In a sea of so many voices and so much going on, it can feel like an individual voice or action can be lost or missed. While that may be possible, you might be surprised at who is listening and is impacted.

Often times, we never get to see how our actions or words make an impact. Or we think that doing this minor task does not make that much of difference.

What if we take a different perspective or even try a reframe? Every action or time we speak up we make an impact. Not only in the world around us but in ourselves. When we take the time to use our voice in defense or in honor of something we believe in, like suicide prevention or social justice, we are changing. We build ourselves up and change our own ability to interact in the future. Once we have done something new, challenging, nerve racking, etc. a few times it becomes easier to do in the future.

It is not always easy to stand up, especially when there is stigma in the case of suicide prevention, mental health, or when it comes to social justice and the risk of losing something because it goes against the system. You have grown stronger in the process and changed the complacence that this culture can sometimes breed about taking a stand.

When you do speak up or take an action, it does change the world and the life of someone. When we make the choice to say or do something, even if no one is around to witness it, we have changed the status quo and opened the door for others. Lao Tzu once shared, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” It takes one person to take the first step. And now, what if many people took the first step? Imagine the impact that it could have. The amount of action that would be taken. The choir of voices singing in harmony. Your voice matters!

“Speech is the voice of heart,” according to Anna Quindlen. Remember if you think that your voice does not matter, it does. Keep speaking up! If we all are complacent about suicide prevention or social justice, then nothing does change. When we do allow ourselves to speak from the heart, the words land a whole different way with people. They hear or feel the impact on a whole different level.

As we conclude this post, we have two parting thoughts for you from the words of Maya Angelou and Arvo Pärt respectively.

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.”

“The Human Voice is the most perfect instrument of all.”

Thank you all for making a difference in the world! We couldn’t do it without you!

The post Your Voice Counts appeared first on Second Wind Fund.

As we review the data presented in the 2020 Suicide Report, there is something important to keep in mind. While we are talking about numbers, these numbers represent very real people who made a meaningful difference in the world and the lives of those who loved them.

Per the report and its look at the impact of COVID-19, 2020 saw an increase over 2019 in youth attempts. However, there was no other significant changes in suicide deaths, ideation, or adult attempts. The report states that it “may reflect reluctance to visit health care facilities where this is recorded.”
The report indicates that five (5) youth died by suicide in 2020 in Mesa County and noted in increase in ideation in youth less than 18 years from 2019 to 2020.

When the report compared that rate of suicide deaths in Mesa County to the state of Colorado in 2020, Mesa County had a rate of 31.1 while Colorado had a rate of 22.3. To provide context, rate is different than count because rate is incidence per 100,000 and is used to adjust for population fluctuations.

The report also discusses Suicide Risk Screeners (SRS) that are administered when school personnel are worried about a student. Through this assessment, the level of intervention is determined and steps to create a safety plan can begin.
School District 51 provided their data for the school year 2019-2020 (August -May) for the report sharing that 930 screeners were administered compared to the previous school year, where 1,197 screeners were completed. Of the screens administered, about half were male with 8th grade being the grade with the highest number of screeners administered.

Looking at more of a qualitative data set, the report reveals the top four protective and risk factors.

Protective

• Friends
• Family
• Mentors
• Healthy Activities

Risk

• Family Problems
• School Work
• Conflict
• Isolation

And finally, the report discusses the efforts that the community is engaging in to make strides in suicide prevention.
Two examples of the public health recommendations made within the report include: expanding access to suicide care and maintenance of educational programming to bring awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.

And finally, the prevention strategies based on the Colorado National Collaborative pillars highlight some the amazing efforts. When looking at the Increase Connectedness pillar, the report lists the Community Transformation Group (CTG) in Clifton and the Fruita Youth Initiative (FYI), and Fruita Youth action Council (FYAC) among others. The Access to Care pillar is exemplified by D51 using an enhanced suicide screening tool and the increase in training among staff.

The full report goes into more detail and provides visual representations of much of this data. We want to acknowledge the hard work that went into the report and the strides being made in the community through the work of many dedicated people.

To read the report in detail and see additional data please click here.

The post Mesa County 2020 Suicide Report Released appeared first on Second Wind Fund.

“Second Wind Fund was fortunate to be invited to join the Colorado Health Capitol back in 2019. The timing of everything wasn’t quite right for us and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Here we are, two years later, all moved in! I am really looking forward to the partnerships and collaborations that will be formed in the CHC. It will most certainly help SWF better serve the state of Colorado,” said Chris Weiss, Executive Director.

Colorado’s Health Capitol is a collaborative space where organizations whose focus is on elevating the wellbeing of Coloradans can come together and strengthen their collective impact. With the ability to collaborate and leverage resources, the hope is to make an even bigger impact on the mental, physical, social, and economic health of all Coloradans.

The first and only shared space with this mission-driven focus in Colorado, the Health Capitol brings with it great opportunity for Second Wind Fund to meet and work along side some of Colorado’s diverse health leaders to help change the trajectory of health and policy in the state.

Here are just a few examples of the organizations that we will be working along side of:

• Healthier Colorado
• Bell Policy Center
• One Colorado
• Mile High Health Alliance
• State Policy Advisors
• Justice Reskill

As Second Wind Fund continues to evolve and grow in its mission to prevent youth suicide, we are solidifying our belief that to better serve the communities of the state of Colorado, we need to continue to build collaborative relationships and partnerships.
Suicide prevention does not look just one way. The cause of suicide is not just one thing. When we look at preventing suicide we need to look from many angles and work with many people to face suicide head-on.

The Colorado National Collaborative (CNC) is doing just that and provides a guiding perspective when looking at the collaborative nature of suicide prevention which includes actions, activities, and services from a variety of areas. The pillars highlight these areas:

• Improve Connectedness
• Increase Economic Stability
• Provide Education and Awareness
• Improve Access and Delivery of Suicide Care
• Lethal Means Safety
• Postvention

Looking at the pillars, they truly bring to life the fact that this work is a community endeavor, and we are going to need partners if we are truly going to work towards reducing youth suicide. And having partners and community when working towards a common goal makes it more enjoyable, helps drive the work, can bring lasting system change, and even illuminate ideas that may not have been thought of before.

We are not going to accomplish our goals by working alone. We are going to get there by joining together. All of us individuals, organizations, and government bringing our hearts and souls together will make lasting change and save the lives of Coloradans across the state.

The post Second Wind Fund Moves to Colorado’s Health Capitol appeared first on Second Wind Fund.

Let us introduce you to the Program team!

Program Director 

Kimberlee Bow, MA, LPC, R-DMT, CT, CFE/T, RSME/T, RYT200
Devoted to growing and improving our program, the Program Director is responsible for program management, community relations, and building a stronger program.

In her role, Kimberlee is thrilled to be making a difference in the lives of many across the state and advocating for mental health and suicide prevention.

Provider Engagement Manager

Mary Houlihan
Devoted entirely our providers, the Provider Engagement Manager’s role is to recruit new providers, support current providers, and devise ways to better support them.

In her role, Mary is excited for the opportunity to support people in the work they are doing with youth and bring about culture change so that more youth are served!

Referral Specialist

Elyse Baumgardner
Devoted to our Qualified Referral Sources (QRS’s) and the families we serve, the Referral Specialist’s role is to work directly with our QRS’s to support the referral process, authorize referrals, and support the families in connecting to therapists in the SWF network.

In her role, Elyse is excited to be an avenue for life-saving mental health treatment!
Please visit our website to learn more about each of our program team members.

The post Second Wind Fund Program Team Expands appeared first on Second Wind Fund.

Our focus will be on the Suicide & Mental Health and the Find Support portions of the report.

“42% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth.”

“In the past year, nearly half of LGBTQ youth have wanted counseling from a mental health professional, but did not receive it.”

What do you feel when you read these quotes from the report? For myself, I am heart broken. Though these are quotes speak about numbers, there are youth and stories behind every one of these numbers. We should be striving for these numbers to be zero, where LGBTQ youth don’t need to consider suicide because the community at large supports them.

So, what can we do to help bring those numbers down to zero?

Consider taking advantage of the resources listed below to make a difference in your own community and the lives LGBTQ youth.

• Trevor Project Resource Page
• Human Rights Campaign: 5 Things You Can Do Today to Support LGBTQ Youth
• GLSEN: Supporting LGBTQ Youth of Color

And consider supporting organizations that are LGBTQ friendly that help provide access to mental health care like ours so that youth have access to therapy.

Adding a couple more pieces of wisdom to close out today’s post.

• Remember that while there is the acronym, LGBTQ, everyone has their own experiences. Take the time to learn rather than generalize.
• Use a youth’s preferred pronouns.
• Be a listening and supporting ear.

June is Pride Month, a time when we remember and honor people and stories. But remember, honoring and supporting LGBTQ youth is not just for one month of year. It is a year-round, day-by-day, minute-by-minute, and second-by-second awareness and advocacy.

The post Trevor Project Releases National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021 appeared first on Second Wind Fund.

Housed by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, we as residents of Colorado have access to the data around suicide deaths.

This tool has the ability to look at data by:

• Year beginning with 2004
• Method used to inflict the fatal injury
• Demographics
• County

You can also look at data across time and see different trends.

Why is this information important and valuable? Having access to this information can help direct and inform the suicide prevention efforts in the state. Already, different counties are using the data to help drive their goals in the coming years.

While this tool is useful to help make an impact by showing numbers and advocating for suicide prevention in the state, please always remember these number represent people.

Click here to access the tool.

Click here to access the directions for using the tool.

The post Colorado Suicide Data Dashboard appeared first on Second Wind Fund.

1. Schedule breaks throughout the day.
Make sure you are giving yourself time and space. Opt to not schedule an additional client or consider adding a few extra minutes between clients.

2. Do things that make you happy.
This does not have to necessarily be large, scheduled activities. It can be small things throughout the day.

3. Have the courage to say no.
Saying no can be hard to do, especially when it is a person that needs our help, and we want to help. Let us flip this around for a second. By saying no, you might be helping that person because if you are tired and burned, you will not be able to be fully present and that would be doing them a disservice.

4. Work with an accountability partner.
It helps to have someone you connect with that will hold you accountable for not only taking care of yourself but cheering you on for when you do!

5. Make time to move.
We have all heard about the health benefits of exercise. There are many. For this suggestion though, it does not have to full workout. It can a five-minute walk or a dance to a song in your office. Just move and enjoy the time.

6. Make mindful decisions.
We are constantly faced with decisions throughout the day. Whenever you are facing a decision, make sure you are engaged and thoughtfully making a decision. Take those few extra moments to give yourself the time and space to make the decision.

7. Nurture your relationship.
Make time for the people in your life. Block off time or make dates to be with the people in your life and connect with them.

8. Practice self-compassion.
Finding compassion for others can feel easier than finding compassion for ourselves. However, make it a practice to give some to yourself. You are human and deserve that self-compassion just as much as others.

9. Engage your senses.
One of the joys of being human is our ability to use our senses. Pick one or two senses and do something to engage them. If you pick touch, maybe go outside, and touch the earth. If you pick scent, maybe find your favorite smell, and enjoy it for a few moments.

10. “Play” breaks.
Give yourself a “play” break! Decide what play means or looks like to you and play!

The post Self-Care: Ten Ideas for Therapists! appeared first on Second Wind Fund.

Asking for help can be uncomfortable. We may not know how or who to ask help from. Or maybe it feels like a sign of weakness to ask for help.

There may be a multitude of other pieces that you may think or feel around the idea of asking for help based on our own learning, culture, environment, etc. With all these different ideas, thoughts, feelings, and messages it can be hard to know what to do.

So, let’s try an experiment. What if we flip the perspective, and instead look at asking for help as a sign of strength and courage.

• We are human and we all need help at times. Understanding that can help you take that step to ask for help. You are not alone in needing help. Other youth and even adults need help at times.
• Everyone deserves help or support. You are not an exception to this.
• Learn to recognize when you need help. There is wisdom in knowing when you need others to help.
• Be willing to ask. You may already have people in your life who are ready to help. At that point, it takes courage to reach out and say that you need support.
• Do not wait of for someone to ask! We all hope that people will notice that we are struggling, and some people will notice and reach out. It helps you and others if you take the first step and ask instead of putting on a brave face. You will be surprised to find that there are so many people out there who care!
• Keep asking. Sometimes you may have to keep asking to get the help you need. Please don’t give up. Keep reaching out. Find that trusted adult who you know will listen to you and work with you to find the help and support.

Humans are social creatures, and we are born to be in relationships with each other. Remember, there are people who care and they will be there for you!

The post Ask for Help! You Are Not Alone appeared first on Second Wind Fund.

“The Colorado-National Collaborative (CNC) for Suicide Prevention is a partnership of local, state, and national scientists and public health professionals working with health and social service agencies, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, business, academic organizations, and Colorado residents to identify, promote, and implement comprehensive state and community-based strategies for suicide prevention in Colorado.”

As Colorado’s suicide rate in 2017 was among the highest in the nation, Colorado was chosen to help work towards finding strategies that could be shared across the nation. Because public health problems like suicide are complex, solutions are best found when government, business, health services, nonprofits, and individual citizens work together in their efforts. Within the state, six counties were chosen to take part and work towards the CNC of creating a comprehensive suicide prevention model to reduce suicide statewide by 20% by 2024.

• Larimer
• Mesa
• El Paso
• Pueblo
• Montezuma
• La Plata

The work in each county is guided by six community strategy components.

• Improve Connectedness
• Increase Economic Stability
• Provide Education and Awareness
• Improve Access and Delivery of Suicide Care
• Lethal Means Safety
• Postvention

The work that these counties are doing in Colorado is exciting and will make a lasting impact. If you are in one of these counties, we encourage you to consider getting involved with your local suicide prevention coalition. If you are not in one of these counties, we still encourage you reach out to your local suicide prevention coalition and see what you can do to help those in your community.

Suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility!

To learn more please click here.

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