The Power Behind Mental Health Touchdown: Introducing Dr. Tim Thayne and Home Teams
I recently wrote a blog about my new Mental Health Touchdown (MHTD) Foundation, which empowers individuals to take proactive steps toward mental well-being by building trusted communities or Home Teams. You can read that blog to learn more about MHTD. Today, I want to introduce you to a key member of this foundation.
From Then to Now: A Home Visit to a Foundation, to a Home Team
I had the fortune of meeting Dr. Tim Thayne after my son, Griffin, participated in one of his wilderness retreats. Tim came to my home, and that day I knew I not only wanted to learn more from him but also to work with him to spread our mutual message: mental health matters! Today, he has become a crucial member of my home team and a wonderful mentor and friend. But what is a “Home Team,” and who is Dr. Tim Thayne? I figured the best way to answer those questions was to hear the answers straight from him. I recently sat down for a conversation with Tim. Without further ado, let’s learn more about Tim and his work.
Dr. Tim Thayne talks about his history in Mental Health and explains Home Teams
1. You’ve spent your career helping families strengthen relationships between parents and children. What originally inspired your work in this field, and how has your philosophy evolved over the years?
I’ve always wanted to do something with my life that would have a generational impact, and I’ve felt a deep calling to focus on strengthening families. That vision began to crystallize during my time at Brigham Young University, when I worked with retired couples preparing for teaching and service missions. For three weeks at a time, I watched these couples—many of whom had lived independently of each other’s day-to-day responsibilities—struggle to function as a team again. Some even pulled me aside to talk about challenges in their marriage. At 22 years old I was honored they would ask but I didn’t have the tools to help at the time, but those experiences planted a seed. That’s what led me to pursue a graduate degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Years later, after earning my doctorate, I co-founded a wilderness treatment program for struggling teens. I saw firsthand the healing power of the wilderness—how it helped teens gain insight, self-worth, and emotional clarity. But it wasn’t enough. Many of the same teens who made huge strides in the wilderness would return home and struggle to maintain momentum. That’s when I realized that the transition plan needed to include helping the parents shore up their family system, culture, and leadership.
I returned to my roots in family systems thinking and made a bold move and sold the wilderness program then launched Homeward Bound, the first program of its kind to help teens and their families navigate the transition home. Over 18 years, we worked in thousands of homes, not just strengthening the family, but also creating support systems around the teen to help them overcome shame and feel surrounded by people who believed in them. That became the foundation of what I called the Home Team.
Eventually, I wrote Not by Chance: How Parents Boost Their Teen’s Success in and After Treatment to share what we’d learned. More recently, I launched Trustyy, a digital platform that empowers teens to rebuild trust through self-directed action plans, while giving parents tools to track progress and stay engaged. It’s all built around the idea that lasting change happens through strong systems of trust, accountability, and support—starting at home. A big shift for me was seeing that teens can and need to own their own plan for building trust with their parents and gaining freedoms as a result.
2. You talk often about the importance of building a “home team” for kids. Can you explain what that means and how it plays a role in adolescent mental health?
I grew up in a small farming town in northeastern Utah, where everyone knew everyone, and our community’s care ran deep. My graduating class had just 32 students, and while not many of us were headed off to college, we had something powerful: a network of caring adults who looked out for us. Teachers, coaches, church leaders, neighbors—even strangers who knew our parents—stepped in with guidance, support, and accountability. Those micro-interventions shaped me.
That’s the foundation of what I call the Home Team. While parents play the central role in a child’s development, there are some things they can’t do alone—especially during the teen years. Sometimes teens need support from someone outside the daily conflict—someone who sees them differently and reflects their worth back to them.
In today’s world, where social media has ironically made us more isolated, building a strong support network is more important than ever. And research backs this up—teens who have at least one trusted adult outside their immediate family are significantly less likely to struggle with depression, anxiety, and risky behaviors.
Over the years, I’ve seen how powerful it is when a teen realizes they’re not alone—that there’s a team of people who care about them and want to see them succeed. I’ve even joked with some of my New York-based coaches that I want the Home Team to be as popular as Peloton fitness craze. It might sound ambitious, but it’s that level of community support we need to normalize if we want real change.
3. You were one of the early collaborators on the Mental Health Touchdown initiative. How did you first connect with Erik Kramer, and what drew you to his story?
I first met Erik after his son Griffin returned home from a wilderness treatment program. As part of our model, I visited their home within the first few days to guide the family through the transition—helping them establish structure, a supportive emotional climate, and a parenting approach that would support Griffin’s momentum.
From the beginning, Erik stood out. He had a strong passion for the principles we were discussing and an openness to feedback that’s rare. He wasn’t defensive—he wanted to learn, to grow, and to show up better for his family.
Years later, Erik reached out again—not for help, but to access our Family Bridge platform because he wanted to help others. He remembered the curriculum and wanted to revisit it as a resource for families who might be going through what he had. That’s who Erik is—his drive comes from a deep place of compassion and experience.
That conversation was my introduction to a non-profit that Erik would later call Mental Health Touchdown. Erik’s commitment to building something meaningful, rooted in truth and community, made it an easy yes for me.
4. Erik Kramer’s personal journey—from NFL quarterback to mental health advocate—is powerful. What has it been like to partner with him on a mission so deeply rooted in resilience and connection?
After our initial work together, I lost touch with Erik for a few years. What I didn’t know during that time was that he had gone through unimaginable loss—including the passing of his son Griffin—and had even survived a suicide attempt during one of the darkest chapters of his life.
So when he reached out again, I was deeply moved. Here was someone who had walked through incredible pain, and yet his first instinct was to help others.
Partnering with Erik has been powerful because it’s so real. There’s no image management, no ego—just honest, resilient leadership. He knows what it’s like to hit rock bottom, and now he’s turning that pain into purpose. That gives him a unique ability to connect—not just with teens, but with parents, coaches, and mentors.
Our mission is the same: help people heal, connect, and grow—not in isolation, but through strengthened families and community. Erik’s life is living proof that recovery happens in relationships.
5. The MHTD curriculum emphasizes early intervention. In your experience, what are the signs parents or coaches should never ignore in a struggling teen?
Before we talk about signs in a teen, I believe parents and caring adults need to first look inward. I’ve had to do that myself.
Even though I’ve spent my career studying family life and supporting parents, I’m also an entrepreneur—and that comes with a level of immersion and distraction that can pull you away from the very relationships you value most. I’ve had moments in my own family where I realized that while I was busy helping other families, I was taking my eye off the ball at home. That realization was humbling, and it reminded me of the most important early indicator of all: How tuned in are we to our kids’ lives? Are we nurturing connection on a regular basis—or coexisting in the same house while our emotional proximity quietly slips?
Often, the signs of a teen struggling are subtle at first. One of the most common is withdrawal—pulling away from family, spending more time alone, losing interest in conversations or shared activities. And while it’s now “normal” for teens to bury themselves in screens, that normalization actually makes withdrawal easier to miss. Parents need to regularly assess connection—not just behavior. If that connection is weakening, it’s time to pause and reevaluate the family system.
Other signs to watch for include:
- Drop in academic performance or motivation
- Loss of interest in hobbies, sports, or friendships they once enjoyed
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns
- Irritability, defensiveness, or emotional volatility
- A sense of hopelessness, worthlessness, or “checking out”
But perhaps just as important as recognizing signs is knowing how to interpret them. Many parents have been in the trenches with their child for years. For them, the signs aren’t sudden—they’ve been there all along. And when you’ve been carrying that load for so long, it’s easy to get discouraged or emotionally worn down. That’s why one of my messages to those parents is this: Take care of yourself. Make sure you’re not trying to clear every obstacle for your child. Instead, focus on preparing them for the path, even when it’s hard to watch them struggle.
And finally, remember: some distance between a teen and their parent is part of healthy individuation. That’s normal. But when trust is decreasing and emotional safety is eroding, those are the moments to lean in, not pull away. Trust erosion is often reversible—but only when it’s named and addressed early.
If we’re going to talk about early intervention, it has to begin with awareness—and that awareness starts not with the teen, but with the adult looking in the mirror and asking: Am I close enough to notice what’s changing?
6. You helped kick off the first EK Passing Camp coaches weekend. What stood out to you about that experience, and how did it set the tone for the program?
What stood out to me immediately was Erik’s vision—it’s holistic, it’s courageous, and it goes far beyond football. He could have taken the easy route, running a traditional passing camp focused solely on drills and field performance. That would be a simple message to sell: “Come learn how to become a better football player.” But Erik is choosing something far more difficult—and far more meaningful.
Yes, he wants to develop great athletes. But more than that, he wants to shape mature young men—guys who are mentally strong, relationally aware, emotionally grounded, and ready for the challenges that come with life on and off the field. He’s helping these young men not just succeed in football, but also prepare for college, relationships, pressure, and responsibility.
What also impressed me was the buy-in from the coaches at the weekend. They didn’t just stand on the sidelines giving commands. They jumped into the experiential leadership process we facilitated, and many of them got vulnerable—sharing stories and lessons from their own lives. That kind of openness isn’t always encouraged in the world of competitive sports, but these men leaned in. And when coaches model authenticity and self-awareness, it gives players permission to do the same.
I believe this camp will be unlike anything most teens or families have experienced. It’s not just about winning games—it’s about helping these athletes build the kind of emotional intelligence and relationship patterns that will serve them for life. For me, that’s the sweet spot: using a structured experience to impact a young person and ultimately strengthen the family they return home to.
7. One of the pillars of MHTD is equipping adults—coaches, parents, teachers—with tools to support youth. What are some of the most effective tools or strategies you’ve found to foster real connection?
Our ability to support teens starts with self-awareness. Real influence comes when we live in alignment with our values and take responsibility for how we’re showing up in our relationships. Many of our patterns in relationships come from unconscious beliefs about ourselves and others—and if we want to change the relationship, we have to start by changing ourselves, and that takes insight.
One simple but powerful tool is asking: Are my thoughts, actions, and emotions bringing me closer to the relationship I want, or pushing me farther away? That kind of intentionality allows us to act with purpose rather than react from habit.
I often help parents and mentors diagram their internal process—making the path from thoughts to feelings to actions visible. Once we see the pattern, we can shift it. That’s when relationships start to transform. We also stop trying to control others and instead let our actions serve as invitations—modeling the very trust and maturity we want to see in the teen.
And above all, the most powerful connector is listening. Not just hearing—but listening with an open heart, with a willingness to be influenced. That kind of presence creates safety. And when both sides show up authentically, relationships grow in ways that last.
Learn More about Dr. Tim Thayne and his work
To learn more about Dr. Tim Thayne you can head over to his website to learn more about him, his journey, and his impact on the mental health community.