Find support with our grief and caregiver counseling groups
The JFS Mental Health department has partnered with clients, families, and the community to create opportunities to achieve emotional wellness and stability, including several support groups. For those dealing with grief and individuals who are caregivers, we offer support groups that guide clients on their wellness journey as they find the support they need.
Advancing Our Community Mental Health Services
For more than 40 years, the JFS Mental Health department has partnered with clients, families, and the community to create opportunities to achieve emotional wellness and stability. With a team of skilled mental health professionals, we are dedicated to helping, improving, and making a difference in the lives of those struggling with mental health issues in the metro Denver area.
Increase your mental health and emotional well-being
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties with mental health, searching for meaning, or looking for support within a compassionate community, our new, monthly Mental Health Jewish Spiritual Support Group provides a safe, understanding space so you don’t face difficult times alone.
Five back to school tips for kids and parents
The long and not necessarily lazy days of summer break are coming to an end. While the start of the school year ushers in new beginnings that can be exciting, it can also be overwhelming. JFS KidSuccess Program Manager Amanda Carter offers suggestions about how to prepare for the academic year and ease into a new routine.
JFS KidSuccess: making sure youth have the support they need
We are currently in the middle of a mental health crisis, and it’s hitting youth hard. In the past year, 40% of youth experienced depression, and more than half reported feeling increased daily stress today compared to 2019. Colorado’s youth are 37% more likely to use drugs and 15% more likely to use alcohol than the average American youth. These statistics are alarming, and during National Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to share how JFS’s school-based mental health program, KidSuccess, is helping to combat this growing and concerning trend.
Make Connections and Find Support
If you live with a chronic health condition or illness and experience misunderstanding, isolation, or loneliness, the JFS Jewish Disabilities Advocates Chronic Health Conditions Support Group can help. In this monthly group, you’ll find emotional support, learn coping strategies, and much more.
JFS Boulder Expands Mental Health Services
JFS headquarters, based in Denver, has a robust Mental Health department providing services to the community for more than 40 years. JFS Boulder is building upon this infrastructure and has expanded its mental health services to provide ongoing high-quality mental health services for anyone needing therapy, including those impacted by the Marshall Fire or Straight-Line Wind Event in Boulder County.
Jewish Family Service Receives $1 Million Endowment for Youth Mental Health
Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS) is the beneficiary of the Metzler Family Childhood Learning Endowment for its KidSuccess school-based mental health program. All funds will be used to meet the immediate and long-term needs of the youth mental health crisis.
Five tips for sending kids back to school
While the start of the school year ushers in new beginnings that can be exciting, it can also be overwhelming. JFS KidSuccess Program Manager Lisa Ricon offers tips on preparing for the academic year, easing into a new routine, and (hopefully) making days less stressful.
Refugee Mental Health team offered a therapeutic wellness group for recently arrived refugee students
The JFS Refugee Mental Health program provides specialized, culturally sensitive, compassionate mental health care and support services for refugees and immigrants of all ages, faiths, ethnicities, and countries of origin. Last April, the Refugee Mental Health team started a new therapeutic wellness group for recently arrived refugee students at Denver’s South High School to give students a space to feel comfortable sharing their experiences and expressing themselves in a welcoming and safe environment.
Make mental health a priority
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month and is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health, fighting stigma, and supporting the estimated one million Coloradans with mental health conditions and their families. It is also a time to check in with yourself and ask if you or your loved ones need additional support, want to make healthier choices, and are the best version of yourself?
I Matter: Making sure youth have the support they need
In the summer of 2021, Colorado passed a bill establishing a temporary behavioral health services program in response to our youth’s worsening mental health crisis. And, JFS is proud to be one of the participants in the I Matter program, which is the first in the nation. Learn more about this one-of-a-kind program and how it might help you.
Winter Wellness for Teens and Parents
Boulder JCC and Jewish Family Service present this four-part weekly series at the Boulder JCC. Each session will consist of fun, creative, and holistic self-care activities paired with resiliency-building skills, and body-based strategies to cope with stress and anxiety.
Join a Free Monthly Caregiver Support Group
If you are caring for or are concerned about an aging parent nearby or long distance, we invite you to attend Caring for Your Aging Parent, a free virtual monthly drop-in support group for adult children on the first Wednesday of each month, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Processing Trauma and Restoring Self-Esteem
Joshua had been experiencing inner loneliness and depression for years due to traumatic life events. He had tried conventional therapy in the past, but it had not worked for him. He came to JFS for weekly EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) sessions and he shares the positive results of this treatment.
You Are Not Alone—JFS is Here to Support You!
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve all been focused on our physical health. It is equally important to take care of your mental health—perhaps now more than ever! In this Mental Health Awareness Month post, learn more about JFS’s mental health services and how you can benefit.
Counseling Services for Older Adults
JFS is now accepting new counseling clients age 65+. Older adults and their family members can often benefit from compassionate counseling to cope with life’s transitions and other issues that come with aging. Our therapists are licensed clinical social workers with a wealth of knowledge and expertise.
Mental Health Matters
With all the stressors in the world today it is important to take care of your mental health and to check on friends and family. As the COVID-19 crisis continues, the political divide, and with the winter months ahead of us, feelings of anxiety and depression are common and should not be ignored.
Abby’s Impact: Helping Keyauja Achieve Her Goals
Keyauja, a mother of two, recently completed five classes in JFS’s Abby’s Impact: Realizing Resilience program and shares how these classes helped her achieve her goals.
Guiding Sara Through Her Grief
Sara was experiencing major depression, grief, and anhedonia (inability to experience pleasure) after her husband of more than 55 years passed away. Then her retirement community went into lockdown when the pandemic hit. See how a JFS therapist guided her through her grief.