2018 Report to the Community

2018 Report to the Community 

Our 2018 Report to the Community is an opportunity to share our accomplishments and celebrate the support of our donors, employees, partners, community and those we serve.  

Sanderson Apartments
Paul Brokering Photography

annual-report-18-mobile

2018 Report to the Community 

Our 2018 Report to the Community is an opportunity to share our accomplishments and celebrate the support of our donors, employees, partners, community and those we serve.  

The WellPower continues to be driven by our mission statement of enriching lives and minds by focusing on strengths and well-being. Our efforts to expand access to care for everyone in Denver who needs it are transforming how behavioral health care is delivered in our community. 

Suicide Prevention Efforts

563

Community Members Trained in
Mental Health First Aid

Suicide rates continue to rise in Denver. Suicide does not discriminate and impacts us all. As part of the WellPower’s commitment to enrich the well-being of the people and communities we serve, we take a proactive approach to suicide prevention.

Staff attended the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Denver Metro Out of the Darkness Community Walk at Coors Field.

5,529

Total Outpatient Services Provided by
Child & Family 

162

Adults Receiving
Peer Support 

15,192

Meals Provided through Partnership with People's Food Pantry

Finding Employment Through NextChapter

161

Individuals Found Employment
Through NextChapter

When Jonathan started using services with the WellPower, he felt like he was barely scraping by. He felt limited in what he could do with the resources he had access to and was living in a hand-to-mouth cycle that seemed without end. And then Jonathan went to NextChapter in Education & Employment.

An individual we serve found a job at a water treatment plant through our employment assistance program at NextChapter.

WellPower-Day-1-0256-(1)-web

18,766

Meals served at Sally’s Café,
NextChapter's Culinary Training Program

44

Individuals Graduated
Culinary Training Program

 

School-Based Services Expand & Serve the Lifespan

27

Denver Schools
Have Our Therapists On-Site 

The need for mental health services within schools is increasing in the Denver community. The WellPower’s school-based team of therapists receives calls from schools on a regular basis asking how they can get therapy services in their building. And last year, the organization’s team received more than 2,000 referrals from schools, parents and kids themselves.

Video courtesy of Denver Human Services features social impact bond participants served by the WellPower and Colorado Coalition for the Homeless

85%

of Sanderson Apartment Residents are Employed or Going to School

Sanderson Apartments opened in 2017 to welcome 60 residents identified through Denver’s Social Impact Bond (SIB) initiative. The trauma-informed designed apartments provide safe housing and support services to help stabilize residents who were homeless. The WellPower was awarded Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to build Sanderson Apartments. The SIB provided funding to create the case management team that works with the residents. 

The WellPower partners with the City of Denver on the SIB to provide housing and support services to 87 residents – 60 individuals live at Sanderson Apartments and 27 individuals live in subsidized apartments scattered throughout Denver. The goal of the SIB is to increase housing stability and decrease jail stays for 250 individuals. For the past two years, the program has shown promising results. Most participants, 85 percent, have remained in housing and 44 percent of participants have remained out of jail. 

Rose Grant Supports
Immigrants & Refugees

$30,000

Grant to Increase Access to Services for Immigrant & Refugee Communities

The WellPower was awarded a $30,000 grant from the Rose Community Foundation to help immigrant and refugee communities access services at our sites by reaching out through several faith communities. Jamie Adasi, Faith and Spiritual Inclusiveness Director, was soon joined by Michelle Pacheco, Immigrant and Refugee Health Navigator / Community Liaison, to begin outreach work with organizations throughout Denver.

Jamie Adasi, Director of Faith & Spiritual Inclusiveness and Michelle Pacheco-Espinoza, Immigrant and Refugee Navigator / Community Liaison

588

Teens & Young Adults  Received Services at Emerson St. 

Among these 588 young people, 27 individuals participated in Emerson St. for Teens & Young Adults' Phoenix program – a whole-person approach utilizing individual therapy, case management and psychiatry services.

Co-Responder Program Expands

99%

of Contacts were
Diverted from Arrests

Denver Police officers working with our co-responders have gained options beyond bringing a person experiencing a mental health crisis to jail or to the hospital. With the co-responder program in place, all Denver Police districts have access to a licensed social worker to respond to crisis calls along with officers.

Our Co-Responder Team pairs social workers with the Denver Police Department.

100+

Varieties of Vegetables & Culinary Herbs
Produced at Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being

Dahlia Campus is a source of fresh produce and protein for
residents in the Northeast Park Hill neighborhood.

greens-web
An older man and woman stand together. The man is behind the woman with his arms wrapped around her in an embrace.

1,000

Adults Age 65 and Older Received Services 

We are committed to providing care that enhances the well-being of those we serve across their lifespan. As we are serving more older adults, we began a two-year process designed to increase the cultural proficiency of staff and enhance the quality of services to older adults.

Staff attended trainings focused on the changing needs of seniors. We surveyed more than 500 adults aged 60 or older that receive intensive case management services. The surveys provided insight on quality of care and opportunities for improvement. Feedback from staff has been positive and has led to stronger therapeutic alliances with the older adults we serve.

A Year in Review

National Council Award of Excellence

Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being was recognized with an Award of Excellence in Behavioral Health Care Management from the National Council for Behavioral Health.

The award recognizes Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being and its innovative, community-informed approach to behavioral health care. As part of the recognition, WellPower received $10,000.

Speakers Forum

As a national leader in behavioral health services, the WellPower hosted “Beyond the Most Livable City,”. Community, government and civic thought leaders from across Denver gathered to discuss a better way of talking about housing affordability and equitable development.

Top Workplace Six Years in a Row

The WellPower was recognized as a Top 2018 Workplace by The Denver Post. For the sixth straight year, our employees have ranked us as a great place to work.

9News Mental Health Helpline

As part of May is Mental Health Awareness month, WellPower staff answered calls about mental health during a 9NEWS Helpline broadcast.

Mary Frances McMahon Award

An endowment was set up by the grateful family of a person we served to honor an outstanding clinician at our organization. The first annual Mary Frances McMahon Outstanding Clinician award was presented at our All Staff meeting to Naomi Evans, LPC.  A case manager at our Recovery Center, Naomi had the honor to work with Mary before she passed.

PRA Conference

Fifty staff from the WellPower attended the 41st Annual Wellness and Recovery Summit here in Denver.

Staff spent four days learning about psychiatric rehabilitation and innovative practices, leaving staff re-energized, focused and well-equipped to provide more effective care to the people we serve.

The summit was organized by Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association (PRA) and the Academy for Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Recovery, in partnership with the Colorado Chapter and the WellPower.

PrideFest

WellPower employees volunteered at the organization's booth at PrideFest.

"The WellPower's presence at the PrideFest is so important for the community," said Eric Coon, Child & Family Services. "It lets the community know we are working towards a clinic that provides Safe Space for all sexual or gender identities. It helps to open dialogue and conversation in an ever-changing landscape of diversity."

Fish Fry at Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being

Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being held a fish fry to mark the opening of the farmer's market season. The annual fish fry is a community celebration for the Northeast Park Hill neighborhood.

Colorado Black Health Collaborative Block Party

The WellPower partnered with the Colorado Black Health Collaborative (CBHC) to host the organization's annual Family Block Party at Dahlia Campus for Health & Well-Being.

The WellPower received the Colorado Black Health Collaborative's 2018 Outstanding Partnership and Commitment to Community Health Award.

Photo courtesy of the Colorado Black Health Collaborative

Staff Celebration

The WellPower employees celebrated as a team at the Denver Zoo. Our annual All Staff Celebration is an opportunity to thank our staff for their dedication and hard work.

Emerson St. Community Jam

Emerson St. for Teens & Young Adults held its annual Community Jam, welcoming community members in to learn about the work we do with young people in the community.

Gifts of Hope Fundraising Breakfast

The WellPower recently held our annual Gifts of Hope Fundraising Breakfast bringing together more than 540 community members. Attendees learned how we have re-imagined mental health by focusing on strengths and well-being.

Together, we raised more than $210,000 in one hour to support the well-being of youth, families and adults throughout Denver. More than $35,000 of this total came from several generous lead gifts as well as a dollar-for-dollar match from our Board of Directors.

Gifts of Joy Holiday Gift Drive

Each year the WellPower makes the holiday season a little brighter for the people we serve through our annual holiday campaign comprised of three parts: Adopt-a-Residence, Gifts for Children and Gift Cards for Teens & Adults.

Over the years, the campaign has grown thanks to the generosity of our supporters which include our own employees, community members and corporate sponsors. This past year was one of the most successful Gifts of Joy to date, and we'd like to thank you for your contribution.

  • 765 toys for children collected
  • 2,593 gift cards distributed to teens and adults
  • All 14 residences were adopted

Muse Meditation

As an organization that focuses on strengths and well-being, the WellPower is working toward innovative ways to engage staff to practice their own self-care. For some people, the key to their well-being is meditation.

Participants use a headband device called Muse, which links to a smartphone app and measures brain waves during guided meditation sessions.