Meghan Backofen, LCSW

About Meghan

Meghan Backofen, LCSW, is the clinical manager of Valley View’s Youth Recovery Center, which provides high-quality, evidence-based treatment for Colorado youth facing behavioral health and substance use challenges.

Meghan earned a bachelor's degree in international affairs from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Master of Social Work from the University of Chicago. Her career has been dedicated to providing evidence-based, trauma-focused treatment to children and their families. Meghan is a certified Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) provider, consultant and supervisor.

Early in her career, Meghan worked in residential treatment and led therapeutic recreation programs for girls with trauma histories — experiences that solidified her passion for social work and working with youth.

“That was a major shift, and I felt a call to action to do this work,” Meghan says. “Traumatic stress is treatable, but first we need to get people talking about the hard things they have gone through. It's so important to teach young people how to work through these experiences and feelings rather than bury them.”

Before joining Valley View, Meghan served for more than 20 years as the CORE Sexual Abuse Treatment Provider for Garfield County Human Services and helped launch the River Bridge Regional Center, a children's advocacy center dedicated to the treatment and prevention of child abuse.

Meghan is an adjunct professor in the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, where she teaches Trauma-Informed Assessment and Intervention and Clinical Skills to Master of Social Work students. She also serves as the regional coordinator for the SAMHSA/NCTSN Category III Grant in Garfield County, which supports prevention and intervention services for rural youth and families.

Outside of work, Meghan enjoys mountain biking, hiking and skiing with her husband and two daughters. Their dog, Frasier, spent a decade serving alongside Meghan as a therapy and forensic interview service dog. He is now happily retired and enjoying life at home