Mental & Behavioral Health
Marissa Garcia, left, a Colorado Youth Mental Health Corps member, laughs with York International student Leah Ameca, 17, as they review a goal-setting worksheet in Garcia’s office on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at the school in Thornton, Colo. Garcia is part of a national program that trains 18- to 24-year-olds to provide mental health and resource support to middle and high school students. The corps members receive stipends for their service and can also get college credit or enroll in a behavioral health assistant credentialing program. Photo by Joe Mahoney/Special to The Colorado Trust
Marissa Garcia can barely finish a sentence before a student stops to chat with her. She’s sitting in the blue-walled wellness room in the high school wing of York International School in Thornton. The calmly lit space is decked out with pillows, fidget spinners, games and a small hygiene closet. A steady stream of backpack-laden students walks past the open room between class bells. Garcia, who has curly black hair and is wearing gold-hoop earrings, a nose ring and a hoodie, looks a lot like them.
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