In crisis? Call or text 988 Text HOME to 741741 Immediate danger: 911
Wings of Resilience
This SaturdayLet's Connect! Community partners meetup · Sat, Nov 14 · 11:00 AM · Laramie County Library, Sage RoomDetails → Next parent groupJust Dance! · Sat, Nov 21 · 1:00 PM · Laramie County Library, Sage RoomDetails →
You are not alone.

Support for parents & caregivers navigating youth mental health

Wings of Resilience is a Cheyenne-based, parent-led community for families of children and teens facing mental health challenges. Together, we hold hope, share truth, and keep moving forward.

Find resources Join our parent group
SupportConnectionResources
Wings of Resilience logo: a lavender butterfly above the words Wings of Resilience
Need help right now?

Help is available 24/7

Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

988

Call or text, any time, day or night.

Crisis Text Line

Text HOME to 741741

Free, confidential support by text.

Cheyenne Crisis Support

(307) 634-9653

Volunteers of America Northern Rockies (formerly Peak Wellness), 24/7. Youth Alternatives also offers 24-hour support at (307) 637-6480.

Emergency

911

For immediate danger, or go to the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center ER, 214 E 23rd St.

Need help finding food, housing or other services? Dial 2-1-1 to reach Wyoming 2-1-1.

Alyssa and Niki, co-founders of Wings of Resilience
Alyssa & NikiCo-founders · Cheyenne, Wyoming
Who we are

Two moms who have walked this road

Wings of Resilience is a Cheyenne-based, parent-led community created by two mothers, Alyssa and Niki, whose families have experienced the challenges of navigating youth mental health care. What started as a small group is growing into a place where parents and caregivers can find understanding, practical information, and connection.

We know the uncertainty of hospital waiting rooms, the difficult decisions about treatment, the long searches for resources, and the isolation that can come with caring for a struggling child.

No family should have to navigate their child's mental health struggles alone.

Our Mission

To provide compassionate, peer-driven support to parents and caregivers; share education and resources to help families navigate care; advocate for expanded youth mental health services in Wyoming; and build a community that challenges stigma and holds onto hope.

What We Do

We bring parents and caregivers together through peer support and community gatherings, share education about treatment options, support families through hospital donation initiatives, and advocate for stronger youth mental health resources.

Our Commitment

We lead with compassion, lived experience, and hope. We stand alongside families, share what we have learned, and help them feel less alone.

Please note: We are parents, not licensed mental health professionals, and we do not provide clinical treatment. Our resources are shared from lived experience to help you find your next step.
A letter to you

Welcome to Wings of Resilience

Dear Parent or Caregiver,

First, we want you to know how glad we are that you found us.

We don't know what brought you here. Maybe your child is struggling, and you're searching for answers. Maybe you're navigating a new diagnosis, therapy appointments, hospital stays, or treatment decisions you never imagined having to make. Or maybe you've been on this journey for years and you're simply exhausted.

Whatever brought you here, we want you to know that you are not alone.

Wings of Resilience was created by two moms who understand just how difficult navigating a child's mental health can be. We've experienced the fear, the uncertainty, the sleepless nights, and the overwhelming feeling of not knowing what to do next.

We also know how lonely this journey can become.

Sometimes the people around us don't understand. Sometimes friendships change, family relationships become strained, and it feels like the rest of the world keeps moving while we're just trying to make it through another day.

We want you to know that here, you don't have to explain why you're tired. You don't have to pretend everything is okay. And you certainly don't have to have all the answers.

You are welcome here, exactly where you are in your journey.

Our hope is that Wings of Resilience becomes a place where you can find connection, encouragement, education, and resources to help you navigate the road ahead. A place where you can ask questions, share experiences, celebrate the small victories, and find support during the difficult moments.

We can't promise that this journey will be easy. We can't promise that we will always have the answers.

But we can promise that we care, that we understand more than you might realize, and that we believe no family should have to walk this road alone.

And please remember something important along the way: You matter, too.

Your feelings matter. Your mental health matters. Your well-being matters. It's easy to lose yourself when so much of your time and energy goes into caring for your child. We hope that through this community, you'll find moments to care for yourself, too.

There is no perfect way to navigate this journey. There will be hard days, setbacks, and moments when you question everything. But there can also be growth, connection, healing, and hope.

We're grateful you're here, and we look forward to walking alongside you.

With love, understanding, and hope,

Alyssa & Niki
Resource directory

Find care for your child and your family

Counseling in Cheyenne, hospitals and residential programs across Wyoming, and partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) programs in Colorado — the places Wyoming families most often turn to.

Local counseling, therapy and support services for youth, teens and families in Cheyenne.

LIV Health – Mental Health Urgent Care

Ages 5+Same-day / walk-inWyoming's first MH urgent care

Same-day mental health urgent care for kids (5+) and adults who can't wait weeks for an appointment but may not need the ER. Also offers counseling, psychiatric nurse practitioners and in-home counseling.

(307) 630-47292500 Dell Range Blvd, Cheyenne, WY 82009livhealth.org

Laramie County Youth Crisis Center

Youth crisis shelterLimited capacity

Short-term youth crisis shelter housed in the county's Juvenile Services Center. It is not a psychiatric hospital. Youth needing inpatient psychiatric care must go out of town.

(307) 775-7301Find on map

Charlie Health – Virtual IOP

Available anywhere in Wyoming
Kids, teens & young adultsVirtual IOPMental health & substance use

Virtual intensive outpatient program with group, individual and family therapy several times a week, for youth who need more than weekly therapy but not hospitalization. Admissions available 24/7; many insurance plans and Medicaid accepted.

Find on mapadmissions@charliehealth.comcharliehealth.com

Openings, LLC

Counseling

Counseling practice offering mental health and substance use services. Call to confirm its current office location.

(307) 426-4884Find on map

Wounds to Wings

Faith McCrory, LCSW · Online only
Teens 12+ & adultsOnline therapy (telehealth)Individual · Family · GroupFree 15-min consult

A woman-owned, online-only therapy practice based in Cheyenne. Focus areas include trauma, anxiety, depression, developmental disorders, addiction, chronic illness, disability and hard life transitions. Self-pay (out of network); group sessions available. Request an appointment or send a message through the links below.

Online only (telehealth)Request an appointmentProfile on TherapyFinder

UPLIFT Wyoming

Family support — not therapy
Parent & family supportStatewideAdvocacy

Statewide family-run nonprofit supporting families of children with complex behavioral health challenges: family support specialists, advocacy, and help navigating services, including High Fidelity Wraparound.

2617 E Lincolnway, Ste A-8, Cheyenne, WY 82001upliftwy.org

No matches here — try another tab or a different word.

Wyoming 2-1-1

Connects you to local help for food, housing, healthcare and more. Dial 2-1-1 or visit wyoming211.org.

NAMI Wyoming

Education, support groups and advocacy for families affected by mental illness. namiwyoming.com · (307) 265-2573

Wyoming Quit Tobacco Program

Free help to quit smoking, vaping or chewing — for teens and adults. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

School Counseling (LCSD1)

Your child's school counselor can help with supports at school, safety plans and referrals. Contact your school directly.

Need a higher level of care?

Residential treatment directory

Residential programs in Wyoming and across the country — including programs that specialize in aggression — plus the questions to ask before placement.

→
Before you call: programs, ages served, availability and contact details change. Always confirm directly with each facility. Contact details on this page were last checked November 2026. Listing here is for information only — it is not an endorsement or a guarantee of placement.
Parent & caregiver guide

Understanding levels of mental health care for adolescents

Care is offered at different levels of intensity. The goal is always the least restrictive setting that can safely meet your child's needs — and kids often move between levels as they heal.

1
Most intensive

Acute (Inpatient) Hospital Care

Locked psychiatric unit
Examples: Children's Hospital Colorado; Cedar Springs Hospital.
When
An immediate safety crisis involving risk of harm to self or others.
Stay
Days to a few weeks.
Focus
Crisis intervention, stabilization, medication management and initial diagnosis.
2

Residential Treatment Care

24/7 therapeutic facility · sometimes locked
Examples: WBI; Embark Behavioral Health; Southern Peaks Regional Treatment Center; Sandstone Care.
When
Your child needs longer-term, round-the-clock therapeutic support and can't safely or effectively be treated at home, but isn't actively in crisis.
Stay
Months to over a year.
Focus
Individual, group and family therapy; school support; medication management; life skills.
3

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Daytime treatment · home at night
Heads up: some programs only accept kids through their own ER or providers. For example, Children's Hospital Colorado only admits to its inpatient unit through its own ER, and in our families' experience PHP/IOP often starts there too — call (720) 777-6200 first. See Colorado resources.
When
More support is needed than outpatient therapy — often a step down from inpatient care.
Schedule
Typically 5–6 hours a day, 5 days a week, for several weeks to a few months.
Focus
Daily therapy, medication management, crisis prevention and life skills.
4
Least intensive

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

Part-day program
When
More structure is needed than weekly therapy, but less than a full-day PHP.
Schedule
Typically 3–4 hours a day, 3–5 days a week. Length varies by need.
Focus
Group, individual and family therapy, with medication monitoring.

Understanding acuity: how admission is decided

“Acuity” means the severity and urgency of mental health needs. Evaluators consider:

  • Risk of harm — suicidal thoughts, attempts, self-harm or danger to others
  • Daily functioning at home, at school and with friends
  • Symptom severity — such as psychosis, severe depression, mood instability or aggression
  • Response to prior treatment; residential programs also assess risks such as elopement
Higher acuity may require acute inpatient care. Other needs may be met through residential, PHP or IOP services. The goal is the least restrictive setting that can safely meet your child's needs.
For our parents

Inpatient care: what I wish I knew

One of the hardest realizations for me was understanding that inpatient isn't meant to “fix” everything. It's about keeping our kids safe and helping them stabilize so we can figure out what comes next.
“I remember thinking this would be the answer… and feeling so lost when I realized it wasn't.”

The main goals

  • Keep your child safe
  • Stabilize crisis behaviors or suicidal thoughts
  • Medication evaluation and management
  • Assess risk
  • Create a safe discharge plan

What to expect

  • History and conversations with parents
  • Individual therapy
  • Group therapy & coping skills
  • Safety planning
  • Psychiatric evaluations & possible diagnosis recommendations
  • Treatment team meetings
  • Focus on medication management and stabilization

How long is a stay?

  • Stays are typically short-term — some a few days, others longer, depending on:
  • Safety concerns
  • Medication changes or introductions
  • Ongoing instability
  • Placement or discharge planning

Safety levels you may hear

  • Line of sight: staff can see your child at all times
  • 1:1: one staff member assigned to your child
  • 2:1: two staff members when safety needs are higher
  • 5, 10 or 15-minute checks: staff visually check on and document safety

Levels can change throughout the stay based on safety, behaviors and progress.

Important to know

  • Inpatient facilities are locked for safety
  • You can call for updates or ask to speak with your child
  • Visitation rules vary by facility
  • Phone access and cell phone use vary by hospital
  • No school while inpatient; some facilities provide educational packets during longer stays

Discharge & next steps

  • The goal is always to discharge safely
  • Hospitals can extend holds if safety is still a concern
  • Parents can choose to leave AMA (Against Medical Advice), but insurance may not cover part or all of the stay
  • Every facility is different — don't hesitate to ask questions and advocate for your child

The part no one talks about

  • Leaving after visits
  • Feeling helpless
  • Waiting for phone calls
  • Learning a whole new language overnight
  • Holding it together in the parking lot
  • Wondering if you're doing enough
  • Carrying the weight of it all
You are not failing.
Your child is not “too much.”
You are not alone.It's hard. It's messy. It's love.
Learning a whole new language

A parent's glossary

The words you'll hear in hospitals, treatment programs and schools, in plain language. Tap a term to see what it means. Want to go deeper? Visit our Learn page.

Acuity

How severe and urgent your child's needs are right now. Higher acuity usually means a more intensive level of care.

Acute / inpatient care

Short-term hospital care in a locked unit, focused on safety and stabilization during a crisis. Usually lasts days to a few weeks.

Residential treatment (RTC)

Longer-term, 24/7 therapeutic care outside the home, often for months. Includes therapy, school and life skills.

PRTF

Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility, a type of residential program for youth that meets federal standards and can be covered by Medicaid.

PHP

Partial Hospitalization Program: treatment most of the day, about 5–6 hours, 5 days a week, with your child home at night.

IOP

Intensive Outpatient Program: part-day treatment, about 3–4 hours, several days a week, often after school.

Step-down

Moving to a less intensive level of care as your child stabilizes, for example from inpatient to PHP.

Safety plan

A written plan made with your child and their care team: warning signs, coping steps, people to call, and how to make home safer.

Discharge plan

The plan for leaving a program: follow-up appointments, medications, school return and what to do if things get hard again.

AMA (Against Medical Advice)

Taking your child out of a program before the care team recommends it. Insurance may not cover part or all of the stay.

Emergency detention / hold

A legal process that keeps someone in a hospital for evaluation when they may be a danger to themselves or others. In Wyoming this falls under Title 25 of state law.

Title 25

The section of Wyoming law covering mental health commitment, including emergency detention and involuntary hospitalization.

Prior authorization

Insurance approval required before some treatment is covered. Programs often handle this, but ask who is responsible.

IEP

Individualized Education Program: a legal plan for special education services at school. The Wyoming Parent Information Center can help.

504 plan

A school plan for accommodations, like extra time or breaks, for a student whose disability, including a mental health condition, affects learning.

High Fidelity Wraparound

A no-cost Wyoming program for youth ages 4–20 with complex behavioral health needs. It builds a support team around your family so your child can stay at home and in school.

A teddy bear on a windowsill with the message: You are doing hard things in some of the scariest moments. That makes you stronger than you think. Keep showing up. Keep advocating. Keep loving them through it all. You've got this.
A note for you today

You are doing hard things.

In some of the scariest moments, you keep showing up for your child. That makes you stronger than you think.

Your love is their safe place. Never forget that.

Find your people
The gap in Wyoming

Cheyenne has no inpatient psychiatric care for kids

Children in crisis are sent hundreds of miles from home. Wyoming's teen suicide rate is about 2.5 times the national rate, and Laramie County suicides rose 63% in 2025. We're working to change that.

See the facts & how to help
Bulletin board

Events, projects & group recaps

See what's coming up, what we're working on, and what we talked about at our last gathering.

View the bulletin → Get involved

We're becoming a nonprofit

We're building our founding board and looking for volunteers, partners and people who care about Wyoming families.

Ways to help → Advocacy

Make your voice heard

School board, city council, county and state meetings where parents can speak up for youth mental health.

Meetings & how-to →
Stronger together

Community partners we love

There are already people in our community doing incredible work. We don't need to reinvent it — we want to support one another, share resources and fill the gaps together.

Threads of Hope – Foster Closet community event
Cheyenne · Foster & kinship families

Threads of Hope – Foster Closet

A Cheyenne nonprofit making sure every child in foster care feels seen, valued, loved and supported. Threads of Hope provides clothing and essentials when a child enters a new home, starts school or ages out of care. Wings of Resilience is proud to stand alongside them at community events.

threadsofhopewyo.com →Executive Director (307) 757-7312 →Deputy Director (307) 757-1020 →New placement / emergency line (307) 223-5971 →boardofdirectors@threadsofhopewyo.com →
N
Education, support & advocacy

NAMI Wyoming

Wyoming's chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, offering education, support groups and advocacy for individuals and families affected by mental illness. Affiliates include Casper, Laramie, Park County, Sheridan and a virtual affiliate.

(307) 265-2573 →namiwyoming.com →
Jae Foundation Wyoming community event
Suicide prevention · "Boot checks"

Jae Foundation Wyoming

Born from the loss of Pinedale native Jae Bing, Jae Foundation gives cowboy boots and real conversations about mental health to high school seniors, and asks each student to call one person for a "boot check."

jaefoundation.com →Volunteer with us →
C
Cheyenne · Suicide prevention · Rodeo community

Cowboy Cole Memorial Foundation

Started by the Allen family in memory of their son Cole, an 18-year-old Burns High graduate and team roper. The foundation raises awareness of suicide, supports people affected by it, and promotes mental health for youth and young adults, especially in the rodeo community. As a Jae Foundation ambassador, it funds Jae Boots for Laramie County seniors, school assemblies and an annual scholarship.

cowboycole.com →Facebook →
P
Cheyenne · Dyslexia & literacy · Suicide prevention

Paul's Mountain – Advocacy for Literacy

Founded in Cheyenne by Chandel Pine in memory of her son, Paul. This 501(c)(3) raises awareness of dyslexia and suicide prevention, and offers reading evaluations, tutoring and structured literacy training for teachers. Their message: save lives through literacy.

paulsmountainnonprofit.org →(307) 250-2924 →

Are you a Wyoming nonprofit supporting youth or families? Join our community partners meetup or email us — we'd love to feature you here.

Stronger together

Join our community

Whether you're in the middle of a crisis or years into the journey, there's a place for you here.

Private Parent Group

A private Facebook group for parents and caregivers — ask questions, share experiences, and find support from people who understand.

Request to join

Public Facebook Page

Follow along for resources, updates, events and encouragement.

Follow us

Email Us

Questions, speaking requests, or want to help? We'd love to hear from you.
wingsofresilience4U@gmail.com

Send an email