7/3/24 Newsletter

View this email in your browser The DAA Collective newsletter keeps Denver's afterschool community connected to resources, professional learning and networking opportunities. Learn more about us. Get To Know DAA Collective Leadership Team Member Aimee Alcorn! After initially believing I was destined to be a teacher, I spent four years in the classroom before realizing that my true passion was supporting youth in navigating life situations that hindered their ability to thrive in an educational environment. I earned my Master of Social Work degree and spent an additional three years as a special education teacher and social worker, specifically working with teens with Level 1 Autism who struggled in a general education setting. Prior to joining the Colorado Dream Foundation in 2019, I worked at Children's Hospital Colorado on the Neuropsychiatric Special Care Unit (an inpatient unit for youth with autism and other intellectual diagnoses), which solidified my passion for working with youth and their families in environments that foster learning, growth, and long-term success. As the Senior Director of Emotional Wellness at the Colorado Dream Foundation, I now focus on developing the larger clinical and emotional wellness programs. Despite this broader role, I still find joy in celebrating the individual growth and development of Beyond Dreams clients alongside their clinicians and cherish the time spent with program youth whenever possible. I am committed to bringing affordable and accessible mental health care to the greater Denver community for decades to come. If there is one piece of wisdom that I hope to impart on the Dreamers and Dream Makers at Beyond Dreams Therapy and the greater Colorado Dream Foundation, it is the wise words of Lori Deschene: "You don’t have to be positive all the time. It’s perfectly okay to feel sad, angry, annoyed, frustrated, scared, and anxious. Having feelings doesn’t make you a negative person. It makes you human." Exciting News: Beyond Dreams Therapy Launch at Colorado Dream Foundation! We are excited to announce the launch of Beyond Dreams Therapy at the Colorado Dream Foundation on July 1, 2024! Beyond Dreams Therapy is a newly branded initiative under Colorado Dream Foundation, founded on the principles of holistic and strengths-based mental health care. We specialize in working with individuals aged four through adulthood, providing tailored support for those facing anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, experiencing life transitions, trauma, and more. Our goal is to create a safe and nurturing environment where clients can explore their potential and develop the skills needed to thrive both now and in the future through individual one-on-one therapy and small group therapy. Our therapeutic methods include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Attachment Theory, Applied Behavior Analysis, Grief Therapy, play-based therapy, and more. By integrating these approaches, we offer comprehensive care that addresses the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive aspects of mental health. Our team of highly trained clinicians brings decades of combined experience to Beyond Dreams Therapy and their approach is rooted in empathy, curiosity, and a commitment to working alongside our clients to make a positive impact on the lives of their clients. We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our services and philosophy. If you or someone you know could benefit from our support, please don't hesitate to reach out. Together, we can work towards a brighter, healthier future! Thank you for being a part of our community. We look forward to embarking on this journey with you. Website: https://beyonddreamstherapy.coloradodream.org Instagram: @beyonddreamstherapy_cdf Email: beyonddreams@coloradodream.org July Create and Conversate Event We are changing things up a bit to accommodate summer programming schedules, and the likely need for providers to kick back, connect and get your artistic juices flowing  in July. Join us at Junction Food and Drink (2000 S Colorado Blvd Building IV, Denver, CO 80222) for our July "Create and Conversate" Event on July 11th from 3p-5p! Let's combat the mid-summer burn out together!  At the event, we will be offering an opportunity for attendees to "get creative" and participate in the Denver Afterschool Alliance's National Summer Learning Week painting activity: "Why I Love My Summer Program". The canvas paintings will be displayed alongside youth artwork in the Wellington E. Webb Atrium during National Summer Learning Week (July 15-19). RSVP HERE DDPHE Request for Public Comment In May, the Denver Dept. of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) hosted a Rapid Health Impact Assessment event where youth and adults met to discuss issues related to youth mental health distress and how to address this critical situation most effectively. The event culminated a long process that included dialogue between youth, community-based organizations, and city agencies. Now, the next step is to ask the wider community for feedback! To review the recommended proposals of possible future projects to support youth with their mental health needs and provide your insights and perspectives, click HERE.  Train-the-Trainer Experience The Flourish Lab’s Facilitator Training program, Train-the-Trainer, offers an in-depth, transformative experience focused on personal development of the establishment of a unique facilitation approach. This program promises a deep, engaging experience designed to cultivate skilled and mindful facilitators. The 2024 Train-the-Trainer program will take place from October 15-18 (9:00am–4:30pm Tuesday; 8:30–4:30 Wednesday and Thursday; 8:30–1:00 Friday) For more information, check out the program flyer HERE. Register HERE If you are interested in participating, reach out to Amy Brady to learn about how you can access your DAA discount today! Tasty Food Expands Meal Program to Serve Youth Ages 3-18! The following press release was announced on June 10th: Tasty Food is thrilled to announce the expansion of its meal program, now serving youth ages 3-18 across the City and County of Denver. In years past, Tasty Food served youth ages 5-18; however, this expansion aims to provide access to quality nutrition for younger children in the 3-5 age range so they can learn and grow.   Starting June 10, Tasty Food will offer FREE meals and snacks at various sites across Denver during the summer break. The summer meal program runs until August 16, 2024, and no registration or identification is required for youth to access meals. All youth are encouraged to visit any Tasty Food site to enjoy fresh and wholesome meals throughout their summer break.   "While older children and teens can rely on school for meals, younger children cannot. Access to childcare is a huge challenge for Denver families, and by default, access to nutritious food. Many young children live in food deserts, and families need access to healthy and nutritious food so that children are healthy and happy,” said Jenna Augustine, Early Childhood Program Coordinator. "We are committed to supporting the well-being of all youth and hope that all young children in Denver have access to healthy and nutritious food. This is especially the case for families facing socio-economic challenges."   For more information, including site locations and meal schedules, please visit https://denvergov.org/TastyFood. Feel free to pass along this Summer Meal Program Flyer to your networks! DAAconnect Updates Did you know…you can add your afterschool programs to appear on the Youth Program Locator NOW?! Even though summer just started, parents are already looking for afterschool programs. Update DAAconnect today with you fall programs, even if you do not have your program schedule finalized yet. Ask our team if you need assistance!   Attention OCA Award Recipients: Last call for OCA Award Reports! If you receive funding from OCA and have not yet completed your spring report, it is past due! ALL award recipients are required to complete a Spring report for January 1-June 5 timeframe, regardless of your individual program dates. If you have not completed the Spring award report, please contact the DAAconnect team: daaconnect@denvergov.org. Mark your calendars for Sept 9! Summer program award reports are due Sept 9. You must still complete a report, even if you did not serve youth in the summer!   Job Opportunities This fall, Warren Village is opening a new supportive housing campus in Southwest Denver. They are hiring for a variety of positions at this location, as well as their other sites!  The Lead Resident Navigator – Alameda Campus will provide trauma-informed individualized support and crisis management support in English and Spanish for residents of Warren Village’s new supportive housing project in Southwest Denver.  The Resident Engagement Lead – Alameda Campus will be responsible for fostering a vibrant and inclusive community atmosphere within Warren Village’s new supportive housing project in Southwest Denver.  The Alumni Navigator will provide case management, resource navigation, and coaching services for families moving out of and formerly residing in one of Warren Village’s campuses.  The Youth Program Coordinator-Ivy Crossing Locations plans, designs, and implements comprehensive programs for elementary and middle school-age children to feel safe, have fun, and engage in enriching activities in a structured, supportive group setting.  To view the full postings and apply to these positions, click HERE.  Denver Public Safety Youth Programs (DPSYP) is hiring for a couple of positions! Interested applicants can apply online following the links below: Diversion Services Manager Bilingual Diversion Officer Denver Parks and Recreation is currently hiring for several on-call positions. Check out one of the many opportunities listed below:   Certified Group Fitness Instructor Certified Personal Trainer Outdoor Recreation and Alternative Sports Instructor Seasonal Parks Maintenance Worker Seasonal Parks Facilities Worker Community Opportunities New Cottage Arts is spearheading Clayton Community Days, a free 1st Saturday event with live music, art workshops, vendors, food and giveaways! The events are located behind 3840 York Street in the Clayton neighborhood. The last three event dates are July 6, August 3 and September 7- make sure you check it out! EQurious Miranda’s musings on all things SEAL  Hello Qurious Readers!    Over the weekend, Inside Out 2 hit over $1 BILLION in sales worldwide. This makes me SO excited and hopeful…people across the globe are clamoring to watch a movie about EMOTIONS! Yahoo! For the two people who may not know about Inside Out 2, it is the sequel to the original that came out in 2015. This movie is so layered and relatable for youth and adults alike. I contributed to that $1 billion and went with my partner and two children (11 and 15) to the movie. It is the gift that keeps on giving. I am overflowing with wonderings, ideas and tons of EQuriosity!    Complex emotion characters were introduced in the film (Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy and Ennui). Emotions that many of us experience as uncomfortable and attempt to avoid and suppress at all costs! The movie shows that ALL emotions are not only welcome, but a part of our overall well-being--they are equal and vital members of the team.  How do we practice welcoming, accepting and learning from uncomfortable emotions? (Which, let me be clear, can be ANY emotion!) It starts with naming and describing them.   I picked up my 11 year old from gymnastics and asked her the usual. “How did practice go?” She responded, “It was ok (her tone told me otherwise). I feel a bit bad because Kyra (her gymnastics bestie) got extra time to work on her tumbling passes. I wanted to have more time too, but didn’t get it. What’s so special about her?” Her tone was laced with a tinge of anger and shame. Then she paused, gasped a bit and said “I am feeling envy.” A sense of relief washed over her when she was able to name and describe the emotion she was feeling. Makes sense--her friend was getting the attention that she wanted (and thought she deserved). She was able to visually see Envy and welcome her into the space, exactly what she needed to move through it. (And yes, I was beaming with joy and pride at the connection she made!) It’s these micro moments of awareness and practice that build on themselves over time. And I will have LOTS of moments to practice with her (I’ll be doing my work too!) as she cruises into puberty…just like Riley!   Where has Envy showed up for me lately? I live with an educator who has summers off and children who have the summer “off". Guess who does not have the summer off? Envy gets really loud and big when I am the only one who has to get up in the morning and work all day. I realized Envy was starting to take over and negatively impact my interactions with my partner and children. Since I’ve named it and shared it with trusted friends, it feels less potent and I am better able to accept that she is there, but does not have control of my internal motherboard.   Where might Envy be showing up in your life? Name it. Describe it. Stay with the uncomfortable feeling. This is how we practice social emotional learning skills and build our emotional intelligence. One feeling at a time.  Until next time…stay EQurious! 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