On May 19 a team of volunteers from Impact Denver – a program of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation – joined forces with the WellPower to offer free children’s mental health screenings at the Broncos Boys and Girls Club in Denver.

The Impact Denver program provides leadership skill development to Denver Metro area professionals who are in the early stages of civic involvement. As part of the program, teams of participants choose a community service project from among those solicited by the Foundation. One of the teams selected the WellPower’s proposal to conduct a mental health screening event to identify children with unmet needs from underserved Denver communities and connect them with services. The WellPower is the community mental health center for the City and County of Denver and the community’s leading provider of behavioral health care for children, teens and families.

“Impact Denver’s involvement helped create a friendly, organized and supportive atmosphere that was the ideal environment to interact with families,” said Scott Nebel, a program manager/psychologist with the WellPower.

“It was an honor to volunteer with the Impact Denver Class of 2012 to coordinate the inaugural WellPower Children’s Mental Health Screening, said Kristin Altman. “We were eager to help spread the word to Montebello residents about the important and life-changing services that the WellPower provides,” she added, referring to the Denver community in which the screening took place.

The Impact Denver volunteers helped plan the event – which included refreshments and activities for children – and on the day of the screening greeted and attended to participating families and administered and scored a mental health assessment questionnaire. When the score on the questionnaire suggested a mental health concern, clinicians from the WellPower engaged the children and their caregivers in individual consultations and, where appropriate, made referrals for services.

The WellPower will continue to provide free children’s mental health screenings by appointment, even for the uninsured.  For more information, contact 303-504-7700.