youth mental health landscape and solutions for overcoming stigma, improving access to care and expanding availability. This work helps ensure mental health support reaches the needs of our youth.
According to the 2024 Youth Mental Health Survey by @mentalhealthamerica, 58% of youth said they didn’t access mental health services because they can’t afford it; 46% cited difficulty finding providers. School-based interventions are critical: Data shows that schools remain the most accessible mental health resources for many youth. This is why @ortusfoundation focuses on supporting prevention and early intervention work in education to address issues like stigma and build help-seeing behavior.
We owe it to the next generation to do better—for their mental health, and for our shared future.
Visit ortusfoundation.org to learn more about our foundation’s focus on youth mental health in schools.
@trevorproject’s new 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People and the related report capture the experience of more than 18,000 LGBTQ+ youth and young adults ages 13-24 across the United States.
@Ortusfoundation examined the data for youth in our Intermountain West communities, a region that shows great need for youth mental health and suicide prevention resources. The rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation are alarming — particularly in Wyoming. There, more than half (56%) of LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-24 seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 60% of transgender and nonbinary young people.
These numbers help us understand the scale of mental health issues facing our LGBTQ+ young people in the Intermountain region. They also underscore the importance of our work together.
To read the full report, including a state-by-state breakdown, visit the link in our bio.
Call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org if you are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
📱Technology is deeply ingrained in our young peoples’ lives — for better and for worse.
That’s why this year’s @tetonyouthandfamilyservice Youth Mental Health Summit, The Impact of Technology on Modern-Day Youth, is a crucial moment for exploring support and solutions.
Join @ortusfoundation and other mental health advocates May 14 to 16 in Jackson Hole, WY, for three days of conversation and connections, including:
🎤 Keynote sessions
🥪 Lunch and Learn
🪩 Shine On gala
Learn more and join us by getting tickets 🎟️ at the link in bio.
🚀 Accelerate 2025 is where strategy meets purpose. It’s an opportunity to advance mental health through smarter philanthropy and stronger cross-sector collaboration.
@ortusfoundation Founder @sabrinapaolak is thrilled to join @mindful.philanthropy as a panelist at its inaugural Accelerate Summit—a powerful gathering of leaders committed to bold, innovative action in mental health and well-being.
During the session "Entry Points to Support Young People & their Support Systems," Sabrina will join Alexa Arnold (Managing Director @freetheanxiousgeneration and Chief of Staff to @jonathanhaidt), Matt Geschke (Senior Director, Social and Community Impact @nike) and Dr. Bryan King (Vice Chair and Adolescent Psychiatry for @ucsfhealth) to dig into:
💡 Where investments in youth mental health can make the biggest impact
📚 Hard-won lessons from the field
🔍 Proven strategies for supporting both young people and the adults who care for them
📍 Don’t miss it:
🗓️ Wednesday, 4/9
🕚 11–11:40 a.m.
📌 Redwood Auditorium, 1440 Multiversity (800 Bethany Drive, Scotts Valley, CA 95066)
This is more than a conversation—it’s a call to action for funders, advocates, and changemakers to reimagine what’s possible for youth mental health. Accelerate 2025 brings together the bold strategies, grounded voices, and collective energy we need to fund differently and lead with equity.
🔗 Visit the link in bio to learn more and explore the full Accelerate Summit agenda.
Every year, advocates and experts from across the globe convene at @sxsw to share ideas about the world’s biggest issues and innovations. For the @ortusfoundation team, this year’s SXSW was an amazing opportunity to connect and think big about youth and young adult mental health and suicide prevention.
Here are four of our biggest actionable takeaways from this year’s experience. Share your own SXSW takeaways in the comments!
*The Ortus Foundation funds innovative advancements in youth mental health support and suicide prevention. We grant applications by request only, and our decision making process is rigorous. Unsolicited applications will not be considered.
This website is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you are a young person or a caregiver with questions or concerns related to mental health, please consult a qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of a licensed physician or other qualified health professional with any concerns you may have regarding a medical condition or mental health issue. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this site.
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