Hope and connection: Larimer County teens build skills, confidence at TAC 212

Investing behavioral health taxes in students’ development today builds resiliency, saves community money

Hope may have initially come to the Teen Activity Center 212 for the free snacks, but it’s community and connection that keep her coming back.

The 15-year-old sits across from her mother, Amy, at a high-top table in the center’s art room one November afternoon. Shadows and warm light from a floor lamp play throughout the artistic atmosphere accented by a clutter of creative supplies.

TAC 212, as it’s known, strives to be a community and resource hub to all Larimer County teens ages 11 to 18. Neither school nor home, it is a “third space” where youth can nestle into comfy couches to connect, learn, and thrive.

“Places like this, that are community-run, they bring everyone together,” Hope says. Her last name isn't used to protect her privacy.

“It’s really low pressure. You come in, and do what you want to do,” in an accepting and judgement-free space. From getting competitive at the air-hockey table (her personal favorite) to learning guitar or donning a headset for some multi-player gaming. 

“It really takes the weight off my shoulders that she has a safe space to connect with friends,” Amy says, noting the peace of mind she feels knowing the center is supervised by adults and free from alcohol, drugs, and weapons. 

Safe, community spaces are more important than ever. In 2023, 51% of Colorado high schoolers felt it would be easy to get alcohol, and 40% felt it would be easy to get marijuana if they wanted, according to Healthy Kids Colorado survey results. Nineteen percent said they could fire a loaded gun without adult permission in less than an hour.

Hope agreed. And it sure beats a Target parking lot where she and her friends might hang out, if TAC 212 didn’t exist.

By Youth, for Youth

TAC 212 is made possible by a collaboration among Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, Youth Advisory Committee, and The Center for Family Outreach, a 25-year-old Fort Collins-based nonprofit organization that operates the TAC. 

The road to opening in 2023 had its bumps – from securing a building and funding to everything in between. Ultimately, teens in the community held adults accountable for making TAC 212 a reality, says Laurie Klith, executive director of The Center for Family Outreach.

Everything since has been “by youth, for youth,” from interior design of the physical space to the programming. 

The Center for Family Outreach is one of Larimer County Behavioral Health Service’s 15 longest-standing Impact Fund grant recipients that are making a difference using our community’s behavioral health taxes. 

In the past seven years, 77 unique organizations have collectively received $17.7 million to expand and enhance mental health and substance-use programs and services in Larimer County. BHS has awarded The Center seven grants in total. 

Staff credit the inclusive, youth-driven approach with “strong, sustained engagement” from teens across Larimer County in the 2024-25 grant year, as shared in the organization’s final grant report. TAC212 recorded a total of 1,164 check-ins by 190 unique youth visitors during that time.

Using $100,000 in 2025-26 grant year dollars, the Center plans to engage 140 underserved youth (ages 11 to 18) and families in Larimer County in mental health and substance-use classes, leadership workshops, prevention services, and case management. Funds will also be used to expand activities at TAC 212 that promote physical, mental, and social well-being.

A Place to Belong

Jaylen Jackson grew up an only child in Galeton, Colorado, about 20 minutes east of Eaton. His best friends were “cows and tumbleweeds,” he jokes, and finding people he could trust in school was hard. 

His feeling of isolation transformed to belonging with the help of teachers and coaches. During Jackson’s college football years – chock-full of community events and youth sports camps – he discovered his passion for working with young people.

“It’s a time where you can make such an impact in their life,” said Jackson, who stepped into his role as TAC 212’s program coordinator in March 2025. 

“They want to feel a part of something bigger, of a community where they can be accepted,” and become more confident, he says, sitting with Klith and her beloved 8-year-old poodle Max, who eagerly welcomes visitors to the Center.

Building relationships with trusted adults is key. Middle and high schoolers often don’t know how to open up to parents or guardians. At TAC 212, their guard may come down a little, whether they’re at barbecues, video game tournaments, building terrariums, or getting homework help. Teens may even talk about challenges or learn how to communicate about them with others.

“They can take that mask off. They can be their best self here,” Klith says.

But the TAC 212 also serves as a place where they don’t have to talk – about death, divorce, drugs, or domestic violence. Here, they can play and just be kids.

Why It Matters

For every $100 spent in Larimer County, 25 cents goes to support our behavioral health system. BHS primarily invests these dollars in the Acute Care facility at Longview campus, where the behavioral health urgent care is open 24/7/365 to people of all ages and abilities to pay; and the annual Impact Fund Grant program.

In addition to supporting the TAC 212 programming, Impact Fund grant dollars go toward The Center for Family Outreach’s psychoeducational programming. In the 2024-25 grant year: 

• A total of 114 youth participated in evidence-based psychoeducation classes. Of those, 85% successfully completed the curriculum, including interactive journaling and goal-setting activities. These classes focused on coping strategies, emotional regulation, substance-use education, and peer relationships. These classes were complemented by wraparound case management, helping youth set and achieve personal goals while building resilience and confidence.
• The Center reported increased participation from youth in the LGBTQIA+ community, who found TAC212 to be a safe, affirming, and inclusive space. Signage, staff representation, and intake practices were intentionally designed to support LGBTQIA+ youth, and their presence and engagement in programming grew steadily throughout the year.
• Staying true to its commitment to youth-led initiatives, TAC212 was also a hub for the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), and Larimer County Department of Health and Environment-facilitated Youth Action for Health (YAH) Voces Jovenes y Fuertes (VJF). These groups led projects such as fentanyl awareness campaigns and culturally relevant community events. Notably, YAH members earned an Honorable Mention in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s national FentAlert Challenge. They received $2,000 for their project.

Even though TAC 212 serves hundreds of Larimer County teens each year, Jackson says the impact goes far beyond the numbers. For youth who are struggling, facing peer pressure, family challenges, or risky situations, having a safe place now can prevent far greater costs to the community later.

“The alternative is expensive, both financially and socially,” he says. “Investing in these kids now is far cheaper than paying for youth violence, jail time, or even loss of life down the road.”

He recalls a student who chose to spend a Thursday evening at TAC 212 rather than at a friend’s party. Later, that party escalated: Some attendees under 21 were cited for alcohol possession, or MIPs. At TAC 212, the student was safe, supervised, and able to avoid a night that could have ended in trouble.

Your Community Support Makes It Possible

Navigating recent state and federal funding challenges has been tough. In fact, it’s been among the toughest times Klith can remember in her roughly 40 years of service to the community. Families, business owners, and nonprofit leaders alike are taking a hard look at their budgets. 

That reality makes the community’s investment in behavioral health even more impactful, Hope, Amy, Jackson, and Klith agree. These are local dollars making a difference for people in our community. 

“We’re working really hard to sustain it,” Klith says, of the work the team is doing at The Center for Family Outreach and TAC 212. “With all the mental health and substance-use issues, we would go backward. Kids would wait for services.” 

Hope is aptly named. She’s optimistic the TAC 212 could be replicated someday, with locations opened in other parts of Larimer County.

“It means hope for the future that it does exist. Somehow, this place was able to exist for everyone,” Hope says, and that, truly, is something worth celebrating.