County Expands Mental Health Services with New Contracts

Mesa County Behavioral Health is expanding its services to reach more residents, thanks to the Multi-Agency Collaboration (MAC). On Nov. 21, the Board of County Commissioners approved three contracts with local providers funded by a $3.5 million grant from the Colorado Department of Human Services to enable the service expansion.

The contracts with Amos Counseling, Foundations 4 Life, and Shift Counseling are part of the County's desire to improve access to mental and behavioral health services. The primary focus of these services is to prevent homelessness and incarceration, divert individuals from unnecessary inpatient emergency room use and institutional levels of care, and increase community stability and tenure through engagement in behavioral health treatment and support services.

In its first year, the program received over 300 referrals, mainly from hospitals and first responders, showing strong community support. This collaboration has also noticeably decreased jail incarcerations.

Behavioral Health manages mental health and substance abuse crises by supporting those recently released from jail, integrating special teams in response to 911 calls, and establishing call-in services for assistance. This initiative is expected to bring significant social and economic benefits to the community in the coming years.