About the Fund
Scott Fletcher and Jeff Lamontagne, along with Dr. Marjorie Laird, founded the organization in 2002. Jeff is now the Executive Director, Scott is on the Board of Directors, and Marjorie is on the Therapist Board of Advisors. Kathi Worthington and Bob Worley assisted tremendously with the growth of the program.
Mission
The mission of the Second Wind Fund is to decrease the incidence of teen suicide by removing financial and social barriers to treatment for at-risk youth.
History
During the 2001-2002 school year, four students at Green Mountain High School (GMHS) in Jefferson County, Colorado, committed suicide in a nine-month time frame. The community in general, but especially the high school community, were profoundly affected.
The Second Wind Fund was initiated by Green Mountain Presbyterian Church (GMPC) in September 2002 following these four suicides. On September 8, 2002, GMPC held a small walk/run in association with its annual church summer picnic. A few members planned the event over a short period of time, and the event was not publicized except for a few neighborhood flyers. Most of the 66 people that participated were GMPC members, or their friends. Still, due to the generosity of GMPC participants and those who gave them pledges, enough money was raised to be of help to GMHS students. We just didn't know how it would be used at that point!
After GMPC members met with high school counselors to determine how to best use the funds, Second Wind was made available to GMHS and its feeder schools in December 2002. After a few referrals were made, Second Wind began receiving calls from other schools requesting use of the fund. Due to the additional need for the fund, Second Wind was extended to Lakewood, Bear Creek, and Alameda High School students, as well as their feeder schools, in April and May 2003.
Because of the growing demand for the program, as well as the increasing number of people coming forward with offers to help, GMPC volunteers decided to redouble their efforts in an effort to make the event larger in 2003. In May 2003, Second Wind partnered with The Jefferson Foundation, the oldest private nonprofit education foundation in Colorado. The Jefferson Foundation funds various programs for Jefferson County public school students, and offered to become Second Wind’s fiscal agent and to assist with marketing the Second Wind program.
Every year since 2002, the walk/run has grown significantly as follows:
2002 — 66 participants raised $4000
2003 — 350 participants raised $23,000
2004 — 1000 participants raised $63,000
2005 — 1400 participants raised $80,000
2006 — 1900 participants raised $104,000
2007 — 2600 participants raised $162,000!!!
Referrals by Denver Metro Area Schools
2003—2008, Updated: 5/31/08
With school out and the counselors now gone for the summer, here are Second Wind Fund's final totals for referrals. As you can see, we served kids from just about everywhere in the area.
[Please note that higher numbers of referrals from some school districts/counties is likely a result of a large student population and their being covered by the Second Wind Fund for more years.]
Jefferson County Public Schools (4-5 years of service): 487 | |||
Park County Schools (4 years of service): 24 | |||
Adams County (all districts; 1.5-2 years of service): 168 | |||
Littleton Schools (1.5 years of service): 31 | |||
Sheridan Schools (1.5 years of service): 7 | |||
Denver Schools (2 years of service): 116 | |||
Cherry Creek Schools (1.5 years of service): 119 | |||
Aurora Schools (1.5 years of service): 26 | |||
Miscellaneous: 17 | |||
Douglas County: 56 | |||
Boulder County: 45 |
Total Metro Area Referrals as of 5/31/2008: 1096
How the Second Wind Fund Works
In order to be considered for a referral by the Second Wind Fund, the individual must be 19 or under, attending any Denver area school, including public, choice, charter, and private, as well as home-schooled students and youth not attending school. Youth 19 and under in Boulder, Douglas, El Paso, Teller, and Mesa counties are covered by Second Wind Fund affiliates.
If a counselor in a school served by the Second Wind program is concerned about a student, the following process occurs:
A school counselor or administrator deems a student at least moderately “at-risk” for suicide. If the student’s family does not have financial means (including adequate insurance) to pay for professional therapy, the counselor contacts Second Wind.
After ensuring that the student is a suicide risk, lacks financial means to pay for therapy, and is not on Medicaid, Second Wind assigns the student a referral number. If the student is on Medicaid, he or she is first referred to the county mental health association.
The counselor initiates a referral with parental permission. After given a Second Wind referral number, the school counselor writes the referral number on a program referral form, signs the form, and gives it to the student and/or parents.
The referred student is given the referral form and a list of private therapists who have agreed to see Second Wind Fund clients. The therapist roster currently includes approximately 60 Denver area therapists.
All therapists in the Second Wind program are private therapists who are licensed by the State of Colorado, maintain malpractice insurance, have experience with teens at-risk for suicide, and have agreed to see Second Wind clients at a drastically reduced hourly rate.
Second Wind will pay for a student to visit a program therapist up to 20 times. (Eight visits are automatically approved at the time of the initial referral. More visits require additional information.)
State officials and private therapists note that, to the best of their knowledge, the program’s structure is unique. We continue to get requests to expand the program.
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Community Awards
- Jefferson County Good News Breakfast. Second Wind Fund was a 2006 Honoree.
- Jefferson County Good News Breakfast. Second Wind Fund was a 2004 Honoree.
- City of Lakewood. September 12, 2004 declared “Second Wind Fund Day” by the City of Lakewood.
- Parents and Communities Connecting Together (PACCT). Second Wind Fund honored as “Asset Builder of the Year” in PACCT's inaugural Asset Builder luncheon.
- Lakewood Foothills Rotary Club. Jeff Lamontagne, Co-Founder and Executive Director, nominated and awarded as a Finalist for "Business Person of Character" award for 2005.
- Radio AM 630 KHOW Caplis and Silverman "Community Service MVP." Jeff Lamontagne (first ever winner).
The Team - Staff
Jeff Lamontagne, Executive Director and Co-Founder
Jeff lives with his family in the Green Mountain area of Lakewood. Jeff grew up in Colorado Springs, has a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a J.D. from the College of William and Mary, and worked in environmental consulting for 9 years. Along with Scott Fletcher and Dr. Marjorie Laird, Jeff was instrumental in founding the Second Wind Fund in late 2002, and worked as a volunteer to build the program until April 2004, when he was hired as Executive Director. He has previous experience leading other nonprofit organizations, both as an Executive Director and as a Board President. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Jefferson Foundation and works with many community organizations in Jefferson County and the Denver Metro area.
Mary Wylie, Assistant Director
Mary was been a Second Wind Fund volunteer since early 2003 and was hired as Assistant Director in January 2006. She is a survivor, having lost her 21-year-old son David to suicide in 2002. Mary and her husband, Doug, have been married for over 30 years and have a daughter, Sarah. Mary is a "Michigander" and moved to Lakewood, Colorado following her graduation from Michigan State University with a B.A. in business management, majoring in what was then known as "personnel administration." She has extensive experience in human resources working for both public and private employers and is an active community volunteer.
Jill Knussmann, Program Director
Jill received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Colorado and practiced nursing for 8 years, 6 of which were in pediatrics. She also worked as a substitute teacher for two years and tutored at risk elementary kids for one year. Jill has extensive volunteer experience in PTA, and performed as a Rape Assistance and Awareness Program hotline advocate for over a year. Jill has completed a wide variety of counseling courses at Red Rocks Community College.
Elizabeth (Liz) Pacheco, Outreach Coordinator/Therapist, MC, NCC
Ms. Pacheco is an Arizona native who relocated to Colorado three years ago. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona, her master’s degree in counseling from the University of Phoenix and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Psychology from the Colorado School of the Rockies. She has been in the Social Service field for twenty two years with a focus on working with the Latino population. Ms. Pacheco’s hobbies include photography and exploring all the sites of her new home state. She is also the very proud aunt to her two beautiful nieces and two handsome nephews.
Lori Hoffner, Affiliates Director
Lori A. Hoffner joined Second Wind as our Affiliates Director on March 1, 2008, after serving on our Board of Directors. She's been offering training for positive youth development, community networking and relationship building for the last 12 years and has spoken nationally regarding youth and community issues. She has been the Executive Director of PACCT, a small non-profit in Jefferson County, Colorado, an organization dedicated to the success of youth and community. Lori became an elected official eight years ago as a Board member for the Board of Directors of Foothills Park and Recreation District. In 2004, she served as the first director of the Jefferson County Teen Suicide Prevention Project with Jefferson Center for Mental Health and is highly regarded as a network agent for community collaborations. Lori provides training to adults and youth surrounding the issue of suicide prevention and intervention and is a registered ASIST and SafeTALK trainer. She has her B.A. in Psychology and is a member of the Jefferson Foundation Board of Directors.
Mandy Lunnon, Associate
Mandy graduated from Green Mountain High School in Lakewood, CO in 2004 and from Colorado State University (CSU) with a degree in Speech Communication in 2008. She joined Second Wind in 2008 after her graduation from CSU. Mandy is a native Coloradoan and grew up in Green Mountain with her parents and younger sister. She loves to travel and studied abroad in Spain as a CSU student.
S. Lena Cazeaux, Development/Grantwriter
President of GreyCastle Associates, Inc., Second Wind Development, has worked in non-profit consulting and fundraising for nearly 20 years. Her responsibilities have ranged from the design of fundraising strategies, the establishment of new non-profits, tracking and database systems, grant writing techniques, corporate and foundation relations, annual funds, government proposals, stewardship, volunteer management, publications, direct mail, to all other aspects of development. Lena served for ten years in universities, including Arizona State University, Washington State University, and the Colorado School of Mines, and then for the last ten years, with a wide range of non-profit organizations in Colorado and around the country. She presents workshops, board development sessions, and training seminars in grant writing and fundraising -- and thoroughly enjoys helping organizations reach their resource development goals. Her educational background includes a bachelors degree from the University at Buffalo, New York, and a masters degree from New York University in Manhattan. Her training is in archaeology, geology, and environmental sociology.
Dina O'Shea Robke, Data Collection and Analysis
Dina Robke, LCSW, Second Wind Therapist and Member of Board of Advisors, is well known in the Denver community for her counseling expertise. She has been responsible for the follow up data collection and analysis for Jefferson County and will lead the efforts for MHCD/DPS students. Dina is in private practice in Arvada and has been since 1983 where she specializes in Adult, Adolescent, and Family Therapy. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado, and an M.S.W. from the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. In addition to being licensed in the State of Colorado, she is accredited by the Academy of Certified Social Workers, is a Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work, and is accredited by the National Registry of Health Care Providers. Dina also was co-founder of the Youth Suicide Prevention Coalition, Columbine/Chatfield area in May 1985, which was awarded the "Best Program" by the Mental Health Association of Colorado.
The Team - Board of Advisors
Sheree has served on Second Wind's Board of Directors and is now again serving on our Board of Advisors. She is the Jeffco Schools Liaison to the Homeless and a former mental health therapist.
University of Denver Assistant Professor Stacey Freedenthal is a clinical practice specialist who focuses on suicide prevention, help-seeking and mental health services. At DU, Stacey teaches courses in mental health assessment with adults and cognitive interventions in social work practice.
Cheri Kretsch
A private therapist in Jeffco who has significant training and experience in suicide-related issues, and has seen many Jeffco students at-risk for suicide. She is on the Second Wind Fund therapist roster.
Is the Founder, CEO, and School Director of the Colorado School for Family Therapy, Inc., which educates counselors, clinical supervisors, licensure candidates, psychotherapists, and ministers.
President, Colorado Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Marjorie, in conjunction with Green Mountain High School (GMHS) counselors, initiated the program portion of Second Wind, and she has provided clinical guidance along the way. As a private therapist, she has seen many Jeffco students at risk for suicide and has worked with many schools in the area.
An attorney in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who frequently works with mental health professionals as part of his legal practice. As an author, he regularly updates the book "The Legal Guide to Practicing Psychotherapy in Colorado," which deals with many of the issues at the crossroads of clinical and legal/ethical questions.
Also a private therapist in Jeffco who has significant training and experience in suicide-related issues, and has seen many Jeffco students at-risk for suicide. She is also on the Second Wind Fund therapist roster.
Private therapist and President, Real Consulting
The Team - Board of Directors
President J. Christopher Cox - Lakewood Dental Labs
Vice President Scott Fletcher - Owner of 8470 Calibrations
Treasurer Marcia Johnston-Walden - Vice President, Front Range Bank
Secretary Anna Martinez-Barnish, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Department of Energy
Pam Bilby, Secretary/Treasurer for the Kiwanis Rocky Mountain Division
Amita Chugh, Professional Research Assistant, Department of Health Care Policy and Research, University of Colorado Denver
Tyler Hufford, VP, First Heritage Capital
Suzanne McClung, Lakewood High School Science Teacher
Gale Van Ort, long-term Second Wind Fund volunteer
The Team - Honorary Board Members
Jane Barnes, Jeffco School Board President
State Senator Betty Boyd, State Senator (and former State Rep) for the Green Mountain area
Steve Burkholder, Lakewood’s Mayor from 1999-2007 and Executive Director for Colorado’s Future
Shellene Cockrell, Media Personality, former Miss Colorado, and our emcee for our walk/run/ride the past five years
Rick Garcia, Denver City Councilman
Barb Goings, Green Mountain High School Principal
Jarrod Hindman, Director for the State of Colorado’s Office of Suicide Prevention
Linda Kanan, District Intervention Coordinator, Cherry Creek School District
State Rep. Andrew Kerr, State Rep. for Lakewood, including the Green Mountain area, and a Jefferson County Schools employee
Katherine Loughery-Stemp, Jefferson County Coroner
John Mackey, Chief of Police, Auraria Police Department
Jose Martinez, Principal, Alameda High School
Sarah Moss, The Sullivan Group
Andrew Romanoff, representing HD 6 from 2000-2008 and Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives 2006-2008
Mona Sandoval, Executive Director, The Jefferson Foundation
State Rep. Debbie Stafford, State Rep. and Aurora Mental Health employee
Dr. Cindy Stevenson, Superintendent, Jefferson County Schools
Darrell Watson, Board of Trustees, The Denver Foundation and TIAA-CREF Wealth Accounts Manager
Steve Young, formerly with Front Range Bank
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