Our Mission

Who We Are

TRAILS envisions a future in which all children and teens have equitable access to effective mental health services.

Our mission is to transform the landscape of youth mental health care delivery by equipping school staff with the training and resources they need to provide evidence-based and culturally responsible programming to their students.

Our Philosophy of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are about recognizing and striving to change historical patterns of exclusion and injustice. TRAILS believes these efforts are necessary in every field, and that they must be at the center of our approach to mental health and education.

We commit to advancing DEI across all facets of our organization, including the programs we develop, the partnerships we build, and the team we recruit and retain. At the same time, we look inward for opportunities to grow – to recognize the limits of our own perspectives, educate ourselves, and acknowledge and repair the harm we cause.

Our Values

We put well-being first.

Every life should be rich in opportunities for connection, self-expression, and self-care. We live by this truth not only in our public-facing mission, but in our internal workplace policies and culture, extending kindness and compassion to each other and ourselves.

We create positive change.

It’s our responsibility to ensure our work truly makes a difference. We commit to offering programs that demonstrate meaningful and equitable outcomes for students, and that schools can sustain for years to come.

We build authentic partnerships

True collaboration requires humility, mindful listening, and responsiveness to the needs of others. We embrace diverse ideas and perspectives, and we engage sincerely with feedback, working together across differences to find common ground.

We are transparent and accountable.

We’re proud to be an organization that schools and communities trust. We honor this trust by upholding our commitments to our partners and each other, and by openly sharing our progress – both when we’re doing well and when we can do better.