DA, Thornton police chief lead effort to open first youth shelter in Adams County
Brian Mason had just been sworn in as District Attorney in Colorado's 17th Judicial District when he got a call from Thornton Police Chief Terrence Gordon. His officers had picked up a victim of human trafficking and wanted to know where to take her.
"She hadn't done anything wrong, she wasn't going into the juvenile justice system but we had no place for her to go," says Mason. "It was clear to me then and my partners in law enforcement that we needed a youth shelter here in Adams County and we didn't have one."
A year and a half later, they do. Adams County is opening its first youth shelter at Lipan Street and West 88th Avenue in Thornton. Community Reach Center, a behavioral health organization with a 60-year history in the county, will manage the facility.
"We've had really great community support thus far," says Michael Marcio, Vice President of Clinical Services.
He says kids ages 12-18 will be able to stay at the shelter for up to 21 days, "Our goal is that the minute they come into our services, we're starting the family reunification process. So, we are working with case managers, therapists and counselors to identify what the needs are of the kiddos."
The need has never been greater. As the state grapples with a youth mental health crisis, the number of kids living on the street has risen sharply.
When Mason learned there wasn't money for a youth shelter, he approached State Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, who introduced a bill allocating millions of dollars in funding for shelters across the state.
"By coming to this shelter we're going get them services and we're going to get them help," says Mason.
As District Attorney, he is also confident the facility will help prevent crime, "There's a short window of time when a kid gets displaced or becomes homeless where we can reach out to them to get them services. If we don't get to that child in that window, a child who is displaced or homeless is more likely to be a victim of a crime or commit crimes themselves."
Adams County approved funding for 10 beds for one year. Mason says it's a start, "Ten beds are more than zero beds and I'm happy and proud we're going get this off the ground."
