The Ryan Bartel Foundation is a Youth Suicide Prevention organization. 

Mission: To prevent youth suicide through awareness, upstream educational programs and activities that support and empower youth, families and the community at-large through acceptance, connection, resiliency and hope.

​Founded by the Bartel family in 2014 after the tragic loss of their son Ryan.  The Ryan Bartel Foundation is built on Ryan’s very basic principle that everyone deserves acceptance and that we need to provide resources and hope for youth who struggle with self-esteem and motivation to live. Our goals fall into the following areas:

AWARENESS about the causes behind this growing, senseless epidemic of youth suicide through programs and outreach among our schools and communities.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS on developing coping skills during the ups and downs of life, providing acceptance of everyone, while encouraging youth to develop confidence and self-esteem.

ACTIVITIES inspired by our youth who are struggling. We aim to empower them to create their own programs that stimulate their interests and help others who have similar issues, giving them a feeling of normalcy, purpose, strength and renewed interest in life. 

Ryan Bartel Foundation
Upstream Teen Suicide Prevention 

The Ryan Bartel Foundation focuses its efforts on UPSTREAM SUICIDE PREVENTION efforts. Meaning that our services are available and focus on all TEENS.  We help empower teens to experience and develop the tools and resilience they need to get through the rough times in their lives.  

Our programs are positive, resilience-based content and workshops to keep teens and families connected, resilient and hopeful.

FORTitude Teen Workshops are a 12-week series, divided into four-week parts, developed uniquely for the Foundation by psychologist and “teen whisperer” Dr. Cam Caswell and mindfulness expert and educator Ofosu Jones-Quartey. Using evidence-led best practices in mindfulness and positive psychology, the workshops address many of the struggles teens face, empower them with a positive acceptance of self, and provide them with strategies to handle daily obstacles to set them up for a lifetime of positive mental health. 

The FORT is a safe, inclusive and accepting space for teens to connect with their peers, quiet their minds and bodies, and have fun. Teens participate in experiential workshops in expressive arts, mindfulness, animal-assisted groups (dogs, horses) and more, to provide them with coping skills they can use on their own when times are tough and to navigate the ups and downs of being a teen. 

FORTitude for Parents, a monthly online discussion series for parents and caregivers, hosts mental wellness experts in their fields to provide parents with resources and guidance to better communicate and connect with their kids. These online discussions have included topics such as cyberbullying, ADHD, substance use, and how to recognize the signs of a teen spiraling towards depression and risk that included a conversation with parents whose children have either attempted or died by suicide.

Community Sources of Strength Training is offered to teens and adults upon request, at no charge. Source of Strength is an evidence-based program focused on upstream prevention by building protective factors, encouraging positive, help-seeking behavior, and stronger peer-to-peer and peer-to-adult connections. We make this training available to any youth or adult group interested, including Scouts, sports teams, parent groups, and other community organizations.