Without the STRIDE program, you would not see many Door County school children receive the mental health services that they may need. STRIDE stands for Strengthening Trust and Resilience, Instilling Independence, and Discovering Empowerment and aims to provide a quality mental health option to teens around the county. The program works with the Door County schools, community leaders, and mental health professionals and looks to provide a sense of community and empowerment in their service. Students and their families would like to have to pay large sums of money out of pocket or travel far distances to get the care that may be required. Last year, STRIDE provided approximately 1,000 hours of mental health services to Door County students. Community Impact Coordinator of Health Cami Peggar says that even if students only needed help for a short period of time, parents told them it was worth it.

STRIDE is one of the many programs under the United Way of Door County umbrella, which relies on grants and donations for its funding. Earlier this year, STRIDE received a $30,000 grant from the Door County Community Foundation and the Door County Mental Health Awareness Fund. The money from the grant went toward more than 450 hours of one-on-one mental health services throughout the county. It also helped reach more youth in Northern Door County instead of them having to take the trip to Sturgeon Bay. Not only does STRIDE do one-on-one services, but they also have programs such as Art Therapy and free online e-courses for youth.