The Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County (BGCLC) Behavioral Health Team (BHT) has won the national Roxanne Spillett Award for Trauma-Informed Practice & Youth Well-Being. This award recognizes programs that integrate and are guided by the seven elements of a trauma-informed Club: 1) Awareness, 2) Safety, 3) Trust, 4) Equity, 5) Empowerment, Voice & Choice, 6) Mutual Collaboration, and 7) Connection & Growth.
According to Sarah McKeen, BGCLC Program Quality Director with a Masters in Social Work, being trauma-informed means approaching every situation with an empathetic lens. “It’s understanding that we don’t always know the experiences of every individual and how those experiences impact their behavior,” McKeen said.
Because of the work of the BHT, Club members are more able to identify tools to manage emotion. Members needing emergency mental health support have also been supported with appropriate level of care.
“I’ve learned a lot in the emotions programs and have learned lots of different ways to manage my emotions. One that I use a lot is the 5-4-3-2-1 that helps me calm down [referring to the 5-senses grounding technique],” a Lincoln Club member said.
According to a 2023 Club Assessment, families believe that our behavioral health services are the most important programs we offer.
“This award means the work that we are doing is reaching our members and families and we can continue assisting them in the ways that they need,” said Jordan Haberkorn, BGCLC Social Emotional Learning Coordinator.
Founded in 2020, the team began with a single Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Now, it is now made up of one Licensed Clinical Social Worker, two Social Workers with a Masters of Social Work, one Social Emotional Coordinator, and four interns. They serve more than 2,000 Larimer County youth per year at no extra cost to families.
“Increasing access to mental and behavioral services can help prevent future crises. By providing youth with the support they need now, we can help develop skills for their future,” said Raine Schuster, BGCLC Social Worker.
The Behavioral Health Team will head to Atlanta in May to accept the award at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Annual Conference.
