Second Lady Karen Pence To Visit Colorado This Week

DENVER (CBS4)- Second Lady Karen Pence will be in Colorado later this week with the Deputy Secretary of Interior Katharine MacGregor. They will visit Rocky Mountain National Park and the Marcus Institute for Brain Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus on Thursday.

While at Rocky Mountain National Park, Pence will explore the mental health benefits of the outdoors. According to the White House, research shows that being in nature can boost mood and improve mental health. They will also participate in a hike.

After visiting Rocky Mountain National Park, Pence will meet with an art therapist and two former veteran patients at the art therapy program at the Marcus Institute in Aurora.

Additional Information from the White House:

The Marcus Institute for Brain Health (MIBH) is a clinical care and research institute for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Psychological Health (PH) conditions such as post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. The primary focus of the MIBH is to care for former military personnel who have separated from active duty.

Mrs. Pence is the Lead Ambassador for PREVENTS, an interagency task force that stands for the President's Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the task force launched a public health awareness campaign called "More Than Ever Before." This campaign is designed to help people deal with the stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic by encouraging them to care for their mental health.