The Steamboat Springs Teen Council is kicking off a year-long youth mental health awareness initiative called Youth4Youth starting with a free hamburger cook-out and peer-to-peer education evening dubbed Hamburgers and Harm Reduction.

The event is set for 4-6:30 p.m. Monday including free food, door prizes, games of spike ball and big Jenga, and free harm reduction kits including Nalaxone. The event will include training on the proper use of Nalaxone, a medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose.

Hamburgers and Harm Reduction on Monday will take place at 480 Rollingstone Drive off of Pine Grove Road in south Steamboat.

“Part of the goal of Teen Council by providing events is to encourage connection between peers and provide outlets showing people there are a multitude of ways to socialize within Steamboat that are substance-free events that can be fun,” Teen Council Vice President Sunny Winn said.

Winn, 17, said Teen Council decided to focus on youth mental health because the group has seen the impacts of substance misuse and the lack of teen awareness of local mental health resources. A lineup of events will help spread information about mental health related resources and topics.

“A lot of teens don’t know that those resources are available and that there are amazing resources in Steamboat available to help them in any struggle,” Winn said. “The need to still spread awareness is pretty crucial. Teen Council wants to work to make students aware of resources and also provide them some alternative information for teens to make their own decisions regarding their mental health and substance use.”

“Often with teen mental health issues you feel isolated within yourself and that you are the only one with whatever you might be facing,” Winn said. “Knowing you have a group of people around you and an amazing community to help you is so important.”

Routt County Youth Services Coordinator Sarah Everett with Partners for Youth, which sponsors three teen action councils across the Yampa Valley, said the Teen Council also will host a booth at the Steamboat Free Summer Concert on Saturday for anyone to stop by for information.

The Youth4Youth campaign will highlight a different topic of mental health every two months such as learning about how substance misuse and community connections can affect mental health, promoting well-being and self-care during the holiday season, breaking the stigma of talking about mental health challenges, and discussing common mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety and stress.

The Teen Council plans upcoming programs such as pet-a-puppy therapy, hikes, cooking class, movie night, breathwork and yoga, and an art therapy mural.

Teen Council is partnering with Routt County Public Health and collaborating with multiple organizations across the Yampa Valley to present the various topics and host events. Teen Council previously worked with the Steamboat Springs School District to train all staff on the use of Naloxone.

The council works to create a safe place for teens to learn and advocate for issues that impact the youth community. Individuals can connect with Teen Council via Instagram.com/steamboatspringsteencouncil.

Partners for Youth also sponsors the Hayden Youth Action Council and the Moffat County Youth Action Council. For more information, contact sarah@partnersyouth.org in Routt County or mackenzie@partnersyouth.org in Moffat County.