Roundup River Ranch now offering behavioral health camps
Eagle County youth given priority during the early June session
Roundup River Ranch/Courtesy photo
Roundup River Ranch in Gypsum, part of the Paul Newman SeriousFun Children’s Network of camps that offer free treatment worldwide to children suffering from cancer, blood disorders, organ transplants and more, will begin offering behavioral health camps this summer.
“Over the past two years, Roundup River Ranch has been exploring how we can better serve campers with behavioral health diagnoses — both within our traditional model of summer and family camps and through the exploration of serving campers with a ‘primary’ or ‘Roundup River Ranch qualifying’ behavioral health related diagnosis,” said Sarah Johnson, president and CEO of Roundup River Ranch.
Currently, campers qualify for camp with a primary medical diagnosis. In recent years, however, the staff has seen an increase in campers presenting with secondary behavioral health diagnoses and needs.
“This trend, combined with the realities of our Eagle County youth behavioral health crisis, has encouraged us to do more,” Johnson said.
Roundup River Ranch made a great connection to start hosting these camps by meeting Dr. Paige Baker-Braxton of Vail Health Behavioral Health in August 2023 at the camp’s annual fundraiser, The Bullseye Roundup.
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“Before that night, I had never heard of Roundup River Ranch. As I watched the impact video featuring campers sharing their transformative experiences, the profound effect of the camp’s mission struck me deeply,” Baker-Braxton said.
After the event, Baker-Braxton reached out to Johnson and the two started brainstorming how Baker-Braxton could make a meaningful contribution.
“For me, as a therapist, the connection to Roundup River Ranch is particularly poignant. In my professional life, I often walk alongside people during their darkest times, supporting them as they navigate the path to healing,” Baker-Braxton said. “While I witness recovery and resilience, it’s not the joy — raw, unadulterated, life-affirming joy found at camp.”
Baker-Braxton and her team know there’s a need for a program like this for Eagle County youth.
“In the past year, the mobile crisis team responded to 27 suicidal students in Eagle County schools alone. At Vail Health Behavioral Health, we’ve provided nearly 12,000 therapy, psychiatry and case management visits for children and adolescents under the age of 18,” Baker-Braxton said. “Our school-based clinical team has also been incredibly active, delivering on average 1,200 sessions per month directly in schools across the county.”
Paul Newman started the SeriousFun Children’s Network back in 1988 because he wanted a place for kids to forget about their diagnoses and to just be kids.
“The nature of camp fosters a unique vulnerability, opening up avenues for safe and impactful change. Additionally, camps immerse them in new experiences and encourage them to step out of their comfort zones. This promotes independence and self-reliance,” Baker Braxton said. “Maybe more importantly, it allows kids to see the resilience of their peers and resilience is contagious.”
There are two sessions this summer with opportunities for campers with qualifying behavioral health diagnoses: Session 3 (June 26 to July 1) and Session 4 (June 6-9). Eagle County campers are given priority for the Session 4, three-night camp. For more information, go to RoundupRiverRanch.org.
