The Marshall Fire shined a spotlight on student mental health needs. In partnership with the Boulder Valley School District we’ve created a long-term approach to providing mental health supports during the school day.
Impact on Education is committed to the mental health of BVSD students. Your gift helps provide Wellness Centers and Mental Health Advocates in schools, and resources and training to support the well-being of staff, students and their families.
Young people today are experiencing a mental health crisis unlike anything we’ve seen before. Nearly one in five youth in Colorado reported poor mental health in 2021 — double the rate seen in 2017. Social media, the pandemic, and climate change were just some of the external pressures students and parents cited during A Community Conversation: Supporting the Mental Health of Our Youth, a panel discussion hosted by Impact on Education on April 12, 2023.
Mental Health Advocates (MHAs) focus exclusively on mental and behavioral health, supplementing what BVSD school counselors can provide. Within BVSD, MHAs:
The intensity of mental health concerns and the time required to provide support and intervention varies dramatically from case to case.
The additional MHAs ensure the schools impacted by the Marshall Fire have the intensive layer of mental health support needed, and expand the
district’s capacity to respond to mental health needs.
STUDENT IMPACT
August – December 2022
“Each person has a different starting point and a different social and community safety net, which means the same disaster affects each person differently.”
Center for disaster philanthropy
At Monarch High School, where 1 in 10 students was
impacted by the Marshall Fire, a Wellness Center was created to support students in August 2022. Staffed by a full-time counselor, the Wellness Center provides students a safe place to recharge and speak with a trained professional during the school day.
“When I learned about the Wellness Center, I asked my son if he knew about it. I was surprised to hear that he goes regularly.”
Parent of Monarch High School student
STUDENT IMPACT
August – December 2022
Colorado Crisis Services
Statewide behavioral health crisis response system offering residents mental health, substance use or emotional crisis help, information and referrals.
1-844-493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255 | https://coloradocrisisservices.org
Safe2Tell
Anonymously report anything that concerns or threatens you, your friends, your family, or your community. Submit reports any time, any day by calling the number below or submitting through their website or mobile app.
1-977-542-7233 | https://safe2tell.org
Rise Against Suicide
RISE helps youth at risk of suicide by removing the financial and social barriers to treatment, enabling them to find hope and healing. RISE offers free and immediate mental health therapy to youth struggling with suicidal ideation.
For help – call 720-263-0085 or email referral@riseagainstsuicide.org
To learn more about the program visit riseagainstsuicide.org
Parent Conversation Cards
28 questions to help make conversations with teens easier. Find time each day to ask a question that will get you both talking.
Download the cards as a PDF >>
NAMI Boulder
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Boulder County, is a nonprofit self-help support and advocacy organization of people with mental illnesses and families and friends of people with mental illnesses. NAMI Boulder offers family support groups for parents and caregivers of teens experiencing mental health issues every Wednesday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. via Zoom.
More Boulder County and Colorado teen mental health resources are available here:
https://namibouldercounty.org/resources/teen-resources
I Matter Therapy
Parents, caregivers or youth may receive up to six free online therapy sessions through this State of Colorado program.
https://imattercolorado.org
Out Boulder County
The youth program is Out Boulder County’s social and educational space for LGBTQ+ youth and their allies ages 11-18. The year round programming includes three weekly support groups, paid youth internships, annual programming, and youth centered community events. The calendar is always evolving.
https://www.outboulder.org
Natural Highs
Natural Highs empowers teens as leaders around positive peer culture. They provide healthy alternatives to drugs and alcohol through offering workshops, drop-in classes, groups, presentations, sober events, and entrepreneurial and leadership opportunities for teens. Offers a peer mentor program, acudetox, and resources for teens, adults and parents about substance abuse prevention. Empowers teens as leaders around positive peer culture.
https://www.naturalhighs.org
NAMI Say It Out Loud
A free online card game that helps teens explore how they and their friends approach mental health and well-being.
NAMI Say It Out Loud >>
OASOS
OASOS stands for Open and Affirming Sexual Orientation and gender identity Support. OASOS collaborates with LGBTQ+ youth to build safer, healthier, more affirming schools and communities for youth in Boulder County through community engagement, pro-social support groups, one on one resource navigation, school based programming, advocacy, training, health education and leadership development.
OASOS Boulder County >>
BVSD Mental Health Resources
From bully prevention to sexual violence and assault, BVSD offers resources on a variety of mental health topics.
https://www.bvsd.org/parents-students/health-and-wellness/mental-health
Young people today are experiencing a mental health crisis unlike anything we’ve seen before. Nearly one in five youth in Colorado reported poor mental health in 2021 — double the rate seen in 2017. Social media, the pandemic, and climate change were just some of the external pressures students and parents cited during a panel discussion that gathered more than 300 people at Manhattan Middle School on April 12, 2023.
Throughout the 2022-23 school year our Academic Opportunity Fund awarded over $230,000, providing opportunities for creativity and innovation and helping to bridge the funding gap for 166 educators and schools.
Mental health has a significant impact on a student’s academic performance, social interactions, and overall well-being, and unfortunately mental health challenges have skyrocketed among children and teenagers. We’re working to raise both the awareness and funds needed to bolster youth mental health supports in our community.
We are committed to providing an elevated level of mental health support for all students, especially those affected by the Marshall Fire. From Wellness Centers to Mental Health Advocates, we’re working toward three goals that would allow us to serve 11,698 students at 12 schools across BVSD.
info@impactoneducation.org
303.524.3865
Impact on Education
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Louisville, CO 80027
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