Resilience1220 welcomes new executive director
Lindsey Breslin and her husband, Ned, moved to Evergreen for the area’s peace and beauty. Several months later, she found a dream job to accompany their dream move. Breslin is the new executive director of Resilience1220.The nonprofit, founded six years ago after a local crisis in teen mental health, provides no-cost counseling to youth between the ages of 12 and 20.Breslin has worked her entire career in mental health and nonprofits, and Resilience1220 is proving a natural fit for her talents. But she credited those who came before her with bringing the organization to its current successful status.“Starting a grassroots nonprofit is never easy,” she said. “I’m very impressed by what’s been accomplished from the two previous executive directors, our small-but-mighty team and dedicated group of therapists. I think everything is going well.”Breslin is a licensed clinical social worker who has a bachelors’ degree in psychology from St. Lawrence University and a master’s in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.The Buffalo, New York native, who is married to her high school sweetheart and the mother of two, said she has always been drawn to nonprofits and helping others.“Working with more marginalized groups or issues, working to reduce the stigma around mental health — that’s the kind of work that is meaningful for me and speaks to me,” she said.Breslin spent the first 18 years of her career working in mental health, where her husband had attended grad school and started his own career. She worked for nonprofits focused on gender-based violence, and HIV and AIDS prevention.The couple fell in love with Colorado’s sunshine and lifestyle while visiting friends in Denver.They lived and worked there for many years, with Breslin working extensively in suicide prevention, human trafficking and mental health crises, before they heard the mountains calling.“We loved Denver but wanted to be more in nature and the mountains,” Breslin said. “I was ready for a quieter lifestyle and noticed after we moved here that being out in nature really cultivates my own resiliency. I was doing crisis work in Denver, and I noticed how quickly I could bounce back from that just living up here.”Several months later, she saw the job posting for Resilience1220’s executive director.“I really wanted to get more involved in the local community, to work where I live,” she said. “This job felt like a really good fit.”While Breslin is just getting her feet wet at Resilience1220, she’s impressed by its reach within the Evergreen area and beyond. The organization provided 1,455 individual therapy sessions in 2024, and hosted 246 support groups and outreach events.It hosts a regular open art studio at both Evergreen middle and high school, during which an art therapist helps kids explore their creative side. At Clear Creek High School, Resilience1220 hosts a weekly lunchtime group for LGBTQ+ students.At Blackhawk’s Gilpin County Community Center, it’s partnered with the Eagles after-school program to host a series of yoga and mindfulness classes.It also offers services in Conifer. And it’s working to recruit more youth for its peer leadership program.“I think a lot of youth are struggling with anxiety and depression,” Breslin said. “They’re also feeling a lot of academic pressure to succeed. We want to provide for our youth some skills, support and normalize that it’s ok to say we’re struggling. Mental health and life challenges are normal. You can get through it. There are people here to support you.”Resilience1220 was founded by Heather Aberg and Jen Pearson in 2019. Local resident Annie Cooley replaced Aberg as director in early 2023, and recently stepped down from the executive director role.Resilience1220 will mark marks its sixth anniversary with a 5:30 p.m. May 7 celebration of youth creativity at Center for the Arts Evergreen.The post Resilience1220 welcomes new executive director appeared first on Colorado Community Media.
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