F.A.Q.

The goal of this program is to teach participants essential skills to promote mental health and wellbeing. These skills include emotional regulation, stress management, effective communication, mindfulness, and coping strategies. By providing these skills, we aim to empower participants to develop healthy habits and resilience to face life's challenges.

We will cover a range of mental health skills, including identifying and managing emotions, coping with stress and anxiety, improving communication and social skills, building self-esteem and confidence, practicing self-care, developing mindfulness, and cultivating resilience.

The program will be structured with a combination of group and individual activities. We will use evidence-based practices such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and positive psychology to teach mental health skills in a fun and engaging way. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussions, role-plays, games, and other interactive activities.

The program will be led by trained mental health professionals with experience working with children and adolescents. Our facilitators are passionate about teaching mental health skills and have the expertise to create a safe and supportive environment for participants.

Spots are limited and, unfortunately, not all individuals will be a good fit or eligible. Clients will participate in an assessment and evaluation at the facilitating partner's organization assigned to their chosen site. Each organization's team will evaluate the benefits to participating in the group as well as identify the appropriateness and preparedness for enrollment. 

Participants will be enrolled per session. Each session spans two weeks. Each week spans Monday through Friday. Each day spans four total hours with a snack and transition time. Participants will engage in activities for about three hours per day. 

We take participant safety and well-being seriously. Our program facilitators are trained to create a safe and supportive environment for participants. We also follow best practices for child protection and safety, including background checks for staff, risk assessments for activities, and emergency protocols.

Accepted participants will pay no cost for this program. Medicaid is accepted for this program.

If the spots for your insurance type are currently full, we offer two options:

1. If you are interested in receiving care and open to alternative options, please navigate to d11summer.com/referrals. We continue to compile resources in the greater Colorado Springs area who provide services to children and their families.

​

​

2. If you prefer to wait for a spot to open up in our program, please submit our Waitlist Form by navigating to d11summer.com/waitlist. By choosing this option, you will be notified as soon as a spot becomes available. Please note that being on the waitlist does not involve an evaluation process.

We believe in making mental healthcare accessible to everyone, especially those who face the most significant barriers. To uphold this commitment, we specifically reserve a portion of our program spots for clients with Medicaid. All other insurance types are grouped together for the remaining available spots. Our approach is designed to balance the need to provide care to those with the least access while serving the broader community within our resource constraints.

Please be aware that the intake appointment is not a neurological evaluation. It is an opportunity for our team to understand your needs better and determine the best way to assist you within the framework of our program's services. This process is essential for ensuring that we align our resources with your specific situation effectively. This appointment will include psychological assessment measures and a psychological evaluation conducted by a licensed master's level clinician or and individual supervised by a licensed master's level clinician. 

At this time we have no formal plans to involve parents in the mental health skill programs; however, some sites may provide skills, training, or workshop opportunities to parents. 

If a child is unwilling to participate without a parent present, these groups may not be the best fit at this time. If a child wishes to be removed and/or to return to their parents, those requests will be dealt with on an as-needed and case-by-case basis, always erring on the side of safety and what is best for the client, the parents, and the other participants and their families. 

Yes, we provide follow-up support and resources to participants after the program ends. This may include check-ins, online resources, and referrals to other services if needed.

During the initial interview, clients will be assessed with a brief psychological measure which will be assessed following enrollment. Clients and their parents will also be asked to identify a post-participation survey. 

Our facilitators work closely with our administration staff to ensure all curriculum is evidenced-based and oriented towards helping clients achieve improvement in their daily lives. There are no specifically measurable strategies implemented at this time, though data will be collected in the form of questionnaires and assessments to identify progress and skills obtained.

Admitted participants will be provided a "what to bring" document.

District 11 hosts this program, providing the use of its buildings and advertising for each participating school and partner. District 11 does not provide tuition, track or identify attendees, receive any protected health information, or have any input in the selection of program participants.