You Are Not Alone (YANA) Offering Young Moms Hope and Community

AdventHealth Parker has partnered with a local nonprofit organization called You Are Not Alone (YANA). Founder, Nikki Brooker started the support group for moms after two Highlands Ranch mothers took their lives and their children’s lives several years ago. After becoming a new mother to three children herself and not having friends with children in her community, Nikki was inspired to change that for future moms-to-be in the Denver Metro area. YANA offers several programs - their newest is called “Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies” which has been offered at AdventHealth Parker for the past three months and will soon be offered at AdventHealth Castle Rock in November!

The program is offered to new moms right before they are discharged from the hospital. Mothers who opt into the program receive a welcome email which shares more information about what they can expect from the program and a link to their app. YANA is proud to provide this program at no cost to the moms as being a parent is already so expensive. All moms are welcome including those who have adopted or those who have been a surrogate.

The program offers new moms:

-An app to connect with other moms in the program

-In-person gatherings

-Quarterly phone calls from YANA staff members and volunteers

The more than 300 volunteers from YANA consist of 99% mothers, which allows for genuine peer-to-peer connections. The program has registered more than 1,000 new moms over the past seven months and touts a 96% acceptance rate and a 70-80% engagement rate across the program’s various offerings. YANA team members diligently monitor program participants to look for concerning signs to ensure they are provided with appropriate mental health resources or referrals.

The in-person gatherings are highly valuable as the conversations help bring moms together by learning how the struggles that are experienced by one are typically experienced by most. YANA works with more than 30 community partners including pelvic floor specialists and sleep specialists, providing participants with valuable advice and resources. One participant recently noted, “I'm just so happy that a support system was presented at the hospital before I even went home. It's tough to meet friends who are in the same stage of life, and this makes it as easy as possible. Thank you for providing a safe space for mommas going through the same ups and downs of new baby mamahood!”

According to CDPHE, around 70% of Colorado moms who give birth in the state are not native to Colorado. There’s such a great need for communities connecting young mothers. Nikki knows this all too well as she recounts when her children were young, going to her local Littleton rec center looking for other mothers to befriend in hopes of finding someone who could resonate with the stage of life that she was in.

September is Suicide Prevention Month. According to the University of Colorado, in Colorado, the number one maternal health-related killer is unintentional or intentional overdose or other suicide, particularly in the postpartum period. YANA hopes to change that statistic by offering new moms much needed resources and community support.

The program lasts for a full year with the hope that once that year is up, the moms from the group will continue to grow and thrive with their community of moms. Although the program is still in its early stages, participants have already started Facebook groups and other social media community pages to help them stay connected in addition to gathering in person from time to time. We are grateful to partner with YANA in bringing new moms who bring their little ones into the world at AdventHealth Parker and AdventHealth Castle Rock, a community filled with hope and support!