CU's Bader To Give Free Public Presentation On Stress, Strain And Today's Youth
January 18, 2019 | General, Neill Woelk, Psychological Health & Performance
BOULDER — The University of Colorado Athletic Department continues to explore new ways to reach out, engage the community and share CU resources.
Next Thursday (Jan. 24), CU Director of Psychological Health and Performance Dr. Chris Bader will host a free presentation on "Symptoms of stress-overload and how parents can help provide relief, encouragement and guidance."
The presentation, part of the Young Minds Matter lecture series, is free to the public and will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mental Health Partners' Ryan Wellness Center in Boulder, 1000 Alpine Ave. Pre-registration is required.
Bader, who works regularly with CU athletes, said providing young people with tools to deal with stress is part of a preventative approach.
"What I'm trying to do is find some common elements between what young kids experience and what young adults experience and tie those together," Bader said. "If we can teach them some skills now to deal with stress, then maybe they don't end up having the same type of stress that they might otherwise have when they get into college and later become parents themselves."
CU Athletics is working with several groups to help produce a four-part community lecture series that focuses on teens and emerging adults' mental health. The groups include Mental Health Partners, the Hope Coalition, the Parent Engagement Network and the Ryder's Fund from YMCA of Boulder Valley.
"As we continue to build these community partnerships — with the MHP, Ryder's Fund, Parent Engagement Network, all of these different organization — the more we expand our outreach and the more we are able to build a better network for the Boulder community and become a great community resource," Bader said.
In turn, Bader said he hopes CU will be able to provide leadership and assistance to other universities around the nation in helping them build similar networks in their communities.
"I think that's the way we see medicine moving — more integrative care, and it's the same idea on the community level," Bader said. "The hope is to help spread wellness and prevention."
Bader said CU Athletics is continually exploring ways to share its resources at the community level.
"The reality is that if something happens in town here, it affects the whole community, and certainly the university is a part of the community," Bader said. "It's another way we can be a positive resource."
Thursday's presentation will be held at the Mental Health Partners' Ryan Wellness Center in Boulder at 1000 Alpine Ave. The presentation is free, but pre-registration is required by emailing criley@mhpcolorado.org.