Colorado’s Youth Suicide Rate Drops to Lowest Level Since 2007 – A Milestone Worth Celebrating

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado’s youth suicide rate has declined to its lowest level since 2007. Last year, among those ages 10 to 18, there were 39 suicide deaths – putting the rate at 5.85 per 100-thousand people in that age group. That’s less than half the rate from the peak in 2020 when 87 young people died by suicide: a rate of 12.91 deaths per 100,000 youth.

While pinpointing a single cause for this encouraging drop isn’t straightforward, the state attributes it to the success of targeted prevention programs and collaborative community efforts, including Sources of Strength, The Colorado Follow-Up Project, Colorado 988, and Second Wind Fund.

At Second Wind Fund, we’re honored to be featured among the impactful resources helping drive this progress. Our mission to expand access to expedited mental health care clearly aligns with the larger statewide effort – and it’s making a tangible difference.

“In over the last two years, we’ve seen a 96% increase in the number of referrals coming to our organization. 58% more just in the last year alone,” said Gabriel Guillaume, our Executive Director, in an interview with 9 News. “While that’s a dramatic increase in terms of demand, what we see that meaning is that we’re actually starting to see more acceptance and approval of therapy.”

“We’re finally seeing results and I think that means a lot not only to the organizations, but much more importantly, to the communities and parents that have kids that have been facing mental health issues,” he said.

This report isn’t just encouraging, it’s a powerful reminder of how strategic partnerships and compassionate programs can shift trends. Still, our mission remains urgent. As long as there are young people in crisis, Second Wind Fund stands committed to reaching more youth across Colorado and delivering timely mental health support to every child in need.