From the beginning, Academy 360’s vision has been to set a new precedent for how a school partners with its community. We seek to reimagine the role of education in our students and families’ lives through the development of a School-Based Whole-Family Supports model. WHAT IF….
– Our school prioritized academics AND mental health supports on the same plane?
– Our mental health approach focused equally on supporting students AND caregivers?
– We employed mental health professionals who spent 50% of their time working with high-need students at school and 50% of their time working with those same students’ caregivers by providing services like one-on-one and group therapy and parenting coaching and classes? What impact would this approach have on the overall family’s health and well-being? The student’s academic outcomes? Would this strengthen the home-school connection between staff, family, and students?
– We could provide immediate support and healing for children and families when they undergo adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) – and, over time, prevent the occurrence of many ACEs altogether? How would this lessening of toxic stress affect student outcomes (graduation rates, the school-to-prison pipeline, long-term health, and the cycle of poverty) over time?
All 10 components of the CDC’s “Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child” model – http://academy-360.org/about-the-school/instruction/health-wellness/ – are integrated into our school culture. A360 is already fundamentally aligned with the Aspen Institute’s 2Gen approach.
Our idea – which we are uniquely positioned to implement – is to use School-Based Whole-Family Supports to build health/well-being and social capital within Montbello. We believe that this will be a high-leverage impact towards the vision of a community transformed and, ultimately, inequities dismantled. Please read more about our whole family partnerships.
Through Montbello Organizing Committee’s Montbello Solutions work, a community focused approach to clinical and holistic mental health services for youth and adults, Academy 360 houses two therapists within the school’s facility that serves students, their families, and the greater Far Northeast Community. Jordan and Angie Lorena use a community-based, trauma-informed, and social justice approach to holistic mental health care across the lifespan.
In addition to individual and family therapy, they also provide group and community services to promote mental health awareness. They offer services in English and Spanish. Jordan and Angie Lorena are thrilled to join the greater Far Northeast Community to continue the synergetic relationship with our partners as well as the expansion of dignifying services for our clients.
Please see below to learn more about Jordan and Angie Lorena:
Jordan was born and raised in Denver and enjoys all that Colorado has to offer. Building community is where her passion lies, both in her personal and professional life. She strives to provide a compassionate, identity-affirming, and trauma-informed space for children, adolescents, and adults to process and share their truths–whether that be through traditional talk therapy, play, or expressive techniques and creative outlets. She values social justice and is committed to addressing the needs of children and families with diverse backgrounds.
Angie Lorena was born and raised in the complex and magical country of Colombia. She has dedicated herself to studying and understanding how sociopolitical, economic, and racial trauma contribute to human suffering. As a contemplative psychotherapist, Angie Lorena uses a therapeutic approach that includes mindfulness and unconditional acceptance towards everything that arises in the human experience. She firmly believes that trauma happens in isolation and healing happens in community.
Learn more about the greater work here – https://montbelloorganizing.org/montbello-solutions/
Before the COVID-19 crisis, our pilot began to take flight. We hired a Family Therapist entrenched in our community – Ron Allen. Ron worked for Families Forward Resource Center in Montbello for over 15 years (and has resided within A360’s facility for three). Ron’s experiences are in Trauma Informed Parenting, Behavioral and Mental Illness, Fatherhood Training and Family and Community Resources. He has his Masters in Family Counseling with a Minor in Psychology from the Aspen Christian College & Seminary and has conducted social work on behalf of Denver Human Services. His caseload consisted of eight students and their families and has now doubled in size, even students that have transitioned to middle school! He started his “yardwork” back in February 2020, which consisted of meeting with students and their families in the front yard of their homes, providing them with whole family therapy, addressing the needs of both the child and the adults in the home.
The Child and Family Therapy Center of Denver is compassionately dedicated to improving the lives of each family we serve. We strive to create and maintain an inclusive, supportive and collaborative environment that is safe and embracing of all cultures and backgrounds. We work to be aware of our individual biases and value human differences; we encourage input, visibility and feedback from all. We desire for every individual – clients and staff, to be heard, respected and empowered to live authentically.
Academy 360 has partnered with one of their therapists since Spring 2020.
Academy 360 has been fortunate enough to host DU School of Social Work graduate students since its inception year, 2013-2014. Graduate students work with Academy 360 students in both group and one on one settings. This partnership is an integral part of A360’s mental health work.
We are incredibly grateful for the Anschutz Foundation, the DPS $1M Dollar Foundation, and MOC’s Montbello Solutions Funding for supporting our work!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPDATED Guidance for Families Regarding COVID-19 (updated 10.1) – https://www.dpsk12.org/coronavirus/covid-19-guidance/#symptoms
A360 COVID Notification Letters – September 14, 2021
How sick is too sick? How Sick is Too Sick_Final_100720 (2) (1)
DPS Decision Tree Related to COVID-19, updated August 2, 2021: COVID-19 Screening and COVID-19 Testing Decision Tree (5)
Free Testing Sites for DPS Students & Families – https://www.primarybio.com/l/cdphe; additionally, the Montbello Recreation Center is providing free testing Monday through Friday at 15555 East 53rd Avenue.
