Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mental Health Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local nonprofit describes teen mental‑health trainings, outreach and large fundraising success
Summary
Tammy Dean of To Be Continued told the McLeod County board the nonprofit now serves a nine‑county area, teaches teen mental health first aid in 21 schools this year and raised more than $500,000 from a recent fundraising program that supports local services.
Tammy Dean, founder and executive director of the nonprofit To Be Continued, spoke to the McLeod County Board of Commissioners on May 19 about the organization’s outreach and training programs in suicide prevention and mental‑health awareness.
Dean said To Be Continued was founded in 2019 after the 2017 death of her sister and now operates across a nine‑county service area. The organization delivers evidence‑based training including QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), SafeTALK, Adult Mental Health First Aid and Teen Mental Health First Aid. Dean told the board To Be Continued delivered teen mental health first aid in 21 schools during the current school year and will expand to 28 schools in the fall, equating to roughly 75 sections this year and an estimated 140 sections next year.
"We carry on her legacy through advocacy, education, and outreach," Dean said. She described programs that are free to participating schools and told commissioners the nonprofit does not provide clinical crisis services but partners with clinical providers and local law enforcement for resources; it also distributes gun locks in partnership with the McLeod County Sheriff’s Office.
Dean reported the organization reached over 62,000 people in 2025 through events, trainings and outreach. She described large fundraising efforts — including a Dancing Like the Star event and a Legends of the Opry show — and said the 12 dance couples this year collectively raised more than $500,000, all of which, she said, stays in the communities served.
Commissioners praised the group’s growth and local impact and thanked Dean for engaging schools and community partners. Press later asked for spelling clarification of two appointee names elsewhere on the agenda.
