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Broomfield proclaims May mental health awareness month; youth groups, programs highlighted
Summary
Council declared May 2025 Mental Health Awareness Month; staff and local youth groups described programs and cited roughly $2.5 million in recent behavioral health funding and state iMatter therapy access for nearly 300 local youth.
The Broomfield City Council on May 20 proclaimed May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month and heard presentations from public health staff and youth groups about local behavioral-health efforts.
Gretchen Smith, coordinator for the Communities That Care coalition at Broomfield Public Health and Environment, told council the city has dedicated more than $2.5 million in behavioral health funding from opioid settlement, retail marijuana funds, state grants, city funds and nonprofit grants. She said the iMatter Colorado program — a state initiative offering short-term therapy for youth — has provided nearly 300 Broomfield young people access to free therapy.
Smith said data from the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado survey shows youth mental-health concerns remain high: roughly 25 percent of high-school students reported persistent sadness and about 11 percent said they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous year. She described Communities That Care (CTC) as a multi-sector prevention coalition working on upstream interventions to reduce youth substance use and improve mental well-being.
Students and youth leaders from Broomfield High School and the Broomfield Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council described peer-led programs. Student leaders from the Sources of Strength program told the council they run monthly campaigns, events and peer-support efforts intended to build protective factors and reduce stigma at school. The Youth Advisory Council said it has chosen youth mental health as a funding priority and awarded grants this year to local nonprofits including Rise Above, Rise Against Suicide, the Broomfield Early Childhood Council and Cultural Brokers Advocates.
Council members thanked the youth and urged residents to use the state iMatter portal (imattercolorado.org) for information. The proclamation listed cross-sector partners including the local Community Reach Center, Clinic of Family Health and Wellness, local school districts, Colorado Community Health Alliance and Metro area public health and human service agencies.
