COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Mayor Yemi Mobolade joined by his wife, Abbey Mobolade, and Colorado Springs City officials announced the name of a new regional initiative on mental health on Wednesday.
Over 40 organizations have joined to help launch this initiative and will work together to boost awareness of mental health needs in the Pikes Peak region.
The U.S. Surgeon General has identified an increasing mental health crisis in the United States. Pikes Peak Rise was created to help combat the crisis and build a stronger community in Colorado Springs.
Inspired by their own connection to navigating mental health with family and friends, the Mobolades helped launch the initiative which is part of the City's 2024-2028 Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is focused on community activation and calls on the City of Colorado Springs to engage residents to foster a more connected community.
“Community activation is about mobilizing our community members to take ownership of their own flourishing and drive positive change,” said Mayor Yemi. “Our community's mental well-being is one of the primary objectives of our Strategic Plan because mental health is all of us. It will take a village to improve our community's mental well-being, and Pikes Peak Rising is a symbol of hope, a much-needed platform, and a rallying cry to make Colorado Springs the leading city on mental health and wellness in the United States.”
The Pikes Peak Rising logo represents a Phoenix Rising in front of the mountains. This is meant to represent the journey that each individual takes when dealing with mental health issues. The warm yellow and orange palette was created to "shine a light" on mental health needs.
“Everyone is on a journey, and sometimes that means you or someone next to you needs help from time to time. I know I do,” said Abbey Mobolade, a nurse educator and former critical care nurse. “I want you to know that you are not alone. The collaboration of Pikes Peak Rising is to establish a dynamic, local place to share resources, tools, and help – in a way that makes sense for you. No matter your trials or situation, hope is always here. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we too can grab on to hope and look to the light. Together, we can rise.”
One of the major parts of this initiative was the newly announced Pikes Peak Rising 360, a mental health digital portal that will offer resources to the community. The portal was designed by mental health and well-being experts who are leaders in the field. They want to offer the community innovative, engaging, and evidence-backed self-help resources that are suited to the individual's needs.
“Public Health's goal is to promote mental well-being, working collaboratively to highlight the importance of connecting people to credible resources to positively impact quality of life while increasing resilience to navigate life's ups and downs,” said Susan Wheelan, El Paso County Public Health executive director. “We appreciate the multidisciplinary organizations who are part of this collective effort—and look forward to building additional partnerships across all El Paso County municipalities— to provide a new online resource to connect people to self-help through curated, evidence-based resources.”
Pikes Peak Rising offers other new programs as well including 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings and the GRIT program which comes from the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.
All information on the Pikes Peak Rising project, programs, and partners can be found on theCity of Colorado Springs website.
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