The death of a child is every parent’s worst nightmare. That terrible tragedy is compounded when the young person is a victim of suicide. Since 2012, Elevations Foundation has been proud to support Second Wind Fund of Boulder County as the organization saves lives by making mental health services available to young people in crisis.
Second Wind Fund of Boulder County is an affiliate of Second Wind Fund, Inc., an organization that grew out of just such a tragedy. In 2002, four students at a Jefferson County high school took their own lives over the course of a nine-month timeframe. In response, Second Wind Fund, Inc. was born with a mission to decrease the incidence of suicide in children and youth by removing the financial and social barriers to treatment.
Second Wind Fund of Boulder County carries on that mission locally by providing services in the Boulder County School District and the St. Vrain Valley School District. The organization matches children and youth at risk for suicide with licensed therapists in their communities. When financial or social barriers are present, Second Wind Fund of Boulder County pays for up to 12 sessions of therapy from one of their specialized network providers. Over the last 10 years, they have been able to provide a safety net of direct counseling services to over 470 youth whose families lack the financial means to access appropriate mental health services.
“After 30 rejections and extreme desperation on my part, the first response from the individual answering the phone at Second Wind was, ‘We will help you. We will get your son the help he needs right away. We will help you through the referral process with the school. We are here for you.’”
– Parent Testimonial
Second Wind Fund of Boulder County will hold their Emerge 5K on Sunday, May 5 at Boulder Reservoir. We encourage you to join this fun-filled day (including a performance from Kutandara) to support their life-saving work.
Learn more about Second Wind Fund of Boulder County and all of Elevations Foundation’s 2018-19 grantees here.