Red Mountain Colorado, a residential treatment center for teens 13-17, recently completed additional staff training on support for LGBTQ+ youth. The training was presented by Red Mountain Colorado’s Clinical Director, Bennet Edgerly, Ph.D. 

Transgender youth often face challenges in healthcare not experienced by their cisgender peers. LGBTQ+ individuals have elevated rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, and other health issues. As a result, it’s critical that residential treatment centers like RMCO are equipped to provide the best possible care for these students.

Red Mountain Colorado encourages staff to use inclusive terminology and create safe spaces for their students. Assuring students that they have allies at the program and advocating for LGBTQ+ youth is key to helping them overcome the challenges that brought them to treatment. 

For some transgender students, part of their treatment plan could entail helping support students during their transition. The therapeutic team will make sure students have a supportive environment in which they can grow into happier, healthier lives. This also includes educating students on how to create safe spaces and support their peers.

“We want to try and include education for current and future students as well on how to be mindful for transgender students in the program,” said Dr. Edgerly. Clinicians will provide educational opportunities for all students on how to be inclusive and supportive of their transgender peers.

Red Mountain Colorado staff will continue to maintain a holistic healing environment for all students. The Clinical Leadership team attended February’s GEMS (Gender Education and DeMystification Symposium) Conference in an effort to stay up to date with the most current clinical information available. Staff training on best practices for creating positive healthcare experiences for LGBTQ+ teens will be ongoing to provide students with continued support. 

Red Mountain Colorado, located just north of Denver, provides an ideal location for adolescents who would benefit from a mindfulness-based residential treatment program. Red Mountain helps teens with co-occurring disorders heal by working with the mind, body and spirit using various forms of meditation, mindfulness, yoga, martial arts, life skills education, and multi-modal therapies, including CBT, DBT, EMDR and Brainspotting.