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For over 10 years, Weld County mental health professional Ryan Traylor has had one overall goal: set youth and families up for success by helping both through various challenges. Of all the positive stories he could tell about the families he’s helped, there’s one that stands out above the rest.
"I worked with a family where the youth was having a lot of conflict with their parents and exhibiting self-destructive behaviors. Numerous other services had been tried, but none of them seemed to be the right fit to help the family," explained Traylor. "There was concern this youth was going to need to be placed outside the home due to the ongoing physical conflict between parents and child."
Traylor and the other full-time mental health professionals within the Weld County Department of Human Services (DHS) face situations like this almost weekly. Each situation is an opportunity to assist a child struggling with mental health issues and help the child’s family navigate the many challenges that can appear as a result. And while the mental health challenges faced by each child are all different, they can be aided by the way families may address serious issues in their households — with a conversation built on listening and finding positive solutions.
“Much of my time is spent in a team meeting with families, caseworkers, and administration to better understand what is going on and how we can all navigate together," said Kris Wolf, who’s worked as a mental health professional and licensed clinical social worker for 20 years and provides clinical consultations for DHS. These consultations, or team meetings, can address a variety of different issues from helping a family determine how to meet the needs of a medically fragile child to exploring ways to help an older youth who’s having a difficult time transitioning into a new school to coordinating different services with outside partners. “It's a combined effort between caseworkers, us and the families to get that kiddo’s needs best met.”
Weld County DHS Director Jamie Ulrich believes this team approach to the long-term success of Weld County families is important. So important that the department has included full-time mental health professionals as part of its staff for the past 20 years, making Weld County one of the few counties in the state with its own mental health staff ready to be a resource to families.
"Having mental health supports within DHS not only provides a protective layer of services but also supports the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of the child with the help of their families and caseworkers working alongside them," Ulrich said. “Being in a position to need support services is challenging enough, no matter the situation, and can sometimes negatively impact mental health early on, so it is imperative we provide these services to our community and work alongside our providers and partners to best meet the families where they are at currently."
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Without DHS’ assistance, youth may experience more difficulty processing, understanding, and recovering from their situation. Often, children are blamed for their behavior rather than supported through some of their most pivotal times.
However, DHS is determined not to let that happen, evidenced by the positive conclusion of the success story that stands out in Traylor’s mind. Still, he knows that for every success story, there are more families that may need help. He and the caring staff within DHS are eager to continue making a positive difference.
"After some consultation around the family's needs, we were able to connect the family with a service provider who could engage with them and really begin to work on some of the ways family members were reacting to one another. This youth ended up being able to stay in the home with their parents and placement was avoided," he said. "Often, families just need someone to help guide them in the right direction with the most appropriate and effective tools and resources, and we are here to do that."
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By Kristen Sigg, Weld County Communications Specialist
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DHS offers a variety of supports for families and youth, along with several trust-based trainings. |
The Board of Commissioners proclaimed May National Mental Health Month in Weld County. |
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June's emergency preparedness tip focuses on how to remain safe and comfortable for at least 72 hours following an emergency by helping you think through what to include in disaster supply kits. Disaster supply kits should be designed to help you, your family and your pets meet basic needs, and they can be a big help in keeping you safe and comfortable. Get started creating a disaster supply kit by reading our tip under the "12 months of preparedness" tab at https://www.weldgov.com/go/pio. |
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Question: I'm curious why the 35th Ave and O St. roundabout wasn't constructed at the same time the City of Greeley built theirs?
While on the surface it may seem logical to have started both construction projects at the same time, to do so would have left many residents without a way in and out of their neighborhoods. With two government agencies working on two different projects, each requiring closures, utility relocation along the entire stretch of road by third parties, and different timelines, constructing all three roundabouts at the same time would actually have caused more inconvenience for commuters.
Residents who want regular updates on the construction progress of this roundabout are encouraged to sign up for our email alerts. Simply enter an email address and select "35th and O Roundabout Project."
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Josh Holbrook never thought he'd serve on the subject matter expert on the county's pothole patching techniques. But what he shared at a press conference in February spoke volumes about Weld County's continued commitment to find the most efficient ways to care for roads. Learn more in the next issue of County Roots.
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Welcome to County Roots, the official newsletter of Weld County Government. For those of us who work in county government, we think what we do is pretty interesting. So the goal of this newsletter is to highlight some of the partnerships, technology and efficiencies we are using to make government stronger and more effective for its residents.
Our goal is to establish regular communication with residents, spur interest in county projects, highlight county accomplishments and provide meaningful information to the public. In fact, our goal is to live up to the name “County Roots.” Want to know more about the meaning behind the name? Please visit our webpage, where you can also find previous editions of this newsletter.
If you have a topic idea or general feedback about this new venture, please let us know at jfinch@weldgov.com.
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