TEAM Fort Collins, soon to be TEAM Wellness and Prevention, has teamed up with Colorado Parenting Matters to bring researched and evidenced based parent education programs to Larimer County. The TEAM Parenting Matters initiative is dedicated to providing tools through programing and parenting education to aid in the healthy mental, physical, and emotional wellness of youth throughout Larimer County. The initiative will offer programing such as Brain Wise, Strengthening Families, Making Parenting a Pleasure, Partners in Parenting and Second Time Around through schools and organizations throughout the county as well as to the community at large. The programs are designed to complement brain based prevention education for youth that is already provided by many schools. In addition, this initiative provides TEAM the capacity to provide and implement Brain Wise training to youth educators throughout the public, private and charter schools in Larimer County.

The importance of healthy youth development and wellness in Larimer County has been punctuated by two young members of the community who lost their lives to suicide in the past week. TEAM is committed to its cornerstone believe that it takes parents, schools, faith and service organizations, law enforcement, community leaders and businesses coming together as a TEAM to support and encourage our youth to develop healthy lifestyles free of substance abuse and coping effectively with mental health issues. To that end, TEAM subscribes to SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 8 Dimensions of Wellness that include:

1. Emotional—Coping effectively with life and creating satisfying relationships
2. Environmental—Good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support well-being 3. Financial—Satisfaction with current and future financial situations 4. Intellectual—Recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills 5. Occupational—Personal satisfaction and enrichment from one’s work 6. Physical—Recognizing the need for physical activity, healthy foods, and sleep 7. Social—Developing a sense of connection, belonging, and a well-developed support system 8. Spiritual—Expanding a sense of purpose and meaning in life

The TEAM Parenting Matters initiative has been made possible through a grant from the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health and through a sponsorship from High Country Beverage. For information about the TEAM Parenting Matters initiative contact Parenting Education Specialist Kristin Baca at [email protected] or by phone at 970-224-9931. Information about Colorado Parenting Matters can be found at www.coloradoparentingmatters.org

About the Team Fort Collins/TEAM Wellness & Prevention
Mission Statement: Team Fort Collins is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles through the prevention of substance abuse.

Team Fort Collins has been providing alcohol and drug prevention services to the Fort Collins community since 1989. Team Fort Collins provides prevention education to middle and high school students, makes presentations for parents on topics related to youth substance use, convenes community groups, provides opportunities for youth activities in safe, substance-free environments, and is available as a community partner. We favor a developmental approach for addressing youth substance use. In doing so, we recognize the importance of adolescents’ inclination toward taking risks and we promote a formula of prevention that provides opportunities for youth to satisfy needs without compromising their future.

It is Team Fort Collins’ philosophy that prevention is the job of the entire community and we enjoy the responsibility for coordinating these efforts. To the extent that parents, schools, businesses, law enforcement, community leaders, and religious organizations are consistent in the message for health and in providing a safe environment to nurture youth, Fort Collins’ youth are more likely to claim a future of well-being.