WEEK OF JANUARY 9, 2025
VOLUME 129 | ISSUE 45
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Expert tips for Colorado winter driving BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
With colder temperatures comes snow blanketing the streets, and roads can get slippery and dangerous for Colorado drivers — new and native to the state. Experts say it’s important to be prepared for the difficult task of driving in the winter, and Colorado AAA offers a few tips that can help keep drivers safe when traveling in the harsh winter climate. “The first sustained major weather event is always a useful reminder to Coloradans — regardless of whether you grew up here or if you’re new to town — to brush up on winter driving fundamentals. Slow down, don’t tailgate and don’t slam on the gas or brakes,” said Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs. Prepare the vehicle
Southeast Counseling Center in Parker is a nonprofit organization that provides accessible and personalized therapy services for children, PHOTOS BY HALEY LENA couples, adults and addiction or trauma services.
Closing the gap to quality mental health services BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Every organization has to start somewhere. For Southeast Counseling Center in Parker, it started in an old janitor’s closet with one therapist, two interns and a couch. Today, it’s a nonprofit with more than 25 licensed therapists and serves at least 700 families. “Our desire (is) to provide high-quality mental health services that (are) affordable and accessible for people who desperately need it,” said Peter Barber, board member of the counseling center. Barber was a pastor at Southeast Christian Church in 2010 when he noticed a gap between the need for high-quality mental health care and people having access to such therapy services. He added at that time, mental health services and pastoral care rarely worked in cooperation with one another. But believing it could work together, he helped implement a counseling center
at the church and in 2018, it established itself as its own separate nonprofit. Although the center still maintains a referral relationship with the church, it’s no longer connected to the church and Barber no longer serves as the church’s pastor. While many of the therapists at the center are of Christian faith, Barber said it’s not evangelical or proselytizing, and that they are there to benefit everyone in the community. “We don’t hide the fact that we’re Christian, but we’re also not pushing our beliefs onto clients,” said Barber. “We’ve (served) atheists, Buddhists, witches.” Working to fill the gap
Involved with the organization since the beginning, Jason Bell, the center’s counseling executive director who also serves as a counselor, said they have further defined why this type of organization is needed. One reason being the growing gap between those who qualify for governmental assistance like Medicaid and those who earn sufficient in-
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come to pay for services. “The gap means you’re cutting something out,” said Bell. “Most often, that’s some form of healthcare.” The center has partnered with different organizations in Douglas County to pool resources to fund care for people in the gap. The Douglas County Community Foundation, the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Aloha Fund have provided funds to support the center’s Therapy Subsidy Program, which provides financially subsidized sessions each month to those who are in the gap between self-sufficiency and qualifying for government support. The center subsidizes “about 40% of the client base who are living in the gap,” Bell said. Barber added that if individuals cannot pay the full rate, therapists will oftentimes offer a sliding scale, meaning the therapist will slide the fee down to make it affordable for the individual. SEE MENTAL HEALTH, P4
Colorado AAA urges drivers to ensure their vehicles are ready for winter. This includes checking the battery and electrical systems, testing all fluid levels — such as antifreeze, transmission fluid, brake fluid and engine oil — and making sure all lights are functioning properly. Additionally, drivers should inspect their tires, brakes, windshields and windshield wipers and windshield wiper fluid. “Remember, too, that four-wheel drive does not mean four-wheel stop. We’ve had to winch out many top-of-the-line trucks and SUVs — many equipped with winter tires — simply because their drivers were going too fast for the conditions,” McKinley said. Mckinley continued to say most issues the Colorado AAA deals with are related to dead batteries, flat tires and engine issues. Keep an emergency kit
Ensuring the vehicle is prepared is another way drivers who may end up stranded, whether by sliding off the road or getting stuck in traffic during a closure, can help themselves. “Keep an emergency kit in your car with tire chains, abrasive material such as sand or kitty litter, a small shovel, flashlight with extra batteries, ice scraper, rags or paper towels, flares or other warning devices, booster cables and a first aid kit,” Colorado AAA said on its website. Additionally, drivers should bring items to help keep them warm, such as blankets, jackSEE WINTER DRIVING, P9
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