Kids First Health Care at Adams City High School

Ms. Crennen has served as a nurse practitioner at Kids First Health Care for over 22 years. As the medical provider at Adam City High School (ACHS), she provides a variety of health care services, including acute care, annual physicals, asthma care, and reproductive health services, to ACHS students. Ms. Crennen earned a Masters of Science in Nursing from the University of Colorado in 1992. Upon graduating, Ms. Crennen worked at the Juvenile Correction Facility and Children’s Hospital’s Immunodeficiency Program. From 1997 to 2012, she provided health care services at Kids First’s Commerce City clinic, and in 2012, she transferred to the ACHS wellness center.

Alyssa is dedicated to creating a supportive and compassionate space for children, adolescents and families navigating life’s challenges. Her expertise includes providing therapy support to build coping skills to manage stress, anxiety and life changes, while promoting self-worth and emotional resilience. Alyssa’s therapeutic approach is humanistic and experiential, focusing on family dynamics and life experiences that shape a person’s sense of self. Alyssa is also trained in Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) at ICEEFT to further support families in building emotional connection and mutual understanding. 

At Adams City High School, Alyssa supports students with developing healthier communication strategies, enhancing self-esteem and improving emotional well-being.  

Alyssa joined the Kids First Health Care team because she believes in the accessibility of integrated healthcare for children and families. Collaboration between medical and mental health professionals is an essential undertaking, and Alyssa is passionate about being part of a team that supports this approach to improve the well-being of patients and families.  

Before joining Kids First Health Care, Alyssa graduated from Regis University with a master’s in marriage and family therapy. During her studies, she interned at the Regis Center for Counseling and Family Therapy, gaining valuable hands-on experience in providing therapeutic support to individuals and families. 

Alyssa is a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the Satir Institute of the Pacific and the National Alliance for Children’s Grief. 

Alyssa also currently owns and operates the Center for Relational and Child Therapy, where her work centers on helping families and couples navigate life transitions, promote healthy relational dynamics and establish congruent communication.  

Ms. Olade has worked as a medical assistant at Kids First Health Care for approximately 10 years. At the ACHS wellness center, she greets students, checks in patients, handles paperwork, verifies insurance, answers the phone, and more. She earned a medical assisting certification from Pima Medical Institute in 2007. Ms. Olade is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Ms. Garcia-Abrego has worked at Kids First Health Care since 2010. In her role as Enrollment Coordinator, she enrolls families and children in Medicaid, CHP+, and Kids First’s sliding scale; helps families sign up for Presumptive Eligibility (temporary Medicaid coverage); troubleshoots issues with public insurance enrollment; and provides referrals for community resources. Prior to serving at Kids First, she worked in medical billing, and in 2003, she obtained her medical assisting certification through Concorde Career College. Ms. Garcia-Abrego is bilingual in English and Spanish, and she adores serving her community.