Supporting Youth Well-Being in Colorado by Supporting Youth-Serving Professionals

Maria Droste Counseling Center is Partnering with the Caring for Colorado Foundation to Support Youth Well-Being in Colorado

Maria Droste Counseling Center is thrilled to announce that they are the beneficiary of a $15,000 grant from the Caring for Colorado Foundation to bring valuable mental health counseling and resources to Colorado schools and teachers.

Maria Droste Counseling Center, a Denver-based non-profit organization, provides affordable counseling for adults, children, and families in need, regardless of ability to pay. The Caring for Colorado Foundation is a grant-making program that strives to achieve equity, health, and well-being for Colorado’s children and families. 

The Caring for Colorado Foundation grant supports therapy sessions for Denver’s youth-serving professionals who are experiencing prolonged mental health strain and burnout due to the COVID-19 crisis. These free counseling sessions provide crucial wellness support for youth-serving professionals, which, in turn, will improve the services they provide to youth and families. Youth-serving professionals include teachers, day-care workers, or other after-school program professionals. If you are a youth-serving professional unsure if you qualify for free counseling sessions, please contact Intake@MariaDroste.org.

Dr. Sandra Mann, the Chief Executive Officer of Maria Droste Counseling Center, states: “This grant will fill an extreme need in our Colorado schools and afterschool programs. We are honored to be the recipient and will steward the funds with care and compassion to improve mental health for our community members who care for our children and youth after and before school hours.”

This grant will fill an extreme need in our Colorado schools and afterschool programs. We are honored to be the recipient and will steward the funds with care and compassion to improve mental health for our community members who care for our children and youth after and before school hours.

Dr. Sandra Mann

For youth-serving professionals who are also navigating their own personal challenges and anxieties in these stressful times, witnessing the struggles of the young people they work with and their families over the past 18 months has taken a toll. Unfortunately, the effects of vicarious trauma are impacting these professionals disproportionally. For many of these professionals, cost and confusion around how to pursue mental health counseling are insurmountable barriers to seeking much-needed care. Through this grant, MDCC continues to break down these barriers to support our community’s mental health by increasing access.

For immediate release, written by Kristin Battenfield, KBat Communications