The StoryTeller Project: How Teller County is healing through authenticity

By Ashlee Shields, Transformation Manager-Teller County

Collage of volunteer StoryTellers in Teller County, Colorado.

Local storytellers play a powerful role in helping communities move from awareness to lasting change. In rural areas especially, stories shared by neighbors, veterans, parents, youth, business owners, and other community members can break through stigma in ways statistics and marketing campaigns alone cannot.

That’s why the Teller County Mental Health Alliance (TCMHA), an initiative of ChangeLine, launched the StoryTeller Project. This bold new approach to addressing stigma in rural communities shifts the narrative from “mental health problems” to shared human experiences. It reminds people that they are more than their hardest moments—and that every story told has the potential to create hope for someone else.

As the Teller County Transformation Manager at ChangeLine, I’m excited about this project because I know how local stories can bridge the gap between neighbors. It requires being a little vulnerable, but that’s the magic of storytelling: a bit of bravery often leads to a trove of connection. This exclusively human act has long been known to build trust while reducing shame and feelings of isolation.

In communities like rural Teller County, where connection and visibility matter deeply, local storytellers become community leaders simply by showing up as who they are. The courage of each volunteer StoryTeller will help to create safer, more compassionate spaces for others to do the same.

When this project kicked off, I met with volunteer StoryTellers everywhere from the great outdoors to coffeeshops to the comfort of their homes—wherever they felt most at ease. There, a variety of often avoided topics were discussed, including childhood abuse and trauma, suicide, postpartum depression and rage, guilt, depression, anxiety, and more.

I am so grateful to every person who chose to lend their voice to this project. It was an honor to listen, bear witness, and hold space for each and every one.

It’s my hope that this collection, soon to be shared through short-form content on social media and eventually a YouTube series, will resonate with residents of Teller County and inspire them to talk about their own mental health experiences. After all, the more comfortable we become speaking about the heavy things, the less we feel like we have to carry it all alone.