May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to recognize the importance of mental health and the impact it has on our lives.
At Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, we’re committed to supporting the mental health of our Club members. We offer a wide range of programs and services that promote positive mental health and well-being, including employing a team of full-time, trained mental health professionals to support the mental and emotional well-being of the kids and teens we serve. Each of our 25 Clubs has a mental health team member present at least two days weekly to facilitate individual sessions and small social-emotional learning (SEL) groups.
A Winning Team
We are deeply committed to and invested in providing the best ongoing mental health support to our Club members. Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver has a dedicated, full-time Mental Health Team who support mental health needs across the organization. These professionals help members understand their emotions, navigate challenges, and connect families with bigger needs to appropriate resources.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver facilitates programming including Second Step, Too Good for Violence, and Spark Teen, to provide kids and teens with developmentally appropriate curriculum, proven to make an impact.
In 2023, our mental health team was named the winner of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s National Honor Award in Trauma-Informed Practice. The Honor Awards are Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s most prestigious award program – recognizing Clubs across the nation who demonstrate innovation, leadership, and impact by setting new standards for program quality and excellence. Read more about the award here.
Results That Matter
Our Clubs are safe spaces that promote mental health awareness and resilience. These programs help our Club members build habits and skills that will support their long-term mental health. During our 2022-2023 program year:
Learn more about our Mental Health Programs here.
Meet our Mental Health Team!
Contact Marie Olivett at MarieO@bgcmd.org to learn more about our Mental Health Team.
Mental health support is one of the most critical services we provide in our Clubs. It is foundational to our programming and helps kids build resilience in an increasingly uncertain world. Our programs normalize seeking help and break the stigma around talking about mental health struggles, both key in Denver’s suicide prevention strategy.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s commit to prioritizing our mental health and one another. Together, we can build a brighter, more resilient future for all.