MY 20TH YEAR RIDING! WHY I'M RAISING $25,000 FOR PEDIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH
AT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL COLORADO
Children's Colorado treats the most children in mental health crisis in all 64 counties. We are one of the largest providers of outpatient care while providing inpatient care to kids with the most complex mental health challenges. Our medical staff, along with the University of Colorado, has over 600 mental health providers serving our state's population. We have been meeting the struggles of our patients head on before the pandemic exacerbated mental health issues among our young people. Since the start of the pandemic, rates of depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts and behavioral health ER visits have exploded. As we continue to build a stronger foundation for addressing mental health among children and youth, we are focused on four key areas:
- Recruiting and retaining world-class specialists and investing in continuing education opportunities for providers across our state as we build, strengthen and diversify our mental health workforce.
- Increasing care environments across the continuum of care, from expanding prevention services to establishing new specialty care clinics and ensuring the right options with pediatric experts trained specifically in areas such as anxiety, mood disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Integrating best-in-class research and innovation into clinical practice.
- Investing in family support, engagement and advocacy programs while partnering with school districts, primary care providers and other health care professionals on suicide prevention and other wellness initiatives so that mental health expertise is embedded where kids and families live, learn and connect.
Our Psyched to Climb team is one of the only teams supporting pediatric mental health at this year's Courage Classic. Please consider a gift of $50, $100, $1,000, $2500, $5,000 or $10,000 to support our mental health initiatives through our team's ride. Click on the DONATE NOW link at the top of this page and you will be a vital contributor to our bold vision of creating a sea change for kids in mental health crisis.
