OUR WHY + WHERE WE WORK

Passionate advocates, driven by purpose

Our role in the mental health community

The power of shared passion and human connection can create lasting change for mental health and suicide prevention.

At the Ortus Foundation, we act as a conduit, creating connections, sharing work and empowering experts who work directly in the field. Together, we’re striving for better futures for young people and their loved ones.

Our why:
The facts about youth mental health + suicide

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24 in the U.S.; every year, nearly 1,500 students die by suicide on college campuses¹. And in 2021, 42% of high school students expressed persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness².

The youth mental health crisis affects us all — and it cannot be ignored. The Ortus Foundation is taking action by connecting like-minded advocates, directly funding innovation and supporting models of systemic change.

20%

OF HIGH SCHOOLERS CONSIDERED ATTEMPTING SUICIDE IN 2023³

LGBTQ+ TEENS ATTEMPT SUICIDE AT FIVE TIMES THE RATE OF HETEROSEXUAL PEERS⁴

3,274

THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 15 TO 24 WHO DIED BY FIREARM SUICIDE IN 2023⁵

Sources:

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3809451/#:~:text=Every%20year%20in%20the%20United,it%20(Appelbaum%2C%202006).
2. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health/index.htm#:~:text=In%202021%2C%20more%20than%204,of%20other%20races%20and%20ethnicities.
3. and 4. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/disparities/index.html
5. https://wonder.cdc.gov/Deaths-by-Underlying-Cause.html

A note from Sabrina

I am driven by a deep personal commitment to addressing urgent mental health challenges and suicide prevention. I believe mental health and suicide prevention are complex problems with complex solutions. We are at a critical moment for innovation and advancements, and The Ortus Foundation is committed to promoting efforts toward support and healing.

Taking responsibility for the future of our young people

Youth mental health and suicide are an urgent crisis that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ortus Foundation was created in 2022, inspired by our personal connections to this crisis. Every day, we are energized by the possibilities of transformative, lasting change.

Where we work

Life-changing conversations and brilliant innovation can happen anywhere. The Ortus Foundation builds networks of passionate thought leaders around the country to create collective action, foster change and strengthen the mental health ecosystem.

Ortus seeks out geographic regions that show the greatest need. Today, we focus on urban and rural areas in the U.S., with a particular emphasis on the rural Intermountain West (WY, CO, ID, UT, MT).

Meet the passionate people behind Ortus Foundation

Learn how we’re fueling change for youth mental health

Explore findings and tools from youth mental health experts

Our intersectional approach

Our intersectionality — the ways our diverse identities shape our experience with the world — is shown to affect mental health and suicidal ideation. Stigma and bias related to intersectionality can lead to higher suicide rates within specific groups, particularly Native Americans, female-identifying people and LGBTQ+ people. At the Ortus Foundation, intersectionality helps guide our relationship-building and funding decisions, so we can make the greatest change for the most people.