JFS KidSuccess: Celebrating 30 Years of Promoting Well-being in Schools
For the past 30 years, JFS’s school-based mental health program, KidSuccess, has been on the front lines, making a difference, welcoming children, and providing the necessary resources for them to heal. KidSuccess’ unique hands-on approach promotes a supportive school environment for students that fosters achievement, high selfesteem, resiliency, and personal responsibility.
Our KidSuccess team joins each school’s staff to support teachers, youth, and their families. They use different modalities, such as play therapy, art therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (more commonly known as EMDR) therapy, to help students address varying levels of traumatic experiences.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being and is integral to overall health. The KidSuccess program addresses this need and prioritizes students’ overall mental health while reducing barriers to give them the best chance for success.
Throughout the year, we’ll celebrate the KidSuccess program on social media and in our publications, highlighting their remarkable work and spotlighting team members. We hope you join us in acknowledging this incredible milestone!
Dear Friends,
Like most of the country, Colorado is experiencing a mental health crisis, particularly when it comes to children’s mental health. We are struggling, and the numbers are staggering. A 2024 report from the nonprofit advocacy group Mental Health America compared our 50 states and Washington, DC, and ranked each on the prevalence of mental health issues and access to treatment. States with a ranking between 39 and 51 indicated that youth have a higher frequency of mental illness and lower rates of access to care. Colorado is ranked 44 for youth, which is alarming.
While multiple reasons are driving the crisis—lack of funding, increasing demand, and limited resources, to name a few—it’s vital that we reverse the trend and prioritize youth mental health. And as you’ll read throughout this issue, our JFS KidSuccess program has been working to do just that for the past 30 years.
I’m proud of our KidSuccess program, which places trained JFS therapists in schools, providing youth with access to free, quality mental health counseling services so they can succeed academically and emotionally. Whether a child is struggling to integrate into a new way of life, dealing with
significant trauma, overcoming bullying, or tackling an inability to concentrate, I hope we can all agree that they deserve mental health support to help them cope and heal.
We’re trying to meet the increasing needs and have expanded to 22 schools this year compared to 15 last year, but I won’t lie, it’s challenging. These students and schools need more support. I hope when you read about the KidSuccess program, you’ll want to help raise awareness about mental health, fight stigma, and support Colorado kids with their mental health needs and their families.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the unsettling times we find ourselves in with the recent executive orders that have impacted our Yana Vishnitsky Refugee Resettlement program. The federal actions have caused significant uncertainty and have already had a great affect on services for refugees. Depending on what additional mandates are put in place, grant funding and appropriations for some of our services could be affected, and we’ll be faced with difficult choices. Please take a moment to read our resettlement statement on page 2.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
With warm regards,
Linda P. Foster President and CEO
Team ACE: Swishes Their Way to Victory
Congratulations to our very own JFS Team ACE for their amazing performance at the Special Olympics Regional Basketball Tournament! They brought home first place and second place ribbons in their first skills competition. We’re incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication this season, and we can’t wait to cheer them on at the upcoming State Tournament! Go Team ACE!
A Journey to a New Life
Far too many people living in places with political unrest are faced with the unimaginable decision to flee their homes and country in search of a better life. Thanks to our generous supporters, JFS provides long-term solutions to help refugees transition, rebuild, and become self-sufficient in their new lives—newly arrived neighbors like Balusani.
Balusani fled to Colorado from Uganda, where he worked at a bank and with the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. He shared that there was a lot of corruption, and making enough money to support his family was difficult.
With the help of his JFS Employment Case Manager, Balusani began working at Springhill Golf Course as a breakfast attendant, earned his hospitality certificate, and was promoted to working in the kitchen, which increased his salary. He supports himself and helps provide for his family, who are still in Africa.
“I’d like everyone to know JFS welcomes everyone and has good people willing to provide support,” Balusani shared. He hopes to continue his education and own a home.
“I’d like everyone to know JFS welcomes everyone and has good people willing to provide support.”
—BALUSANI
96% of our refugee clients are employed.
87% of our refugee clients earn more than $3 per hour above minimum wage.
The average income our refugee clients earn is $19.50 per hour.
JFS Statement About U.S. Refugee Program
Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS), along with our resettlement partners at HIAS, are saddened and disappointed by the decision by the U.S. State Department to issue a stop-work order cutting off vital support to families who have already resettled in the United States, and the recent executive order suspending any new arrivals of refugees. These developments will have a significant impact on JFS’s Yana Vishnitsky Refugee Resettlement program, and refugees from around the world who are building a new life in Colorado and are reliant on our services for their well-being. JFS resettled 137 individuals between October 15, 2024, and January 15, 2025, a significant increase compared to the typical 60 individuals we would generally resettle during this period.
JFS remains focused on protecting and fulfilling our deeply held Jewish values of making the world a better place,
welcoming the stranger, and the obligation to act justly toward people in need. JFS and our dedicated staff and volunteers are committed to helping the clients we have welcomed settle into their new lives in Colorado—and we are ready to receive additional refugees as soon as we are permitted.
Now, more than ever, it is critical that our work proceeds and that our focus remains on assisting our newly resettled neighbors with food, housing, and employment support as they adjust to their new lives. Please consider donating to the Yana Vishnitsky Refugee Resettlement program (jewishfamilyservice.org/donate-resettlement) to help cover the funding gap created by this policy change. Our priorities remain the same, and along with our trusted partners, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and stand by our Jewish values.
Enduring Influence: Shaping KidSuccess
KidSuccess Program Manager Amanda Carter, LCSW, began working at JFS as a KidSuccess intern in 2012, and she became a full-time employee in 2014. Every day since Amanda walked through the agency’s doors 13 years ago, she has been an integral part of the KidSuccess team and has made a tremendous difference in how we work to support students and combat the mental health crisis.
Over the years, Amanda has observed significant growth and evolution within the KidSuccess program. When she began as an intern, the team consisted of just eight members— one intern, one program manager, and six therapists. As of the 2024-2025 school year, KidSuccess has expanded to a robust team of 27 members, including five interns, two case managers, one navigator, two lead clinicians, one internship supervisor, one program manager, and 15 additional therapists. This growth reflects the increasing need for mental health support among children and adolescents, a need KidSuccess has met by continually adapting.
Amanda believes school-based therapy services are vital because they provide accessible, high-quality mental health care directly within the school environment, reducing common barriers, such as transportation challenges and the need for families to miss work for appointments. By being present where students spend much of their time, therapists can gain deeper insights into students’ dynamics within their natural environment, fostering a more holistic approach to care. This setting also allows seamless collaboration with school staff, enhancing student support systems. Moreover, these services empower students—particularly those 12 and older who can consent to care—to advocate for their mental health needs. Additional benefits include access to medication management services, when necessary, caregiver groups to bolster family support, and resources for school staff to address their own mental health needs or better support students. Altogether, school-based therapy services play a crucial role in creating a supportive and inclusive framework for mental health and well-being.
In the program’s earlier years, our partnerships were often concentrated in schools located near JFS to facilitate access to wraparound services like the food pantry. With the addition of the mobile pantry and strategic program development, KidSuccess has broadened its reach, focusing on schools with the highest levels of need and the least access to mental health services. This ongoing evolution highlights the program’s commitment to addressing barriers and supporting students, families, and schools in meaningful, impactful ways.
Amanda Carter with her therapy dog, Koda.
“Being part of the KidSuccess program for so many years has given me countless impactful memories, making it difficult to choose just one,” shared Amanda. “However, one experience stands out vividly from my time working at an elementary school where I provided animal-assisted therapy with my therapy dog, Koda—a lovable Rottweiler. I was working with a first-grade client who struggled with high levels of anxiety and low selfesteem. During our session, the client was introduced to Koda, and together, we reviewed Koda’s rules and discussed the importance of speaking assertively to give commands. Watching this young client, who initially lacked confidence, find their voice as they instructed Koda to ‘sit’ and ‘shake’ was unforgettable. Seeing an 80-pound, stereotypically ‘scary’ breed respond seamlessly to their assertive and clear commands made my client’s face light up with pride. In that moment, they realized the power of their voice, along with the value of confidence and clear communication. This interaction exemplified the incredible impact of therapeutic tools like animal-assisted therapy and reminded me of the meaningful work we do at KidSuccess every day.”
Amanda and the KidSuccess team are making healthy changes at schools and helping students succeed every day. We are grateful for their contributions!
We look forward to sharing more about our priorities as they progress.
TESTIMONIALS FROM KIDSUCCESS CLIENTS:
“I no longer have nightmares, and I am not scared all the time.”
“My brain is so much quieter now; I can learn.”
“This is the first place I feel safe to talk.”
Reflections on 15 Years of KidSuccess at Thomas Jefferson High School
The KidSuccess program has been in Thomas Jefferson High School for the past 15 years, which is extraordinary. Thomas Jefferson High School’s School Psychologist, Natalie Koncz, shares her experience with the program and its impact on their school.
Q: How do you feel the program has impacted the overall well-being of students?
NK: Having JFS staff in our building has been really great for our students. It minimizes a lot of the barriers our students face with accessing mental health (e.g., money, transportation, comfort level when accessing therapy in a familiar setting with warm handoffs, etc.).
Q: How well does the program collaborate with other school staff, like counselors and administrative personnel?
NK: JFS staff do a consistently good job in collaboration and communication with need-to-know staff about the needs of our students, as well as any issues they are having in contacting or working with our students.
Q: Why is school-based mental health so important?
NK: School-based mental health increases access for a lot of our students—many who are unable to afford private therapy, cannot find transportation, and are unsure about engaging in something they do not know much about. Having a therapist here opens up opportunities for our students to explore what they may not or would not be able to do outside of school.
Q: Have you noticed any changes or trends over the years?
NK: We’ve seen an increasingly high need for bilingual therapists. Spanish is our second most spoken language, aside from English.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
NK: We very much value JFS’s collaboration and presence within our building and community!
2025 JFS EXECUTIVE LUNCHEON
Don’t Miss Your
Chance to See Anderson Cooper
News doesn’t wait, and neither should you to purchase tickets for our JFS Executive Luncheon!
The exciting event will go beyond the headlines with CNN anchor and 60 Minutes correspondent Anderson Cooper and help JFS—one of Colorado’s largest and most impactful human services agencies—strengthen our community with our innovative programs and services.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Check-in and networking: 11:15 a.m. – Noon
Luncheon: Noon – 1:30 p.m.
VIP meet and greet:* 1:45 – 2:15 p.m.
Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel 1550 Court Place, Denver, CO 80202
Event Co-chairs: Carl Rossow and Heidi Wald
Tickets: $250
Enjoy lunch, learn more about JFS, and honor this year’s annual Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Community Leadership Award recipient, the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation, before listening to a fun moderated conversation between journalist and 9NEWS anchor Kyle Clark and Anderson Cooper.
Save your seat by visiting jewishfamilyservice.org/luncheon!
*The VIP meet and greet is for sponsors at the $25,000, $15,000, and $12,000 levels. To elevate your experience, please contact Kate Shephard at 720.248.4633 or kateshephard@jewishfamilyservice.org.
Upcoming Abby’s Impact Programs
Abby’s Impact is a learner-centered resilience and mental health education program offered at no cost to participants. Join us for two upcoming workshops to help build your resilience toolbox with evidence-based, practical skills for managing stress and responding to negative emotions.
Mindfulness course
This beginner-friendly, four-week course combines practical mindfulness tools with insightful learning. Discover how mindfulness can help you navigate stress, strengthen resilience, and help you live with more ease. Join Abby’s Impact Resiliency Instructor Paula Stephens twice a week for easy, bite-size classes to get the understanding and hands-on experience needed to integrate, practice, and learn mindfulness. This course meets virtually twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6:00–6:45 p.m., starting Tuesday, April 15 and ending Thursday, May 8.
Register at bit.ly/JFS_Mindfulness
Meditation Sessions
Join Abby’s Impact’s Resiliency Instructor Paula Stephens for a virtual meditation session and give yourself the gift of a moment of peace on Thursday, April 10 from 12:15–1:00 p.m. There is no pressure, just time to come together and to be held in stillness and presence. Whether you have experience with meditation and mindfulness or are a total beginner, join us to take time to fill your cup, make space to pause, breathe, and reconnect with a sense of calm.
Register at bit.ly/JFS-Meditation.
Create a Legacy Today
When you make a legacy gift to JFS, you leave your mark on our community. It’s a personal gift that will continue to deliver the values important to you long after you’re gone. It’s your legacy. As a planned giving donor, you can help ensure that the life-transforming work of JFS endures for generations to come. There will always be needs from vulnerable members of our community, and your gift will provide a safety net of hope. Please visit jewishfamilyservice.org/donate/leave-a-legacy to learn how you can make a lasting difference.
Thank you to our JFS Legacy Society members who had the vision to include JFS as a beneficiary in their estate plans. Our current member list can be found at jewishfamilyservice.org/donate/jfs-legacy-society
Jewish Family Service of Colorado
Joyce and Kal Zeff Building
3201 South Tamarac Drive
Denver CO 80231-4360
