On November 20, 2024, twenty-one individuals working in the youth services field gathered to discuss one of the most pressing issues in supporting young people today: integrating mental health services into youth programs. Hosted by Caring for Denver grantee organizations, this convening highlighted both the successes and challenges of providing mental health support to youth, with a focus on cultural responsiveness, community-based care, and the sustainability of these vital services.
Here’s a glimpse into the conversations and lessons shared by local organizations that are doing the hard work of supporting youth mental wellness:
Key Approaches to Integrating Mental Health into Youth Programming
Youth Employment Academy (YEA) has a unique model, including providing mental wellness services through hands-on workshops embedded into their regular programming led by a licensed therapist. In addition, they provide 1:1 psychotherapy through two part-time therapists to support youth. This approach allows young people to access therapy when they need it—helping them work through challenges like trust issues and the unpredictability of their schedules, which often lead to last-minute cancellations. With therapists embedded in the program, youth have the chance to build trust over time, creating a safe space for consistent support. A final component includes a designated Youth Advisor who provides 1:1 counseling and acts as a bridge for the youth participants and the therapists. YEA emphasized the importance of having therapists who come from the communities they serve, offering services that feel familiar and accessible.
PlatteForum’s ArtLab, an internship program that pairs teens with artists to create impactful work around social justice issues, wanted to ensure youth have supportive spaces as they deal with subjects that require vulnerability. To meet this need, PlatteForum incorporated mental health services into their programming by offering private therapy through two contract therapists. Their long-term relationships with youth help reduce the stigma around therapy, as youth develop stronger connections with their mentors and therapists, ultimately leading to more engagement in mental health services.
Struggle of Love has grown from addressing community basic needs—like food security in a food desert—to providing comprehensive mental wellness services. They offer Mental Health First Aid, peer navigators, and two full-time therapists who meet youth where they are—picking them up from school, going for walks, or providing support at their offices. By making therapy flexible and accessible, Struggle of Love has been able to reach youth through referrals from probation, schools, and local human services. Their peer navigators also help remind youth of appointments, using informal methods to reduce the stigma and barriers associated with mental health care.
Seeing Our Adolescents Rise (SOAR) takes a unique approach with experiential/adventure therapy, using outdoor excursions to help youth connect with their emotions in a low-pressure setting. During these experiences, youth would often disclose personal challenges and trauma. Initially, staff wasn’t equipped to support these disclosures, but after training and adding adventure therapists to their team, SOAR was able to provide both therapeutic and recreational support. This model offers individual therapy, coaching, and group therapy, empowering youth to engage in a variety of ways based on their needs.
Youth on Record uses creative expression—particularly music—to help youth process trauma in a non-intimidating, accessible way. They partner with schools and train staff on trauma-informed care, de-escalation techniques, and restorative practices. By creating a flexible, low-barrier model of support, Youth on Record offers services through peer navigators and youth-facing advocates, rather than full-time therapists, which helps reduce the pressure around formal therapy settings and makes it easier for youth to access help.
Challenges in Providing Mental Health Support to Youth
During the convening, several key challenges were discussed that affect the ability to deliver consistent mental health services to youth:
- Engagement and Attendance: Many youth struggle with keeping appointments due to limited control over their schedules and inconsistent support from adults. Common barriers include conflicting commitments, caregiving responsibilities for siblings, work obligations, distractions like social media, transportation issues, and simply forgetting. To address these challenges, building strong relationships with mentors and fostering peer support networks are essential for maintaining engagement and reducing no-shows. Practical solutions like appointment reminders and reliable transportation also play a crucial role. Additionally, many youth tend to engage more effectively in group settings than in individual therapy, highlighting the importance of creating supportive group environments.
- School Partnerships: Some organizations partner directly with schools to bring mental health programs into classrooms, while others collaborate with school-based mental health professionals to support referrals and services within the school setting. Navigating these partnerships and maintaining open lines of communication with educators is key to ensuring that youth receive the support they need.
- Therapist Staffing and Sustainability: While many organizations rely on contracted therapists, there are ongoing challenges with sustainability. Transitioning from part-time or contract work to full-time staffing, or sharing therapists between multiple organizations, raises concerns around maintaining service quality and the financial viability of these models. The search for licensed therapists who are both skilled and a good cultural fit for the community remains an ongoing challenge.
- Staff Training and Support: To foster supportive, trauma-informed environments, ongoing staff training is crucial. Organizations emphasize the need for staff to be trained in de-escalation, restorative practices, and understanding the unique needs of youth experiencing mental health challenges.
- Medicaid Billing and Financial Sustainability: Medicaid billing can be complex and challenging for youth-focused organizations. Complicated claims processes, inconsistent Medicaid rules, and liability issues are hurdles that many organizations are working to address as they look for sustainable solutions to finance their mental health services.
- Queer-Affirming Care: In light of the current political climate, there’s an increasing need for queer-affirming mental health care. Organizations stress the importance of being authentic allies to LGBTQ+ youth and ensuring that mental health professionals are both inclusive and competent in addressing the specific needs of queer youth.
The Common Thread: Building Trust and Consistency
A central theme that emerged from the convening was the importance of building strong, trusting relationships with youth. Whether it’s through the consistent support of a therapist, mentor, peer navigator, or even group therapy, creating an environment where youth feel safe and validated is crucial for engagement and long-term success. Youth need to know they can rely on these adults and peers to support them through difficult times, and that consistency is key to overcoming mental health challenges.
Next Steps: Strengthening Collaboration
Looking ahead, the group is eager to stay connected and build stronger referral networks. A key next step is to implement a shared Google form where each organization can provide information about the services they offer and the youth they serve. This will make it easier for organizations to track available services, collaborate on referrals, and better coordinate care for youth in need.
By continuing to learn from each other and strengthen community partnerships, these organizations hope to make mental health support more accessible and effective for youth across Denver.
Get Involved:
If you’re interested in learning more about any of these organizations or how to get involved in supporting youth mental wellness, reach out to Caring for Denver or any of the organizations mentioned above. Together, we can help ensure that youth have the resources, support, and care they need to thrive.