Highlights from A Year of Challenges
Here’s a quick look at some important activities and events that took place at GMC over the course of 2021, another year shaped by the challenges of the pandemic:
High Retention and Positive Outcomes for Whole Hearts, Minds and Bodies, our nature-based therapeutic mentoring program: We had tremendous success supporting area high-need youth during COVID. Our caseload jumped from 34 in May of 2020 to a peak of 62 in August of 2021, and we have a growing waitlist. The retention rates for our client youth of all backgrounds is impressive. A recent internal data analysis revealed that 91% of our client youth are still engaging in weekly therapeutic outings after 6 months, and 70% after one year. Retention rates like these are unheard of in behavioral health services for youth of color, who make up over 50% of our client-base. These numbers speak to our efforts to earn trust and provide services to youth and their families without the stigma that often accompanies more traditional mental health services.
WHMB has seen an increase in high-need youth referrals, while seeing a decline in the availability of qualified Therapeutic Mentors. Though global staffing shortages have impacted our programs to a lesser extent than most companies in the Tahoe region, we have also had losses. In an ongoing response to this global trend, we are now casting our recruiting net a little wider to include South Shore Tahoe, Sacramento, and the Bay Area, with promising results. Our exploration of additional avenues for recruitment includes behavioral health interns and students. We are developing new group programming to begin pre-treatment and peer opportunity programs to address the growing need for early interventions within our community.
Sierra High Wellness Day: We recently had the pleasure of teaming up with the talented staff at Sierra High to produce an all-campus Wellness Day. Students cycled through multiple wellness stations, exploring generosity in many forms: with one’s time, by keeping one’s mind open, in stepping out of one’s comfort zone, and by making wellness gifts.
Healing and Learning Weekend for Teachers: We were thrilled to design curricula and serve a cohort of full-time teachers, environmental educators, and university professors on a weekend retreat - for experiential learning of nature-based ways to provide trauma-informed care for themselves and for students.
Sierra Experience Commits to Young Leaders and to Military Families: We recognize the sacred responsibility of empowering young people to see themselves as leaders. This year, we helped develop young leaders through our summer camps, school programs, and specialty programs, such as our partnership with Nevada National Guard Family program. We are deeply honored to serve the children of active duty service men and women through leadership development retreats. This new program included peak adventure activities, such as river rafting, rappelling and rock climbing, and social/emotional activities like Motivational Interviewing, how to run a circle, Mindful Check-Ins, and Core Gift Interviews. Several of these courageous young people left with newfound clarity about their life trajectory. Deeply moved by the depth of their vision and their hearts, we are cheering them on! Real leaders - coming our way soon!
Camp Donner Summit a Success! This year marked the 13th season of our well-known and beloved summer camps! After 12 years of operating our camp under the name Camp Sugar Bowl, we moved on with a new name, Camp Donner Summit, and set up a new basecamp behind Donner Ski Ranch. This improved our communication and connection with our campers’ families and put us right at our favorite trailheads, to access the rugged and spectacular Donner Summit crest.
South Shore YEA Camps! This past summer we launched Youth, Ecology, and Adventure Camps for under-resourced youth in South Lake Tahoe with the aim of helping youth take up the “study of home” through outdoor adventure, empowering experiences, and building community. These camps were so successful, we are expanding them next summer to meet demand. More youth, more leaders!