Building Mental Health Resiliency For The Whole Family
According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents globally. When mental, social and physical stressors are not addressed, consequences can carry into adulthood. Fortunately, more research and awareness of mental health is on the rise and there are available resources in Western Colorado to help meet the needs of youth and families.
A recent study released through The Center for Promise at America’s Promise Alliance reflects how youth are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with findings suggesting that students are experiencing a collective trauma, and that they and their families would benefit from immediate and ongoing support. 93% of students interviewed said they found resources offered for mental health support at least a little helpful. All of this is why opportunities for support, like Olivia’s Fund, an Eagle Valley Behavioral Health program, are much-needed resources for young people in our community.
Photo by Scott DW Smith/Open Sky Wilderness Therapy
Olivia’s Fund provides financial assistance to anyone who lives or works in Eagle County to help pay for mental health and/or substance use services. The fund offers up to six sessions per person per year for anyone who faces a financial barrier, regardless of insurance or immigration status. Once approved, recipients can select a clinician who best meets their needs from a list of local, highly qualified behavioral health providers. This program was developed with the intention to ensure the community’s behavioral health did not become part of a financial equation that weighed health with financial barriers.
Dana Erpelding, operations director for Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, reports of recent legislation passed in Colorado: anyone over the age of 12 now can seek behavioral health services without parental consent. Erpelding acknowledges that youth face significant financial barriers to seeking behavioral healthcare.
“During the last year, we have dramatically increased the number of local behavioral health providers, enhanced the level (tier) of behavioral health services available within our community and assisted 95% of our behavioral health providers to have telehealth capacity prior to our first confirmed case of COVID-19,” Erpelding says.
Olivia’s Fund providers continue to offer in-person and teletherapy sessions to its applicants. The application process is easy, confidential and available in both English and Spanish on their website eaglevalleybh.org/oliviasfund.
In Glenwood Springs, Valley View Hospital operates the Youth Recovery Center for youth ages 15-18 with mental health and substance abuse issues. Their inpatient recovery center offers individual and group counseling, recreation opportunities and educational support.
Diana Gonzalez, clinical supervisor and recreation director for the Youth Recovery Center, recognizes unique components to their program such as equine therapy, pottery classes and fitness training all at local businesses.
“We also have trauma specialists who provide EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Restructuring Reprocessing) and teach youth with more notable trauma issues coping skills,” Gonzalez says.
In addition, the hospital also has an Integrated Therapies unit which provides youth with acupuncture, therapeutic massage, aromatherapy, heart math and healing touch as part of their program.
The Youth Recovery Center continues to operate their services with increased COVID protocols including face masks, sanitization, COVID vaccines for staff and COVID testing for new clients. There is typically a wait list for youth to participate, but Gonzalez encourages families to reach out if your teen is struggling with substance abuse issues.
“Even if we can’t take your youth in right away, we can always refer you out to resources in your community. We always aim to support our Colorado community in any way we can!” Gonzalez says.
A well-known wilderness therapy organization based in Durango is Open Sky Wilderness Therapy. Open Sky believes in inspiring youth to live in a way that honors values and strengthens relationships. Youth can take part in an immersive outdoor behavior therapy by combining experiential education, individual and group therapy through a holistic treatment model, which includes yoga and mindfulness practices.
Sebastiaan Zuidweg, Open Sky clinical director and therapist states, “Wilderness therapy is not only an incredibly effective therapeutic modality for youth but also a great potential antidote to the risks and impacts of today’s pandemic environment.”
Zuidweg explains how students at Open Sky are removed from the stressors of the pandemic including isolation, substance use, stressful family dynamics and risk-taking behavior. “I see students more fully engaged in self-discovery, treatment and the healing journey as a whole than I have in other treatment settings,” he says.
Open Sky incorporates a family systems approach, where they offer a wide variety of opportunities for parents to engage in their own work alongside their child’s personal journey.
“In fact, our research shows students make greater gains and maintain those gains after the program when their parents actively engage in the process,” Zuidweg adds.
In a time of social isolation and general uncertainty, these local providers offer advice on how to build mental health resiliency for the whole family. Experts encourage families to create routine within their home environment which includes time for individual self-care and open communication, allowing space for each family member to process their emotions and feel validated opens the door to a trusting family circle.
Originally published in the Spring 2021 issue