The belief that the tragedy of a young person choosing to take their own life can be prevented was the prime motivator for the founders of the Second Wind Fund back in 2002. That school year, four students at a Jefferson County School in Colorado died by suicide in a nine-month time frame. The community – profoundly affected – grieved.
In response to these four suicides, three members of a local faith community, Jeff Lamontagne, Dr. Marjorie Laird, and Scott Fletcher organized a small community “Walk/Run” event to show solidarity with the school. The event, attended by 66 people, also raised a modest amount of money, and it was decided to use that money to provide direct support to other young people who were struggling at the school. The Second Wind Program was then created to continue providing access to professional counseling services to youth deemed at risk of suicide.
Other schools in the county heard about the program, and word began to spread to additional communities in Colorado. Now, Second Wind Fund services are available throughout the state. Fifteen years since its inception, the Second Wind Fund is serving 30 counties in Colorado and is still growing.
Second Wind Fund believes that every child and youth at risk of suicide should have access to the mental health treatment they need.
We match children and youth at risk for suicide with licensed therapists in their communities. If a financial or social barrier to treatment is present, we pay for up to 12 sessions of therapy from one of our specialized network providers. Our unique program helps referred youth discover hope and healing in their lives.
SWF has provided life-saving services to over 5,300 Colorado youth since 2002.