The youth mental health crisis is rising. According to the 2021 Weld County Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 15% of high school students seriously considered suicide and 8% made at least one suicide attempt in the past year.
The Weld Trust awarded Second Wind Fund a $10,000 grant this year to support youth atrisk of suicide. Second Wind Fund is a suicide prevention organization that connects youth ages 19 and younger who are at risk of suicide with licensed therapists in their local communities. These youth often do not have the means or adequate insurance for necessary mental health treatment.
“We’ve seen an increase in demand for youth mental health services statewide and it’s no different in Weld County,” Gabriel Guillaume, executive director of Second Wind Fund said.
In the first half of the grant term, Second Wind Fund has provided 64 therapy sessions to 13 Weld County youth experiencing suicide ideations.
A recent success story they shared involved a student who was connected to a therapist without delay after the student expressed suicidal thoughts in a written document but hadn’t voiced them aloud. The therapist addressed the student’s concerns directly, developed a personalized safety plan and established a meaningful therapeutic relationship. Days later, the student reached out to the therapist during a crisis saying they felt suicidal and couldn’t ensure their own safety. The therapist immediately contacted 911. The student was located and found to have a suicide prevention safety plan. The officer involved stated that this likely saved the youth’s life.
“We are definitely seeing the impact of the grant in Weld County,” Guillaume stated. “What we find to be refreshing is there are funders like The Weld Trust listening to their communities and taking actions to help. They are seeing that in the community, youth mental health matters.”
To learn more about Second Wind Fund, go to Second Wind Fund.
