About the Second Wind Fund, Inc.
Scott Fletcher and Jeff Lamontagne, along with Dr. Marjorie Laird, founded SWF in 2002. Jeff is now the Executive Director, Scott is on the SWFMD 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. In 2009, the Second Wind Fund of Metro Denver (SWFMD) was formed to manage the local program. SWF manages the national program and the affiliates.
Mission
The mission of the Second Wind Fund, Inc. is to decrease the incidence of teen suicide by removing financial and social barriers to treatment for at-risk youth.
Inclusivity Statement
Toward this end, the Second Wind Fund, Inc. actively seeks to promote access, equity, and inclusiveness. The SWF has the conviction that inclusiveness benefits everyone and is not only compatible with but also promotes excellence.
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, SWF was made available to GMHS and its feeder schools in December 2002. After a few referrals were made, SWF began receiving calls from other schools requesting use of the fund. Due to the additional need for the fund, SWF 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, SWF 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 SWF's fiscal agent and to assist with marketing the SWF program.
How SWF Fund Works
In order to be considered for a referral by the SWF, the individual must be 19 or under, If a counselor in a school served by the SWF 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 SWF.
After ensuring that the student is a suicide risk, lacks financial means to pay for therapy, and is not on Medicaid, SWF 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 SWF 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 SWF clients.
All therapists in the SWF program are private therapists who are licensed, maintain malpractice insurance, have experience with teens at-risk for suicide, and have agreed to see SWF clients at a drastically reduced hourly rate.
SWF 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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The SWF 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.
Lori A. 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 lives in the South Jeffco community with her family. Lori has been offering training for positive youth development, community networking and relationship building for the last 14 years and has spoken nationally regarding youth and community issues. 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.
The SWF, Inc. Team - Board of Directors
President Patricia Clark- Insurance Professional
Vice President Mark Aalund - Outreach Pastor, Faith Mountain Church
Treasurer Annette Girmus-Orford - Community Volunteer
Bob Mazerov - Arborist, Red Tree Results
Sarah Moss - Communications & Partnership Development, Sarah Moss, Inc. Message-Based Events
Christa Lee Rock - Associate, Patton Boggs, LLP
Kathy Valentine, M. Ed - Chairperson, Hope Coalition of Boulder County
The SWF 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.
Is a private therapist in Jeffco who has significant training and experience in suicide-related issues, including working with youth 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.
Dina is a private therapist in Jeffco with significant training and experience in suicide-related issues, including seeing many Jeffco students at-risk for suicide. She is on the SWFMD therapist roster.
Is a Social Worker at Arvada High School in Jeffco.
