October Newsletter

MONTHLY REFLECTION

Aimee Alcorn, LCSW (Senior Director of Emotional Wellness) shares her thoughts

Wow! It's hard to believe that it's already been three months since we launched Beyond Dreams Therapy at Colorado Dream Foundation! We know there was some confusion about the addition of mental health services in 2021, to our over three decades of providing out-of-school-time programs in Denver, so we decided to officially launch Beyond Dreams as a separate entity on July 1, 2024.

Since then, Beyond Dreams has been growing rapidly, and we're excited to share our journey with you. Our mission is to provide affordable and accessible mental health care to clients of all ages in Denver. We want to be a safe space where people of all backgrounds can feel comfortable and authentic. A place where dreams flourish and hearts find peace.

We'll be sending out regular newsletters with updates on our services, client success stories, team insights, and more. Make sure to follow us on Instagram [@beyonddreamstherapy_cdf] for daily inspiration and behind-the-scenes glimpses.

We're thrilled to have you join us on this journey!

Dream & Be Well!

Aimee


SPOTLIGHT ON IMPACT

Highlighting transformative work at Beyond Dreams Therapy

We're excited to share that our services are in high demand! Our therapists are currently seeing 134 clients, bringing us to nearly 80% capacity across all three of our sites. This is a testament to the need for accessible and affordable mental health care in our community and we look forward to being on this journey!  

We're grateful for the consistent referrals from our school and community partners. These referrals help connect people with the support they need, without the hassle of searching for therapists with long waitlists or expensive fees


UPDATES FROM AROUND THE CITY

Checking in on the work at our 3 sites

Our team has been hard at work ensuring that clients move off the waitlist quickly and maintain a high attendance rate. We're excited about the progress we've made so far this year and we are eager to continue this great work providing more high quality mental health services to the greater Denver community!

GRANT STREET

To accommodate the growth, we’ve added two therapy rooms on the first floor of our Grant Street office and are gearing up to offer at least three therapeutic groups within our communities targeting skills like social skills, anxiety, identity, and parent support!

WESTWOOD OPPORTUNITY CENTER

We’re almost full at Westwood and love watching all the progress our clients are making! We are humbled and excited to join the rest of the Dream Team in the move to The Blossom House in a few weeks!  

We appreciate the time and space that the Denver Housing Authority has provided us for the last three years at the Westwood Housing Authority and are ready to join the amazing work being done by Lifespan Local at their incredible new facility just one block south of Alameda on Irving Street!

Be sure to keep an eye out for the official move and stop by if you’re in the area!

Z PLACE OPPORTUNITY CENTER

Along with the over 60 one-on-one sessions that our therapists provide weekly at Z Place Opportunity Center, we are excited to continue offering a weekly therapeutically-applied roleplaying game based on Dungeons & Dragons.

These group is a neurodivergent and queer-affirming space for middle and high school youth where they work on social skills, confidence, and identity exploration.

If you have a youth who might be interested in this group, please reach out to group facilitator, Galen Duran - gduran@coloradodream.org


THE DREAM TEAM KEEPS GROWING!

Beyond Dreams Therapy has been growing rapidly! We've added nine new interns this quarter and welcomed back two familiar faces, Toni Herr and Lissette Uribe. We've also hired two part-time therapists whose caseloads are increasing rapidly, and we anticipate them reaching full-time capacity by December.

Clinical Interns:

Akilah Martin - Counseling - University of Denver

Alyssa Karrasch - Counseling - The Chicago School

Essence Benson - Social Work - Metropolitan State College of Denver

Giuliano Jones - Counseling - Prescott College

Lissette Uribe - Social Work - Metropolitan State College of Denver

Maddie Bashaw - Social Work - Ohio State University

Mike Adam - Counseling - Bellevue University

Rahel Girma - Counseling - Bellevue University

Toni Herr - Social Work - Baylor University

Behavioral Health Therapists:

Anthony Rice - Counseling Candidate

Megan Gianinetti, LSW


PARTNER SPOTLIGHT 

Second Wind Fund

Suicide is the leading cause of death for youth in Colorado. According to Second Wind Fund, "recent data indicates that within one school year, 1 in 5 Colorado high school students (17%) reported seriously considering suicide." Beyond Dreams Therapy is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Second Wind Fund. This collaboration will provide financial assistance to underinsured clients under the age of 20 who are at risk of suicide. Eligible youth will receive 12-20 sessions of cost-free therapy with one of our highly-skilled therapists right in their community. By eliminating both access and financial barriers, we can ensure that these young people have access to the life-saving mental health care they desperately need. Second Wind Fund's generous support will allow Beyond Dreams Therapy to expand our reach and provide even more comprehensive care to our community.


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Suicide Prevention Week: A Time for Hope and Support