By Ann Schimke, Chalkbeat Colorado (AP Storyshare)

Roxana Alvarado Martinéz, a high school sophomore, had told only close friends she was seeing a therapist to help her with anxiety and insomnia.

But that changed this month in the civics classroom where she serves as a teacher’s assistant. The teacher plucked slips of paper from the “Sol y Nubes” — sun and clouds — box, where students can anonymously share struggles or excitement.

That day, as the discussion touched on depression, bullying, and suicide, Roxana spoke up.

“There is no shame, absolutely no shame in you having a therapist or me having a therapist,” she told the class at Summit High School in Breckenridge. “I could help you get connected if that’s what you need.”

Roxana is part of a generation that has grappled with unprecedented mental health struggles over the last few years amid a pandemic that stoked stress, fear, and isolation for people young and old. She’s also one of thousands of Colorado youth taking advantage of a growing number of programs that aim to make mental health support more accessible and affordable for young people.

These programs include the state’s “I Matter” program, which provides six free telehealth or in-person counseling sessions to students in elementary through high school. So far, the program has served more than 5,600 students statewide.

There are a variety of local programs, too. Roxana, 16, received a scholarship to cover the cost of therapy from Building Hope Summit County, a mental health nonprofit. The Aurora school district east of Denver began offering students six free counseling sessions a year ago and the neighboring Cherry Creek district began offering eight to 10 free sessions to middle and high schoolers in December. Both districts contract with Hazel Health, a telehealth company based in San Francisco.

It’s hard to know if Colorado youth are getting all the help they need. During the first nine months of 2022, mental health-related visits to emergency departments in the Children’s Hospital Colorado system were up 74% compared with the same period in 2019, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

That’s part of the reason why local and state leaders continue to push for easy-access mental health support for children and teens before a full-blown crisis hits.

Michelle Weinraub, Cherry Creek’s chief health officer, said the district’s free counseling program grew out of a mental health task force launched in early 2022. She recalled asking students at one meeting if they’d use free counseling sessions they could access on their phones after school or work.

A couple of them were so excited, they jumped out of their chairs, she said.

“They were like, ‘Yes, that’s what we want,’” she said. Then the students started talking: “We can’t get an appointment unless we’re in crisis … My friend tried to call and they’re on a waitlist for six months. My friend wanted to see this person that they knew somebody else was seeing, but it doesn’t accept insurance.”

Experts declare a mental health emergency

In May 2021, just over a year into the pandemic, leaders at Children’s Hospital Colorado sounded the alarm about the spike in serious mental health problems among children and teens, declaring a youth mental health “state of emergency.”

They pleaded for more funding as well as efforts to reduce bureaucratic constraints in the youth mental health system. Six months later the state launched I Matter.

The program isn’t meant to be the only “front door” to counseling, but rather to serve as one low-barrier option for any young person who needs someone to talk to, said Charlotte Whitney of the state’s Behavioral Health Administration, which runs I Matter. There’s no requirement to be extremely anxious or depressed.

Whitney said the model can help set kids up for improved mental health long term “because they know where to access services and they know the coping skills to get them through those really hard times.”

Students 12 and over can sign up for the therapy sessions by filling out a simple online form. Children under 12 can use the service, but need a parent to do so. Whitney said generally students can get telehealth appointments within days.

Occasionally, she said, students wait longer if they’re looking for something specific — for example an in-person appointment in a rural community or a therapist that specializes in transgender issues.

In Aurora, about 230 students have been referred for counseling through the free Hazel Health program since the start of the school year. In Cherry Creek, which launched its program Dec. 5, about 200 students have been referred for help, often by their parents. Officials in both districts say there are no waiting lists for appointments.

Puppy therapy helps students open up

Timothy Swanson, a social worker in Colorado Springs, is one of about 200 I Matter therapists statewide. He sees up to three students a week, mostly in person, through the program. Often, his clients open up first to his dog Smoke, a gentle pitbull mix who accompanies him to the office.

“They just love him. They just grab him and start talking to him,” said Swanson. “It really helps these kids because a lot of times they come in, they’re withdrawn, a little nervous, not sure what therapy’s about.”

Swanson, 63, said many young clients, whether they’ve come through I Matter or other avenues, struggle with anxiety, anger, or depression. Sometimes, it’s because of pandemic-related disruptions at school, the trickle-down effect of parent stress, or cruel behavior from classmates.

Some of his clients have been told by fellow students, “Well, if you feel that way, why don’t you just kill yourself?”

“It’s really damaging,” Swanson said. “I encourage them to talk to counselors, to me, to their parents, to teachers or whoever, to help them develop a support system … a healthy one where they can get good answers.”

As with other free therapy programs, I Matter aims to connect youth to continued counseling if they want or need it after the free sessions. Swanson said 30% to 40% of his I Matter clients continue seeing him after the first six sessions, paying through health insurance or other means.

Weinraub, of the Cherry Creek district, said if needed, Hazel Health therapists work with students and families to connect them to a local therapist after the free telehealth sessions end.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to student burnout

Even before Roxana moved to the United State from Mexico at age 7, she was a top student. Her parents expected good grades and she delivered.

But her classes got harder in middle school. Then, in seventh grade, the pandemic hit. Roxana, once surrounded by friends, found herself spending long days alone in her bedroom.

Her father would say, “You have to come out and at least eat something, drink some water,” Roxana said. “I started getting to the point where I was drowning myself in all my work.”

She felt claustrophobic, exhausted, and worried about her mother, who worked as a nurse in Mexico. Eventually, Roxana tried counseling but it didn’t go well. She said the therapist told her, “It’s only in your head. You’re just pretending.”

By the middle of her freshman year in high school, her struggles spiraled. She was skipping classes and nearly failing courses for the first time in her life. She ended up in the hospital.

Today, Roxana is doing better. She’s seeing a therapist she relates to — one who is Latina and a native Spanish-speaker like herself — and she’s let go of her drive for perfect grades. She’s also trying to tackle the stigma around seeking mental health help, something she’s felt as part of the Latino community.

“We have this big, big culture of what happens in our family stays in our family and you’re not going to tell our family business around,” she said.

But Roxana knows there are other students like her at school, silently struggling with their painful realities. That’s why she decided to say something during the recent civics class, stuttering a bit as she shared her story.

“If I don’t speak out, other people won’t either,” she said.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Resources:
I Matter: Sign up for six free therapy sessions for Colorado youth.
Colorado Crisis Line: 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255.
National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988.

The post Colorado experts declared a youth mental health emergency. Here’s what happened next. appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

By Amanda Horvath, Rocky Mountain PBS (via AP Storyshare)

DENVER — “Getting back up, that’s the hardest part.”

Kate Pitones is part of the generation experiencing one of the greatest mental health crises ever in Colorado. She recently started her sophomore year of high school at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy in Denver. At 15 years old she has lived through unprecedented times as a teenager and sometimes struggles with her mental health.

“It’s okay for it to weigh you down. You just can’t let it stop you completely,” she told Rocky Mountain PBS when speaking about what she has learned about mental health care in the last few years. And she is not alone in her struggles.

“We have been experiencing chronic stress across society for the last almost three years now, and chronic stress has a real significant impact and a long standing impact on our mental health over time,” said Jessica Hawks, Ph.D., a clinical child and adolescent psychologist and the clinical director of the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Jessica Hawks, Ph.D., clinical child and adolescent psychologist and clinical director of the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Hawks and other mental health professionals around Colorado are waiving the red flag, saying the state of youth mental health is still getting worse, not better.

“[It’s] pretty alarming,” she said. “Since the beginning of the pandemic to now, we’ve seen a doubling … in the rates of mental health concerns for youth.”

Children’s Hospital Colorado first sounded the alarm in May of 2021 declaring a “state of emergency” for youth mental health. The goal was to really capture the attention of Coloradans and policy makers and communicate the true severity of what kids were going through.

[Related: Colorado doctors say kids’ mental health is in a “state of emergency” during the pandemic]

Comparing numbers from the beginning of 2019 to the beginning of 2022, Children’s Hospital saw a 103% increase in the number of patients who arrived in a crisis. In just the last year, the hospital saw a 23% increase of patients in crisis. While these numbers are alarming, Hawks said the there is another statistic that worries her more.

Children’s Hospital Colorado reports from 2019 to 2022 youth patients in a mental health crisis doubled.

“Only about 22% of youth in the state of Colorado that need mental health services because of the significance of their mental health concerns are actually receiving the treatment that they need,” said Hawks.

For Pitones those numbers track in her world.

“There’s at least one or two people in a friend group that … they have some type of depression or anxiety or, like, at least a plan of suicide,” said Pitones.

She has faced some mental health challenges of her own, which started when she was having trouble with physical health. She was dealing with chronic back pain at a young age with a family history of arthritis hitting at the same time as a growth spurt.

“So I had to go to Children’s Hospital to get some … physical therapy. And I also had a therapist to talk to there. So it’s just like, ‘Why is your mental health declining?’ Because I can’t do this. I can’t, you know, play my regular sports. I cannot play volleyball or soccer anymore because everything hurts,” Pitones explained to her therapist.

She said through the work with her therapist, Pitones realized how to change that mindset of “I can’t” to be less restrictive and celebrate what she can still do.

“I feel more energized to, like, actually get outside and try something even though I know it’s going to hurt, but it’s going to make me better,” said Pitones.

Outside of her personal journey, this school year she is working on a project to help her peers. Pitones is on the Youth Action Board with Children’s Hospital Colorado mental health institute. This board consists of nearly 20 teens across the Denver-metro area who are interested in raising awareness and de-stigmatizing mental health issues.

Pitones became involved last year and helped come up with plans to build a “wellness room” inside her school.

Kate Pitones is helping to build a wellness room for her fellow classmates at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy.

“It’s like a decompression space where, like, students can go in and … just relax and take a break,” said Pitones, “because school day is pretty long.”

The wellness room will be built in a space in the school’s library and include items like bean bag chairs and sound proof headphones. The hope is it becomes a place to take a break and keep students from completely breaking down.

“As best as you can try to get through the day without, like, having the idea of ‘Oh, my God, I’m so overwhelmed. I don’t think I’m going to make it through this day because I’m going to have, like, a mental breakdown,’” Pitones explained.

This wellness room won’t be up and running until late October or November because they weren’t able to work on it this summer. However, Pitones is excited for students to use it and has heard they are eagerly waiting for it be open.

“The point is you can decompress and go back into class with a better mindset and not just ditch the entire class and get a failing grade for the day in that class,” she said.

For the beginning of the school year, especially this year, kids will have to deal with an increasing amount of stress in other ways.

“We consistently see increases in mental health concerns at this point in the school year, and that’s because the return to school is just inherently stressful for everybody. There’s going to be more academic pressures. You’re around your peer group, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the situation,” Hawks explained.

The other hurdle students will face this year is increasing expectations to “return to normal” when so much growth and development was missed. Outside of academic setbacks, especially depending on age, students missed out on socialization and the structure of in-person learning.

[Related: CMAS results: Colorado students make gains but still below pre-pandemic levels]

“If you think about the young kids in school for second, third grade — their first couple of years in grade school was completely unlike anything any of us have ever experienced. So, they’re actually reentering school almost for the first time,” said Hawks.

While stopping stressors isn’t always achievable, Hawks emphasized youth and parents there are actionable things they can do to truly make a difference and even save a life.

Kate Pitones, 15, leaned on her brother for support through the isolating part of the pandemic. As she returns to school this year, she is working on a project to help all students maintain mental well-being.

One of the most important things that youth should remember when they’re going back to school is to get back to the basics. It’s amazing what a difference all the basic health, hygiene sorts of things can have on our mental health,” said Hawks. “The number one thing that adults can do to support their kids is to check in with them regularly and spend quality time together.”

In her work, Hawks said she often works with parents and their children in tandem on how to improve mental health and develop healthy coping skills. She said it’s common for parents to feel guilt over their child’s depression, anxiety or mental illness. She encourages parents to not focus on the guilt but on how they can help moving forward.

“The really great thing about youth is that they are profoundly, positively impacted by the adults in their life,” said Hawks. “Pay attention to your kid, and ask them, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ And actually listen to what they’re saying and then figure out a plan. If your child is struggling, get them the support that they need.”

For Pitones, she wants to tell kids to watch out for themselves and each other and know help is out there. She shared a story of when a friend was showing signs of concerning behavior — ditching class, not eating, hanging out with “the bad crowd” as she put it. Pitones and her friends talked to this girl and found out she had plans to harm herself. That’s when they made the hard decision to tell a teacher.

“[They] had her pulled into the school counselor’s office, and it was kind of a scary moment because it was, like, ‘Is she going to be mad at us for getting her that help?’” Pitones explained. “No, she was very relieved with us for us doing that.”

Pitones said that friend was able to find a therapist and just spoke to her recently. She is doing well and happily welcomed a new puppy with her family.

Recent years have taught Pitones a lot about mental health, but most importantly the power of talking about the struggles and helping to take away the stigma of asking for help.

“At least talking about it or making it known … that you’re there for them, that’s a very big help,” said Pitones. “[They’re] not going to be as afraid to reach out.”

The post A break before a breakdown: Denver student hopes wellness room soothes youth mental health crisis appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

August 21 will be the 5th Annual Swim Across America Denver Open Water Swim

Swimmers and volunteers in the Denver area will be making a big splash on Sunday, August 21, at the 5th annual Swim Across America Denver open water swim. This swim raises funds for cancer research with the swim’s local Denver beneficiary the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Throughout the nonprofit’s 35 years of holding swimming events across America, swimming has raised more than $100 million for cancer research. Denver has been instrumental in raising close to $1 million in the fight against cancer at its past four swims.

The Swim Across America Denver open water swim is fun for all ages with .5 mile, 1 mile and 2 mile swim options available. Registration is open for all swimmers and volunteers at swimacrossamerica.org/denver. The event is spearheaded by event directors Eric Vitcenda and his wife Jessica Reinhardt Vitcenda, along with Nicole Vanderpoel.

Eric was an Ironman competitor and was first introduced to Swim Across America in 2017 while competing in Maryland when he saw someone with a Swim Across America t-shirt on. “Once my new friend explained to me what Swim America was, from that moment, I knew my wife Jessica and I wanted to bring Swim Across America to Denver,” said Eric Vitcenda.

Eric says he was, “voluntold” he would handle the Swim Across America World – which includes setting up the Swim Across America big inflatable arch the swimmers travel through, the inflatable swim markers and other Swim Across America signage at the event. Little did he know what that would entail, or what it would eventually lead to. From the initial coordination of receiving, storing and transporting the Swim Across America site equipment, to camping overnight to ensure its security at the event site, there is no limit to Eric’s volunteering and support of Swim Across America.

“I learned to set—and reset—the event course, blow up the buoys, and ensure the Swim Across America arch was ready to welcome participants and provide a sunrise photo opportunity. I may miss out sometimes on the opening ceremonies because I’m down working by the water, but I’m driven to make the event as memorable as possible with the goal of increasing future participation and donations.  And everyone I meet each year and the friends I have made as a result, are my reward,” said Eric.

Eric has been fortunate enough to have a healthy and active life and was inspired by those around him going through their own battle with cancer to make a difference in their honor. His aunt is a breast cancer survivor, and in 2018, he lost a dear friend and coworker to cancer. He later found out that the coworker’s daughter had received treatment at Children’s Hospital Colorado, the beneficiary of Swim Across America Denver. This led Eric to become the captain of Team WorldPay Colorado, in their honor.

“I have committed myself to helping others accomplish their goals, and help raise awareness and money for cancer research, specifically for Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders,” noted Eric.

Eric has become a leader in his Denver community spreading the mission of Swim Across America and wanting to make a difference in cancer research. His wife Jessica is also a co-event director for the swim. Coordinating pool swims, rallying his company to get involved, donating platelets to cancer patients and even teaching Markus Jacobs, a Swim Across America Denver patient ambassador how to swim a week prior to last year’s event, are just a few of the activities Eric has taken on.

“We told Markus that a half-mile was quite an accomplishment for a non-swimmer and his exhausted smile when he came out of the water was the best reward for all my efforts throughout the year to support and promote Swim Across America,” said Eric. “I have used that day since to motivate me to work hard and find unique ways to make sure everyone across Colorado and the country know about Swim Across America and what has been accomplished over the past 35 years.”

Founded in 1987 and celebrating 35 years of #makingwaves to #fightcancer this year, Swim Across America is a national nonprofit organization that holds 24 open water swims across the country, from Boston to under the Golden Gate Bridge. The organization has an interesting history as it started with a sunken boat in Long Island Sound at its first-ever open water swim and has turned its passion for swimming and fighting cancer into $100 million that supports crucial cancer research throughout the country.

Swim Across America funding has contributed to four FDA approved life-saving immunotherapy treatments: Yervoy, Opdivo, Tecentriq and Keytruda, and supports research with more than 60 scientific grants funded each year. Just this past June, the very exciting news about a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was published in The New England Journal of Medicine that showed a 100 percent success rate in treating patients in a phase 2 clinical trial for advanced rectal cancer with dostarlimab, an immunotherapy treatment produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering was funded by early-stage grant funding from Swim Across America.

More than 60 scientific grants are funded each year by Swim Across America and there are ten dedicated Swim Across America Labs at major institutions including: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, John Hopkins Medicine Baltimore, Rush University Medical Center Chicago, Baylor Scott & White Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, Nantucket Cottage Hospital, Palliative and Supportive Care of Nantucket, Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Lounge at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and San Francisco and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. More than 120 Olympians support Swim Across America, including Michael Phelps, Craig Beardsley (who is being inducted into the International Swimmer’s Hall of Fame this fall), Donna De Varona, Rowdy Gaines, Janel Jorgensen McArdle, Bobby Hackett, Ryan Lochte, Glenn Mills and many more.

In honor of Swim Across America’s 35th anniversary, the organization is showcasing “35 Stories of Impact” throughout its decades with a special website at swimacrossamerica.org/35. Eric Vitcenda is one of the “35 Stories of Impact” profiled.

To learn more about Swim Across America Denver or to register to swim, volunteer or donate for the August 21st open water swim, visit swimacrossamerica.org/Denver.

About Swim Across America

Swim Across America, Inc. (SAA) is dedicated to raising money and awareness for cancer research, prevention and treatment through swimming-related events. With the help of hundreds of volunteers nationwide and past and current Olympians, Swim Across America is helping find a cure for cancer through athleticism, community outreach and direct service. To learn more visit swimacrossamerica.org/denver or follow on Facebook or Instagram @SAADenver or email Jessica Reinhardt Vitcenda at jessicadenver@swimacrossamerica.org or Nicole Vanderpoel at nicole@swimacrossamerica.org.

The post Eric Vitcenda Jumped In to Bring Swim Across America to Denver and Is Now Making Bigger Waves in the Fight Against Cancer appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Anne Gillespie has tons of stories about the power of the human-animal bond and the program she calls YAPS. The most gripping story, arguably, involves a teenager, a dog named Boone and a letter. Or better yet, a series of letters, which fortified their relationship into something beautifully unbreakable.

Gillespie started the YAPS program at The Children’s Hospital after the organization disallowed dogs from visiting patients with cancer and blood diseases. “I knew there had to be a way around that,” she said. Gillespie has always believed in the healing power of animals and she thought a pen-pal program, which matches the children with dogs who are dealing with the same afflictions, would offer the same benefits as a visitation program. It’s a way for the patients to communicate their feelings to a similar, nonjudgmental friend; for pet owners, it’s catharsis and gives their ailing dogs a greater purpose.

“The healthy benefits have gone way beyond what we expected,” she said. “It’s really very magical. I think that’s the right word for it. It gives these kids a chance to tell their story to a loving dog who has been through the same journey. …There is real love there.”

Just a couple years ago, Gillespie paired a big dog named Boone with a young man who had bone cancer. The two developed a true bond over their common challenges and struggles; both had had a limb removed. They not only wrote back and forth but he also would visit Boone and his family.

After the young man died, his parents found a letter that their son was writing to the dog.
“In the letter, he was telling Boone that he was prepared to die, that he had come to terms with it, that he was at peace with it,” Gillespie said. “These were things he had not articulated to his parents. It really changed how his parents dealt with his death and it really showed how special the dog had become in his life.”

Boone sat front row at the funeral.

Loss and heartbreak, love and devotion, healing and surrender are a part of the story of YAPS. But it’s also a lot about diversion, about fun and even about therapy.

“It’s really taken on a life of its own. We had no idea,” she said.

As a pediatric oncology nurse at the Children’s Hospital, Gillespie’s original goal was to bring the benefits of human-animal interaction to the families in the oncology department. Now, she wants the program to spread globally and she wants children’s hospitals everywhere to participate. It has inspired something so profound and emotional that she can’t help but hope that all children with cancer and pet-owners of dogs with cancer can enjoy the benefits, she said.

“For the patients, it’s a chance to express your feelings and know you are heard but not judged,” she said. “And it’s also about the kids getting to be a caregiver. There’s a lot of laughter and fun and distraction. And on the other end, it really helps the dog-owners work through some sadness. It transcends any circumstance.”

Dog Days at the Children’s Hospital
Buddy is a dog on a mission. The little white bichon is professional and efficient, adorable and cuddly as he works the floor at the Children’s Hospital. From room to room, he hops on each bed, takes a seat, enjoys a round of friendly petting and then, without reason, rises and jumps from the hospital bed.

“That’s just how he is. He just knows when it’s time to go,” Buddy’s owner Jim Whitehair says. The two of them have been volunteers at the hospital for five years.

Since 1984, dogs have been a part of the treatment happening at the Children’s Hospital in Denver. The Prescription Pet Program has brought smiles, laughter, calm and connection to the patients throughout the hospital, and everyday a different dog is on the floor.

“It changes the atmosphere and lightens the mood. And it makes a difference for the whole family,” says Jill Lorentz, volunteer chapter coordinator. “Animals are so calming and warm. People realize that if you give your heart to an animal, they will give it back. And it also brings the comfort of home to the hospital.”

In a sense, it’s not medical, it’s personal. And for the patients at the Children’s Hospital, that’s a lovely thing.

The post A Beautiful Bond appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.