For students in Colorado, it became clear there were continued and long-term mental health
 needs beyond the more immediate, reactive support. To address this and provide a more 


integrated effort, Impact on Education, a 40-year-old organization with deep roots in the  community, opened a wellness center at Monarch High School. Within a year this expanded to six total local high schools. The wellness centers came about the help of a total of $116,000 in grants from UnitedHealthcare and Rocky Mountain Health Plans.

The wellness centers are based around the specific needs of students. Each center is staffed with a mental health professional to support students as they walk through the door, and provide referrals to other mental health professionals, if they need it. But it can also just be a place to de-stress and calm down.