How to Access Mental Health Resources in North Dakota as a Teen
- Avery R, Lilly B, Luca B & Amani B.
- Apr 16
- 7 min read
Are you in danger or thinking about running away from home? Consider MHAND’s FREE Crisis Hotline: Text or call 988
Being a teenager in North Dakota can be tough: school, family issues, friendships, and social media pressure - it can feel like a lot to handle. When things get hard, mental health often gets ignored, but it's just as important as physical health. Pay close attention to your mental health, and not only when you’re having a hard time, but all the time. Just like you take care of your body, your mind needs care too. We’ll show you different services and programs for ND teens, explain why mental health support is important, and help you see that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Whether you’re having a tough time or just want to learn how to take better care of yourself, we have the info you need to start making your mental health a priority.
Demographics of North Dakota
Teens aged 15-17 make up 16.7% of North Dakota’s population (Kids Count, 2024), and almost 60% of the population live in busy urban centers like Fargo and Bismark (North Dakota Demographics by Cubit, 2024), where mental health supports are more readily available. These are the types of people you'll find in North Dakota:
● White - 61.6%
● Black - 12.4%
● Hispanic - 18.7%
● Asian - 6%
● Native American - 1.1%
● Pacific Islander - 0.2%
(United States Census Bureau, 2020)
The largest Native reserves are in counties such as Sioux, Benson, and Rolette - predominantly home to American Native ethnic groups (United States Census Bureau, 2020). As we will explore, mental health support might look very different for teens growing up on reservations.
Mental health issues have been on the rise throughout the world, including North Dakota, but getting the right help can be hard. According to the 2019 North Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 61.2% of high school students reported having mental health problems and the percentage of considered suicide attempts has increased from 12.4% (2009) to 18.8% (2019) (North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, 2021). You might not know where to begin or who to talk to. The good news is: that support is out there! If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or just need someone to listen to you, this post will help you find mental health resources in your area.
What does the government offer, and why does it matter?
Mental Health resources may vary within states. In North Dakota, a lot of the resources they have are community-based. Being able to talk to someone and have resources close to home does wonders for recovery. Below are some resources that North Dakota offers regarding different types of mental health. We’ll be linking these resources as we mention them, so keep following along!
As a branch of Mental Health America (MHA), MHAND can link you to a huge library of mental health resources and informative articles. It’s also a hub for all things mental health in ND, and can connect you with every reputable service out there. Most importantly, their hotline and online resources are entirely free! Keep scrolling, we’ll get into more extensive detail on MHAND and what they offer below!
This resource is community based where they have treatment plans, recovery plans and peer support. Talking about mental health can be hard when talking to someone who may not have gone through the same things as you. With Free Through Recovery you can get in contact with someone who shares some of the same experiences with you! They break down their services by region on their page.
Located in the community of Trenton near the city of Williston, the Native American Resource Center offers support specific to Native Americans in western ND. They provide information, counseling, suicide and mental health programs for both adults and adolescents - not to mention spiritual programs and sweat lodges. Too far? The Native American Resource Center also provides transportation as needed, connecting you to their supports no matter how remote your home might be. You can find their address and contact info on their website.
How to start prioritizing your mental health
You deserve to make it a priority. Lets first acknowledge you should have no shame or judgements about accessing these services. They are designed for you, and have treated others like you. You are never alone!
Mental Health America of North Dakota (MHAND) is our top pick!
MHAND provides a section on their website dedicated towards youth mental health.They have all these helpful links for common questions or thoughts and give helpful suggestions or tools. Knowledge is power, take that first step.
MHAND provides a directory through North Dakota Health and Human Services to search by location through any of the regions to find specific programs in your area, directing you to all their information, such as Free Through Recovery.
MHAND also provides a super easy self-assessment you can take on your own specifically designed to notice any areas of mental health where you may be struggling, and provide insight, suggestions and specialized information on how to help.
However, it’s important to connect with your doctor and get referred to a psychiatrist as we never want to self-diagnose. These test simply just makes it easier to target areas in need of improvement.
We all know that sometimes navigating websites can be confusing; below we’ll give you a step-by-step walk-through of how to do a self-assessment and find helpful resources for yourself.
Step 1: Get onto the website!
Visit the MHAND Youth Mental Health Test link we provided above . This should take you to this page:
Step 2: Answer all of the questions honestly.
There are around 32 questions on this page that you can answer, never, sometimes, or often to. I know it seems like alot, but these questions can help you to get a better understanding of your mental health. After you have finished all the questions, click the “next” button as shown below.
Step 3: Consider answering optional questions.
Once you click next you will be directed to an optional questions page. You can scroll down to see the questions available. Here is an example:
Remember these are completely optional (which means you don't have to do it if you don't want to). It's all anonymous too if you're not ready to talk about it with others. Once you answer these questions (or don’t, it's completely up to you), you are going to hit “View Results”.
Step 4: View your results.
Once you hit “view results” the screen will change to a page that breaks down your result answers. Scored 30 or higher? There’s a good chance your mental health is affecting your daily functioning. It also gives you separate scores for anxiety and depression, attention and ‘conduct’, or behavior. In all cases, higher scores mean you’re more likely to need support (Mental Health American, 2024). Remember, tests like this CANNOT replace actual professional advice, so don’t take it to heart. Think of it more like a guided self-reflection. Here is an example of what the page might look like:
Below the score there is a section called “Next Steps”.
These next steps are specific to what your score was from the questions. Below the next steps are more resources available if you want to talk to someone (for free!) and lots more.
Step 5: Take Next Steps.
Below we inserted an example of the resources that come up when you select a specific “Next Step” - this one is called ‘Dealing with Tough Situations’. This resource gives you a print out page that you can write on and answer the questions. Some find it helpful to write down what's going on because then they can see the situation clearer and see what parts of it they are able to control.
Our Critiques of the Resources
Luca - It might overwhelm you with options, but I believe MHAND offers the most comprehensive mental health support in the state - connecting teens with dozens of resources local to YOU. Think of it as the tree, and every local mental health service and community support program in ND are its branches.
Lilly - After going through the resources on this blog, I have to say my favorite resource available is MHAND. My favorite aspect of MHAND is the “Youth Mental Health Test”. This test does not overpower a professional diagnosis, but it helps you understand your mental health and what steps you can personally take to talk to someone and help yourself if you don't want to go to a doctor right away. The best part? It's all completely free! Even the resource where it lets you talk to someone for some additional help or just to have someone listen to you. All the other resources are wonderful ways to get help, but MHAND is one of my favorites for these reasons.
Amani - I like Free Through Recovery because it helps teens connect with others for support, making it easier to talk about mental health. It’s nice to talk to someone who knows what you’re going through. Plus, their focus on community makes it simple to find help nearby, which is very important when you’re feeling stressed.
Avery - I believe personally that there's still a lot of room for growth when it comes to mental health resources for teens in North Dakota, that's why blogs like these are so important to spread awareness! Personally, I think MHAND is doing the best when it comes to educating youth surrounding mental health. I like the testing, the information, the external resources of phone numbers and links based on your area, but most importantly I love that it's easy to use. As a teen if I was feeling anxious about a certain situation, I could probably find an article specifically designed for my situation, proving I’m not alone and there is support and coping strategies available!
Closing
While online resources and hotlines are a great start, face-to-face interactions - people - will always provide the best possible mental health support. It’s important to have a community that’s local and there for you every step of the way - whether it’s your school counselor, a program at your local hospital, or youth support programs. To be on top of your mental health: be involved, and be consistent.
No matter where you are in the state, you don’t have to suffer alone - get connected! Below are a few extra helpful numbers to help you do just that:
● Crisis Hotline (Text or Call): 988
● MHANDS Main Telephone Line: (701)- 255- 3692
Call to Action
Post a link to your favourite MHAND resource on your preferred social media platform so your friends in North Dakota can also benefit from their awesome services!
References
Child Population by Age Group. (2024). Kids Count Data Center. https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/tables/10691-child-population-by-age-group
NORTH DAKOTA: 2020 Census. (2020). United States Census Bureau.
North Dakota Cities by Population. (2024). North Dakota Demographics by Cubit. https://www.northdakota-demographics.com/cities_by_population
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. (2021). “Strengthening Mental Health in North Dakota Students.” https://www.nd.gov/dpi/news/strengthening-mental-health-north-dakota-students.
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