CELEBRATING

65 Years of Service

Our Team

Staff

Monica Groh

Executive Director

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Monica is a nonprofit executive, entrepreneur, and board director with extensive experience in nonprofit management across multiple industries and areas of focus. Monica is dedicated to making a meaningful impact for clients, focusing on building strong leadership and driving sustainable growth. She lives in Golden with her husband Bill and her two kiddos. Her passions include coaching youth sports, hanging with friends and family, hiking and travel.

Amy Grace Marie

Hero Within Coordinator

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Amy Grace Marie is a lifelong clergy woman who is pivoting and practicing resilience as she learns it from the youth she serves. She is mom to Zoe (16) and Mattias (21) and two Pomeranians, Milo & Emmitt. Amy loves to read, run, sing, hike, color, paint and dance and has a passion for accompanying others in their journey.

Collette Larson

Fundraising Specialist

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Colette is an experienced nonprofit professional working toward social good at mission-driven organizations for more than 15 years. A detail-oriented project manager by nature, she is skilled in data collection, fundraising & communications strategy, and optimizing resources and procedures with cross-functional teams. She lives in Longmont, CO with her husband and two kiddos and is passionate about travel, walking outside with her Bernedoodle everyday and enjoying all outdoor activities that Colorado has to offer year-round.

Brooke Williams

HWI Representative for Southern Colorado

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Brooke Williams was born and raised in southern Colorado. She comes from a family of artists and, to this day, works alongside her parents and three sisters, creating memorable works all along the Front Range. She enjoys all the wonders Colorado has to offer with her son Carlo and dog Maverick. In addition to enjoying the outdoors, Brooke loves to read and learn and share that passion with others.

Board

Charles (Chuck) Thompson

Board President

Former President of CBR YouthConnect

Reggie Garcia

Board Treasurer

President, Latcon, Inc.

Glen Livengood

Board Member

Operations Supervisor, Black Hills Corporation

Jason Livengood

Board Member

President, Clover Technologies, LLC

Therese Kerr

Board Member

Investigator, TK Investigations, LLC

Our history

The legacy of CBR YouthConnect:
Empower resilient youth to rise above adversity

Since 1959, CBR YouthConnect has served as a beacon of hope for over 17,000 youth and their families. What began as the Colorado Boys Ranch evolved into a community-based organization dedicated to helping youth develop resilience, character, and self-reliance. Over the years, our programs have transformed, yet our commitment to nurturing young lives through personalized, relationship-driven support remains as strong as ever.

1959

Incorporated as the Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity.
Began serving youth and families from Colorado and across the nation.

Over the next 50 years

Transitioned from a rural orphanage to a nationally recognized residential treatment and education center for adolescent boys.
Achieved an 89% success rate and received numerous awards and recognition, including:
- Samaritan Institute-Colorado Ethics in Business Award for Non-Profits
- El Pomar Outstanding Youth Organization Award (twice)
- Features on NBC Nightly News, Animal Planet, and Discovery Channel.

2006

The Federal Deficit Reduction Act caused a significant reduction in federal and state funding for residential programs nationwide.
The national recession and further federal funding cuts compounded financial challenges for our residential program.

2012

Our campus-based residential program in La Junta, Colorado was discontinued after more than 50 years of operation.

2014

We rebranded as CBR YouthConnect to more clearly reflect the organization’s mission and focus:
- "CBR" represents the organization’s legacy.
- "Youth" signifies its ongoing commitment to serving children and families.
Expanded to work directly in homes, schools, and communities, providing the same values, ethics, and emphasis on personal responsibility as before.
Continued to support children and families in crisis, helping hard-to-reach youth from unstable home environments, alternative schools, diversion programs, and treatment centers with histories of school drop-out, homelessness, teen pregnancy, delinquency, and mental health challenges.
Our main campus in La Junta, Colorado, was sold to GOAL Academy, with plans to establish a CBR Heritage Center to honor the residential program’s history.

2020s

COVID-19 restrictions limited our ability to provide in-home and community-based services.
Meanwhile, Medicaid’s philosophy emphasized hourly, brief, and remote services, diverging from CBR YouthConnect’s relationship-driven approach.

2022

CBR YouthConnect transitioned staff and in-home cases to Paragon BHC, where they were trained to provide remote Medicaid mental health and substance abuse services.
This strategic shift ended CBR YouthConnect’s role as a direct in-home services provider while ensuring staff employment and continuity of care through Paragon BHC. Read more here.
Chuck Thompson, Past President of the Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation, noted: “Our support of Paragon is a great example of how more children and families can be helped when two organizations combine resources and efforts. It also gives CBR the opportunity to establish new programs that address the major issues in today’s society.”

Current Day

CBR YouthConnect continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of Colorado youth and the communities we serve - including both Denver-metro and rural Colorado communities.
Our HERO-WITHIN program continues to grow, honoring youth who are remarkably resilient.
Our two most recent programs added in 2025 include Bounce Back and Human Animal Connection.

OUR LEGACY AND COMMITMENT

The Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation and CBR YouthConnect continues its legacy and commitment to serving resilient youth across Colorado with the highest professional standards.

For more than five decades, CBR YouthConnect has continued to evolve and adapt to meet changing societal needs, funding constraints, and challenges – demonstrating that caring brings results.