NAMI Colorado Springs' Below the Surface teen text-line awareness campaign encourages local teens to consider using Colorado Crisis Services’ free, confidential text line. Simply by texting “TALK” to 38255, anyone can connect with a trained professional. (For more on Colorado Crisis Services, see coloradocrisisservices.org.)

This series of posters, cards, stickers and other materials was developed in tandem with the Design Rangers creative strategy firm, with generous funding from the Colorado Springs Health Foundation, Diversus Health, the Carl George Bjorkman Foundation and Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners. It has since been licensed to the state Office of Behavioral Health for statewide distribution. ​Educators interested in bringing the program to their schools can visit here. Members of the public can learn more here.

Also: Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners maintains a real-time dashboard tracking use of the text line. Our hope is that this information can provide insight into the issues troubling teens and Coloradans of all ages.