Tune into Jazz 89.3 FM KUVO Public Radio THIS Friday, April 16 to hear our Executive Director Michael Guthrie talk about our organization!  He will go live on air at 11 am.

To listen live from your computer follow the link below!

http://www.kuvo.org/index.php?s=89

Beacon Youth and Family Center is proud to announce the launch of The Crisis Connection Program (CCP).  As of Monday, April 5, 2010 Beacon Center has expanded their services to include an innovative program that serves kids who need mental health treatment but not hospitalization.  In coordination with behavioral health organizations (BHOs) and community mental health clinics (MHCs), we have designed a program which provides a level of care not currently available in the Denver area.

 When a family takes a child into the emergency room because of a crisis at home the primary option in the past has been hospitalization.  This often does not address the specific youth’s needs and may not be an effective source of treatment.  In addition, the family is not included in the treatment process and the cost of care is very expensive.

Beacon Center’s Crisis Connection Program addresses these needs directly.  Through this program, when a family brings a child to the emergency room, MHCs are contacted.  Following some evaluation, Beacon Center is brought in.  We have staff available 24/7 to go to the ER, work with the child, family, MHC and hospital staff, and bring the child to our residential facility for a safe place to sleep and a hot meal. At the same time, our staff makes an appointment to meet with the family the very next day.  A clinical assessment of the both the child and the family is done.  Within three to five days the child and family are united with a long-term out-patient treatment plan.  Therapy is begun immediately, in an intensive and individually structured process, and continues over the next few months. 

 Our program offers a significant opportunity for a child and family who are headed in a bad direction to be educated in the skills for them to make different choices.  They receive the opportunity to understand their own struggles, and to choose better ways of thinking and acting.  A lifetime of better choices lies ahead.

 For counties, mental health centers, hospitals, and payers (insurance companies, BHOs and Medicaid) this CCP is an opportunity to provide effective care, available 24/7, which immediately engages the family, is much more cost effective, and has the possibility of much better outcomes.
 
For further information about our program please feel free to contact Michael Guthrie at mguthrie@beaconcenter.org or 303-761-6756 ext 26

Patron Party

On Feburary 24th the Cherish the Children Guild and Beacon Youth and Family Center hosted thier annual Patron Party at the Madden Museum of Art.  Catered by Epicurean, the evening was full of wonderful food, a 1940s fashion show, information about Beacon Center’s mission, and the delightful company of many of Beacon’s top supporters and many interested in supporting Beacon in the future.

Many thanks to Kay Burke and Edna Chang-Grant who organized such an amazing event for Beacon.

The Denver Post’s Joanne Davidson featured the Patron Party in her column:

http://blogs.denverpost.com/davidson/

‘Casablanca’ preview
Posted By Joanne Davidson On March 6, 2010 (2:11 pm) In In General

Joan Spencer, left, Pat Bowlen and Annabel Bowlen

Of all the gin joints in all of the world …

It’d be a real stretch to call Madden Museum a gin joint, but for one night? Sure. Why not? It was, after all, where 100 patron-level supporters of Casablanca, the Beacon Youth and Family Center’s annual Cherish the Children Gala, gathered for a night of revelry inspired by Bogey and Bacall.

Kay Burke and Edna Chang-Grant were the co-chairs and put together an evening that included a buffet of Middle Eastern delights prepared by chefs at the neighboring Mangia Bevi Cafe and a fashion show of 1940s-era clothing and hairstyles that would be just the ticket for the May 15 benefit being planned by Nancy Sevo and Loretta Kelce.

James Pfister and Marc Roth will once again work their magic to transform the Hyatt Regency Tech Center into an exotic locale for the gala started by their good friend, Annabel Bowlen, founder and president emeritus of the Cherish the Children Guild. Annabel and her husband, Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, will receive the Golden Cherub Award that night, an expression of appreciation for the 20 years they have supported Beacon Center and its programs.

Read the rest of this entry »

On Feburary 25th Beacon Center School hosted its first annual graduation ceremony. The ceremony celeberated both High School graduations and GED awards.  Vince DiMaria, Board Member of Beacon Youth and Family Center stated that “I would like to add my congratulations to all involved in the ceremonies today.  It was a reaffirmation of all that Beacon Center can do for individuals who experience these difficult circumstances.  And, of course, it is a tribute to those students who worked hard to achieve this honor.  I was so impressed with the upbeat tone and generous support of all present for the students.”

Channel 9 News featured a story on their evening news  highlighting Beacon Center’s graduation in connection with mental health care for kids in Colorado, made more important by the shootings at Deer Creek Middle School.  Please take a moment to watch the video!

http://www.9news.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=133583&catid=346

Tonight the Cherish the Children Guild and Beacon Youth and Family Center proudly present the 2010 Casablanca Patron Party!

The annual Patron Party serves as a night to preview The Cherish the Children Guild’s Gala and to get Corporate Sponsors excited about their donations.  It is also a night to learn more about the important work Beacon Youth and Family Center is engaged in.

Casablanca Gala will take place on May 15, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency DTC.  Each year the Gala is the single largest fundraiser for the Beacon Youth and Family Center and without generous donors, Beacon would not be able to provide essential services to at-risk youth and their families.

We are so grateful to everyone who plans to attend.  The evening should be full of exciting entertainment, great food, and wonderful company!

Special Thanks to tonight’s sponsors The Madden Museum of Art, Epicurean Catering & Larry DiPasquale, Integrity Print Group, Matthew Morris Salon, and Shirley’s Vintage Boutique and Chapeaux!

Thank you for visiting our new blog!  Check here for updates about Events and exciting information about Beacon Youth and Family Center.  We have many exciting things happening in the future and want to keep our supporters engaged in the process!