Resilience1220 was born out of tragedy, but in the five years since its creation, it’s become an anchor for many foothills area youth — a place to turn for therapy, community and acceptance.
And while the name was created to capture the age range of those it serves — ages 12 to 20 — Resilience1220 therapists and staff have also helped thousands of parents, teachers and others in the community.
The Evergreen-based nonprofit provides confidential, no-cost counseling to youth from age 12 to 20. It also hosts no-cost therapeutic and social support groups for teens and adults. To date, it has served more than 2,700 young people.
Now, it needs the community’s help. Resilience1220 will host its “Elevating Youth Mental Health” fundraiser from 5 to 8 p.m. May 8 at Center Stage, 27608 Fireweed Drive in Evergreen. The evening will include a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and a showing of the documentary “Ripple Effect.” The film documents the complexities of suicide loss.
The evening is not only Resilience 1220’s largest fundraiser, it’s also the organization’s 5th anniversary and a celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month.
In 2019, three foothills-area teenagers were lost to suicide, triggering “a collective sense of alarm,” said Ariel Shea, director of therapy for Resilience1220.
“It scared people, and I think it motivated schools to listen differently,” Shea said.
In response, a group of local therapists and community members — led by therapists and parents Heather Aberg and Jen Pearson — founded Resilience1220. Aberg still works with the organization as a therapist. Pearson runs a private counseling practice.
The group’s goal was to make it easy for youth to access counseling. That started with making it free. At age 12, youth in Colorado can legally receive mental health services without the consent of a parent or guardian, removing yet another potential barrier to care.
The need for Resilience1220’s services was immediately clear. In its first year, it provided 970 hours of individual therapy. In 2023, that number had increased to 1400 hours, according to the nonprofit.
It’s also grown from a handful of counselors to 33, all of whom are paid for their work even as the services remain free to clients.
Shea and Resilience1220 executive director Annie Cooley said multiple factors contribute to the rise in teenage anxiety and depression.
“I think it’s been growing for years, and I think the pandemic exacerbated everything,” Shea said. “Social media plays a role, both pro and con. It helps connect kids but it’s also isolating. Our world is angst-ridden, and obviously, they’re feeling that.
“I’m always inspired when kids seek help for themselves; it takes so much courage. I’m blown away by the kids and their strength.”
About 1 in 5 adolescents report symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to a 2021-2022 Teen National Health Interview survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. And a significant share say of those teens said they weren’t receiving therapy due to cost, stigma, and/or not knowing how to get help.
Those are the very issues Resilience1220 works to overcome, and in its five years of existence, Shea feels they’ve made strides.
“Even at the time this (organization) started, I think the stigma was pretty strong,” she said. “We don’t talk about mental health. We don’t tell everybody we’re going to therapy.
Now, there’s been a shift. Kids are talking about it with each other. Even if parents aren’t onboard, they are.”
And many parents are on board, helping them enroll at Resilience1220, attending therapy with them, or attending support groups designed to help them understand their children’s concerns.
“Our unique family has leaned on Resilience1220 too many times to count and I have never been turned away,” said the parent of an 18-year-old transgender child and three other children. “They have always held space and found resources for us. I believe the resilience we found in our family is a direct result of (their) support. These folks are digging deep and creatively showing up to meet real needs in mental health.”
Another parent said they found a pencil on the ground with Resilience1220’s information on it. The timing could not have been better.
“I had no clue what Resilience1220 was, so I looked them up online and was shocked,” the parent said. “They got us going with a therapist and my son was happy to speak with someone other than family. …Resilience1220 really makes a difference.”
Resilience1220 provides far more than one-on-one therapy. It offers art therapy, and experiences like hiking, ropes courses, movie screenings and even Dungeons and Dragons hangout events. Therapists partner with area schools and conduct in-school group sessions on topics teachers say their students want to learn more about.
“We really try and work within the community, supporting parents and teachers, and doing a lot of education and outreach,” Cooley said, adding the organization has grown from reacting to a crisis to taking a holistic approach.
“Our focus in the beginning was on the individual,” Shea added. “As we’ve grown, we’ve tried to look at things systemically. We offer three free sessions to parents of clients, as well as teachers. We’re trying to tap into getting kids connected and not isolated.”
Resilience1220 also works with a youth advisory committee and has a peer mentoring program.
“The youth give us intel, and really let us know what their peers want,” Cooley said.
“We want to continue to build more peer-to-peer programming. So far, it’s been going really amazing.”
Resilience 1220 is also working to grow its presence in neighboring Cooley said, including Gilpin and Clear Creek counties.
Tickets for the May 8 fundraiser are $30 for general admission or $50 for a VIP ticket that includes priority theater seating and a movie snack. For more information or to buy tickets, visit resilience1220.org and click “calendar.”