Wellness

 

About

Colorado National Monument (COLM) is committed to the health and well-being of local and regional communities and recognizes the positive correlation that exists between the health of people and parks. An abundance of research emphasizes the role that nature and place play in lowering levels of stress, depression, anxiety, and aggression. In collaboration with community partners and educators, COLM developed resources to increase resiliency to improve mental health outcomes. The COLM staff prioritizes wellness as one of the core values of the park. As a core value, team members are expected to uphold principles of wellness, and it is a critical element in their performance plans. The Colorado National Monument developed COLM Wellness to deliver resources to NPS staff across the country and to partners and communities.

If you would like more information or to receive files associated with the following projects, please email [e-mail]

Community Resources & Current Projects

If any of the links below do not work, please email [e-mail] to receive an emailed copy of the document. A limited number of printed Resiliency Ranger booklets are also available. Reach out to [e-mail] to request a booklet.

 

Downloadable Resources

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  Resiliency Ranger Booklet

  Resiliency Ranger workbook with mindfulness activities. Complete the booklet to earn a waterproof sticker.

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  Poster (8.5 by 11" and 11 by 17")

  See Someone Save Someone Poster (8.5 by 11" and 11 by 17")

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  See Someone Save Someone Guide

  A suicide prevention guide

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  Creating Conversations Guide

  A guide on starting successful conversations about wellness in the workplace

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  Healing Wings

  A document with information on how to help protect birds and start birding

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  6th Grade Resiliency Curriculum

  Curriculum for teaching resiliency skills to 6th grade students

 

Resiliency Ranger Workbook

Created in collaboration with District 51 middle school counselors and other mental health experts, this workbook teaches resiliency skills to middle school students. The booklet focuses on skills like mindfulness, self-compassion, handling stress, identifying values, setting goals, and communicating with others. Students are encouraged to visit the park to complete the exercises and earn a fee waiver with their families. However, the booklet can be used by anyone— not just middle schoolers! A Spanish language version is undergoing final review and will be available soon.

 

See Someone Save Someone

See Someone Save Someone is a guide to help individuals recognize suicidal ideation and behavior in others and provides instructions on how to help people in distress. Our goal is to help reduce the prevalence of suicide in the park and within the community.

Access the full See Someone Save Someone guide or printable posters that are 8.5 by 11" or 11 by 17".

 

Creating Conversations

This document provides a framework that encourages employees to foster connections with each other by having open and honest conversations about how they are doing. The short guide gives advice on how to have these conversations and check in on the well-being of others, while also linking resources for mental health and wellness.

Access the Creating Conversations Guide document to download or share.

 

Mindfulness Walking Activity - ESCAPE to Your Outdoors

Escape to YOUR Outdoors is an experiential mental health and educational resource available on the NPS app (located on Colorado National Monument’s page under Self-guided Tours). The activity is targeted to families with kids ages 10-19 and encourages youth to get outdoors with activities inspired by escape room puzzles. Small teams are guided through mindfulness and physical and mental strength challenges. The teams collaborate to advance to the next level on their way to ESCAPE-ing everyday life and getting outdoors. A how-to guide is also available for personnel in other units of the National Park Service.

If you work in a unit of the National Park Service and are interested in creating a similar activity, a how-to guide is available. Please email [e-mail] to receive the document.

 

Youth Mentorship Toolkit

This toolkit was designed as an aid for anyone who supervises youth staff in the NPS. However, the toolkit (minus the NPS-specific modules) could be used by anyone who supervises or mentors youth. The toolkit activities focus on wellness, resilience, team building, and communication.

 

Access the Youth Mentorship Toolkit.

 

The WellNest: a Guide for Emotional Wellness

The WellNest is a simple-to-follow guide created to improve the emotional wellness of National Park Service employees. An adapted version has been created for other employers for use in their workplaces. The WellNest provides steps towards implementing, or improving, an Emotional Wellness Program and provides resources to engage employees more effectively. Notably, the guide includes a section on first responder wellness and mental health.

 

If you are interested in utilizing the WellNest please email [e-mail] to be sent the document.

 

Operation Resilience: At-risk Youth, Community Member, and Veterans Program

Operation Resilience is a program that provides mental health education for at-risk youth, LGBTQIA+ members, and armed service Veterans. COLM works with community partners to create activities, including midfulness hikes, service projects, outdoor education, and career-building opportunities. Operation Resilience aims to provide community connection, positive social interaction, and a sense of purpose through shared stewardship of public land. Our Resiliency Ranger is working directly with the Vet Center, Loving Beyond Understanding, and other local organizations to provide targeted experiences for these groups.

 

Completed or Pending Projects

 

Resiliency Curriculum

Developed by a sixth grade teacher in collaboration with park staff, this curriculum is focused on building resiliency in sixth grade students. The curriculum guides teachers and students through activities and learning objectives related to six tenets of resiliency: Self Awareness, Self Regulation, Mental Agility, Strength of Character, Connection, and Optimism. View or download the curriculum in the resources section above.

Access the 6th Grade Resiliency Curriculum document for a breakdown of all the activities.

 

Mission: Resilience! Challenge Course

To help with life’s hurdles, an in-park adventure experience for fifth graders was created to complement the aforementioned resiliency curriculum. The goal of the course is to strengthen students’ mastery of six resiliency tenets as an end-of-year field trip to the park that would recap what they had learned and provide a fun outdoor experience.

 

Healing Wings

Healing Wings sought to provide veterans and members of the military community with opportunities to “heal” bird populations through participation in team-based service projects such as bird counts and habitat improvement efforts. Rangers and partners delivered several Healing Wings programs in the past, but it is not a currently active project.

Access the Birds and Observing Them document for bird information and access the Healing Wings document for steps to begin birding and the positive impact you can bring.

 

Colorado Cares: Park Rx

Park RX was pioneered by the Institute at the Golden Gate in 2013 with a focus on doctors writing prescriptions to parks to improve physical health. Colorado Cares follows the same concept, but focuses on mental health and the connection to the outdoors. One product of this effort was a foldup brochure that included challenges to complete within the park. On the back, there was a place for their health care provider to prescribe them, as well as a fee waiver to enter the park.