A New Tahoe Truckee School Position Helps Youth Navigate Substance Use

Tags: Mental Health, Youth Development

Young people today face significant pressures around substance use, according to recent data shared by Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation’s (TTCF) Community Collaborative of Tahoe Truckee (CCTT).  In fact, 78% of 10th–12th graders at Truckee High School reported substance-use concerns in a recent survey. Now local students are getting stronger support thanks to the introduction of a dedicated role aimed at prevention, early intervention, and connection to care.

The new Substance Use Navigator (SUN) is a school-based role that strengthens prevention, delivers early intervention, and connects students and families to care. Funded jointly by Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF), Nevada County Public Health, and the Katz Amsterdam Foundation (Katz Amsterdam), the SUN fills a critical gap for youth mental health, well-being, and substance use. This approach builds upon Tahoe Truckee’s Behavioral Health Roadmap.

Letting TTUSD Students Lead

The position was catalyzed by CCTT’s Youth Substance Use / Mental Health Working Group. Listening to students to help shape priorities, the group collected and analyzed regional data about existing services to identify gaps and opportunities. 

To better understand youth experiences and needs, the group began by reviewing results from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), an anonymous, confidential assessment of school climate, wellness, and resilience administered to 9th and 11th graders at TTUSD. Additional feedback was gathered through a mini-survey at Truckee High led by the TFHS Behavioral Health Provider and SMART Recovery Facilitator, a survey at Truckee High’s Safety Night, and a Sierra Sun community poll hosted by TTCF. 

Qualitative insights were also collected at CCTT’s 2025 Annual Youth Forum, within TTUSD Wellness Centers through trusted staff, and from community partners who work closely with local youth. Together, these diverse data sources painted a clearer picture of students’ lived experiences.

As data and community feedback revealed growing concern around youth substance use, regional partners convened to explore coordinated solutions. An increase in substance use shown in CHKS results and shared anecdotally by local providers highlighted a clear need for expanded youth and parent supports.

Collaborative Solutions Build Upon Tahoe Truckee Behavioral Health Roadmap

CCTT served as the convener of the Youth Substance Use/Mental Health Working Group. TTCF hosted all agendas, frameworks, and coordination to ensure a structured and collaborative process. In total, 25 stakeholders representing seven local agencies came together, including TTUSD, Tahoe Forest Health District, Placer County, Nevada County, The Speedy Foundation, Gateway Mountain Center, and TTCF. 

Many of these stakeholders also helped inform the Mental and Behavioral Health Roadmap that was initially completed in 2020. TTCF completed the Roadmap in collaboration with CCTT partners, and it was funded by the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust (KACT), the predecessor to the Katz Amsterdam Foundation. Since then, this continued partnership has sought to fulfill the four pillars of the roadmap: 

• Policy and Funding
• Programs and Services
• Connections and Community
• Field Building and Industry

Filling in the Gap: On-Campus Support to Help Youth Navigate Mental Health and Substance Use

Led by these youth insights, the working group saw an opportunity to build on the foundation of the TTUSD Wellness Centers, originally funded through Katz Amsterdam. To support this work, the group had a Katz Amsterdam grant of $24,500 earmarked to enhance access to education, resources, and assistance for teens, parents, and school staff.  

The next step was to map the region’s existing prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery services and identify local assets, constraints, and opportunities. The working group determined that investing in a part-time Substance Use Navigator (SUN) position was the most effective way to strengthen the existing system of youth supports. To support this role, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation matched Katz Amsterdam with an additional $24,000 grant.

The SUN will work on campus during the school day as a trusted person for students seeking help with vaping or substance use. It will also coordinate age-appropriate education, brief interventions, and warm hand-offs to community partners when higher levels of care are needed. The role will collaborate closely with TTUSD’s Wellness Coordinator and Community Liaison Interpreter for Attendance & TUPE, as well as Tahoe Forest Health System’s Youth Behavioral Health Care Coordination, to ensure “closed-loop” follow-up. 

By pairing consistent, school-day access with data-driven practice, the SUN builds a clear bridge from prevention to care, strengthening the safety net so more students can stay healthy, engaged, and ready to learn.

The SUN was just one outcome of this collaborative endeavor. Additional outcomes include:

• a comprehensive list of local youth resources that are now a “one-stop-shop” website for families and students, 
• the implementation of standardized and anonymous survey tools within TFHD Pediatrics, 
• The launch of CredibleMinds to expand behavioral health access, and 
• Youth designed outreach materials highlighting available supports.

The Future of the Substance Use Navigator

Over the coming years, the SUN will collect real-time data on student engagement, referrals, and outcomes, helping to refine how schools and community partners respond to substance use and related challenges. This role is positioned to become a model for other rural communities facing similar pressures. If early successes hold, the SUN role may become a blueprint for supporting students where they live, learn, and grow.

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Since 2017, TTCF and Katz Amsterdam have worked together to strengthen the region’s behavioral health ecosystem through CCTT and their collaborative partners. Over nine years, Katz Amsterdam has invested nearly $31 million in mountain resort communities and more than $1.97 million in direct mental health and substance abuse services in the Tahoe-Truckee community, particularly for BIPOC communities, building systemic change and capacity. The partnership has helped advance regional priorities, such as equitable access to care, prevention, and early intervention, leading to a more connected and coordinated behavioral health system across Tahoe-Truckee.