We had the good fortune of connecting with Annie Cooley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Annie, what is the most important factor behind your success?
In the calendar year 2022, Resilience1220 has provided over 1,543 hours of free mental health counseling sessions, offered 117 groups that have reached 760 different youth and 106 parents, grandparents, caregivers and educators, and conducted outreach programs for 698 youth and adults to better understand the mental health crisis taking place among tweens and teens. Last year, we enrolled 276 new clients in the program, and we served an average of 75 clients per month. The most important factor behind our success is creating a culture in the community that supports and empowers young people and their families in our mountain communities to build resilience, strength and the tools to master life’s challenges.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
In 2019, three teen suicides in our mountain communities made us painfully aware of the mental health issues that young people face and brought about the creation of Resilience1220. A group of local therapists and community members came together to break down barriers to accessing mental health services by offering free confidential counseling services to youth ages 12-20 in the mountain communities west of Denver. Caregivers and teachers in our community also receive services at no charge.

Mental health issues for teens have been on the rise, particularly for youth who did not have the necessary skills and outlets to cope. Through therapy, support groups and community outreach, we work to raise awareness of the social, emotional, and mental-health issues young adults are facing, and to eliminate the stigma against seeking mental health support.

Right now, I am really excited about our community educational series Conversations & Connections. It is a free, online speaker series where we host inspiring and influential professionals that discuss relevant topics focused on deeper ways to help teens build resilience. We have a great line up of speakers for this spring and summer including; firearm safety and mental health, supporting LGBTQ+ youth, tobacco use and more!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Most days you can find me at the Resilience office which is by the Buchanan Rec Center but I also love to grab coffee at Bivouac or Java Groove in Evergreen. After enjoying a delicious cup of coffee, I love to go hiking at Three Sisters or Elk Meadow nearby. Evergreen also has a lively music scene. On April 28th, The Jersey’s will be playing at the Wild Game for the Boogie at the Wild Game night. Proceeds of this night will go to Resilience1220. We also have a few breweries in town that not only serve cold and delicious beer, but have incredible menus too. Revival Brew is the place for a good patio and kid-friendly fun. Evergreen Brewery is perfect to meet up with friends and enjoy the low key atmosphere. Oh and the best place if you like bread (who doesn’t?!) is The Bread Lounge, delicious for all meals.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Heather Aberg – the founder of Resilience1220

We could not do what we do without the support of our community and our wonderful team of therapist and volunteers, thank you!

Website: Resilience1220.org

Instagram: @Resilience1220

Facebook: Resilience1220

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