Lake County Gazette

WPS families now have access to a new health clinic near 71st and Federal, designed to meet the physical and mental health needs of young people in the community. The Alto Clinic is the result of a collaboration between the school district, Kids First Health Care, and Maiker Housing Partners, which provides affordable housing throughout the region.

Superintendent Jeni Gotto represented the district at the ribbon-cutting event on Friday, April 25.

“Our tagline for Westminster Public Schools is ‘Where Education is Personal,’ and there is nothing more personal than the physical and mental health of our students and their families,” said Dr. Gotto. “It is so hard … almost impossible to help students succeed in school when their basic health needs have not been met. ”

Dr. Gotto emphasized that high absentee rates are directly tied to student health and that children who are chronically absent for multiple years between preschool and second grade are much less likely to read at grade level by third grade. Additionally, chronically absent students are four times less likely to graduate from high school.

The Denver Channel attended the event and spoke with Dr. Gotto about the impact the clinic will have on WPS families and students.

The clinic, which serves patients from birth to 21 years old, is located at 3075 West 71st Avenue in Westminster. It is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with Tuesday hours from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Pediatric primary care services available include well-child checkups, sports physicals, vaccines, reproductive health visits, sick visits, management of chronic diseases such as asthma; mental health care through brief visits with counselors as well as one-on-one therapy; enrollment in Medicaid and CHP+; and support accessing other immediate needs resources.

“This is about reaching more kiddos and providing access to care for all kiddos,” said Whitney Gustin Connor, Kids First Health Care Executive Director.

The Alto Clinic also serves as an important support system for students during summer months when they don’t have access to their schools and nurses.

This summer, the clinic is offering once-a-week Summer Wellness Classes focused on mental health:

Mother-Daughter Connection

June 2 to July 25

Thursdays 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Ages 14-18

Social Skills and Self Love

June 2 to July 25

Wednesdays 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Ages 10-13

The Mother-Daughter Connection therapy group aims to strengthen relationships, enhance communication, foster deeper understanding between mothers and daughters while creating lasting positive change.

The Social Skills and Self-Love therapy group provides tweens and teens with space to develop key social skills while building positive relationships with themselves.