Let's say you're a teenager, you live in Novato and you need information about birth control — or it's too late for that and you think you might be pregnant.

Or let's say you know you are pregnant and you need someone experienced to talk to about it.

Or let's say you're depressed and feeling stressed about your future, or your stepdad is a jerk, your mom is drinking too much, your ex-boyfriend is stalking you or a powerful intimidator is bullying you.

And let's say there isn't a single adult in the world you can trust to give you advice and comfort you.

Is there hope? Is there a lifeline?

Is that hope in the form of a safe place to receive help and services, to talk with someone helpful — for free — in strict confidence? The answer is yes, and it's awesome, or in teen-speak, it's sick and legit.

Every Monday afternoon from 2-5 p.m., from its clean brick building tucked in the corner beyond Ideal Stationary and on one side of Luckys food store, the Novato Wellness Center offers a free, confidential clinic for pregnancy testing, sexually transmitted disease testing, birth control testing, health education and counseling. A nurse practitioner and health educator work in tandem with an on-site therapist as well as interns and peer educators all managed by a vibrant young manager named Kara Vernor.

She might look like she just stepped out of a pilates DVD, but Vernor began at the center in April, shortly after earning a master's degree following years working in the fields of reproductive health and violence prevention. She said the reproductive health services are the typical first draw for a teen to the center. 

But then each person who visits gets a mental health evaluation that includes a series of multiple choice questions administered by a person who's trained to look for indicators involving the risk of suicide, anxiety, depression and substance abuse.

If those indicators are present, the center offers a licensed bilingual marriage/family therapist for an immediate session. That initial counseling is followed by opportunities for further counseling by appointment.

Kids are starting to take advantage of these services. Over the past year, more than 300 teens have come through the Monday clinics at the Novato Wellness Center.

"We raise issues and help point out pros and cons and think about consequences to empower the teen to make the best decision," Vernor says.

This four-year-old nonprofit is a satellite to the Novato Youth Center, which will soon be celebrating its 35 anniversary. NYC Executive Director Cheryl Paddack says Novato Youth Center  is the best-kept secret in Novato because the community thinks it only offers childcare. She's ready to break the secret wide open.

"We are school-based and school-linked, and our programs all work together in a comprehensive way to create a deeper impact for youth," Paddack says. "… We want everyone to know about them."

The Novato Wellness Center is a collaborative effort; it receives support from almost a dozen partner organizations. Indeed, these organizations have a vested interest in the success of the center. Organizations such as the Marin Community Clinics supply the doctors and nurses and Huckleberry House provides the Monday clinic health educator.

The wellness center recruits and interviews peer educators who are all public high school students. This year there are four from San Marin High and four from Novato High. They each speak at their high schools and conduct outreach at places such as the Marin County Fair and frequently distribute informational postcards. Vernor says the peer educators are great for communicating to other teens that "it's normal and healthy and powerful to take care of yourself, especially if you're sexually active."

In addition to the free Monday teen drop-in clinic, the Novato Wellness Center also is the place to go for DUI meetings and the Women, Infants and Children program as well as reproductive and counseling services for adults by appointment. If you're interested in learning more, become a fan on Facebook. There you can access an informational video and find out what's going on and what people are saying, and perhaps you can add your own voice.

And just to be clear, every teenager in the state of California has the right to reproductive health care services. It's the law. It's legit. What you might need to stay safe, healthy and make good choices is here in Novato.