Colorado’s youth suicide rate has hit an all-time low since 2007, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. In 2024, there were 39 deaths by suicide, which is less than half the peak rate of 87 deaths by suicide from 2020, the first year of the Covid pandemic.

“Destigmatizing mental health has been key,” Fossil’s mental health specialist Lisa Cole said about the drop. “Students are beginning to recognize that mental health conditions are treatable, and asking for help is a normal part of taking care of yourself.”

Poudre School District and other Colorado districts have also increased their mental health resources and staff. Each high school has a mental health specialist like Cole who can provide emotional support, crisis intervention and family resource connections. School mental health specialists work directly with students and staff, respond to district crises and connect families to community services. 

At Fossil, Cole is responsible for those duties as well as completing suicide risk assessments, helping with mental health education and guiding students toward care.

Cole said more students are reaching out for professional help and talking to trusted adults. According to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Safe2Tell, an anonymous student tip line in Colorado, received 22,486 reports during the 2022–23 school year — a 16% increase over the previous year. Staff training and education of mental health through different classes have helped students recognize warning signs and learn how to respond when someone is going through a crisis.

“Every time a student reaches out for help or helps a friend, it makes a difference,” Cole said. “The more we talk about mental health, the more progress we’ll see.”

Fossil junior Amelie Crum faced her own mental health struggles her freshman and sophomore years.

“Depression is really hard,” Crum said. “You feel very helpless and lost — like you’re stuck in despair and not going to get through what you’re going through.”

She said the signs of poor mental health can be invisible.

“You can look perfectly fine but still be struggling,” she said. “People need to understand that someone might be going through something. Just checking in or being careful with what you say can really matter.”

She said it is critical for people in need to find someone to talk to. Getting help keeps you going and helps you find purpose and happiness again.

“You can’t just keep everything inside. It could be anything — getting outside, doing sports, or finding things you enjoy — but mainly, it’s about talking about it,” she said.

She thinks there should be more obvious support.

“Maybe check-ins, surveys, or a specific mental health area that feels safe, not just going to your counselor,” she said.

Despite the lower suicide rates, the Colorado Department of Health says districts will continue expanding prevention programs, staff training, and partnerships with mental‑health agencies to keep the trend moving in the right direction.

“Every time a student reaches out for help or helps a friend, it makes a difference,” Cole said. “The more we talk about mental health, the more progress we’ll see.”

Fossil senior Tiger Man said what helped him when he experienced mental health struggles was reaching out for support and getting involved in activities.

“I was just sort of sad because I moved to a completely different place after living somewhere for 14 years. I knew nobody, I didn’t talk to anybody, so I was just like a loner at school,” Man said.

He said talking to people and putting himself out there helped him rebuild connections.

“I think the biggest help nowadays is that there’s a lot more support for those kinds of conditions,” Man said. “There’s a lot more hotlines, counselors, online therapists, and it’s more acceptable to ask for help.”

Sports helped him a lot as well. 

“It got me more active and helped pull my mind out of just wallowing. It helped me focus on actual important stuff,” Man said. 

He encourages other students to try to reach out and get help. 

“Get yourself out there. Don’t just sit in your bed,” Man said. “Even if you have to half-ass it, get up and do things in your life. It’s a feedback loop — you’ve got to break it.”