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Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Partnership
History | Vision & Goal | Reports & Updates | Members | Funding | Meet the Staff
The Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Partnership is a collaborative effort to restructure how mental health and substance abuse services are delivered in the community. The Partnership's efforts are directed at finding ways to better meet the needs of Larimer County residents affected by addictive disorders and mental illness. Those methods include eliminating gaps in communication, care coordination and funding.
The Partnership was formed in August 1999. Today, it is made up of 77 individuals representing 34 agencies and consumer groups in Larimer County. The Health District provides staffing and coordination for the Partnership. Funding is provided by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Local Initiative Funding Partners (LIFP) program, Advancing Colorado’s Mental Health Care, the Health District, 14 community partners and eight local matching funders. More on funding
The Partnership's work focuses on 11 strategies, each at various stages of implementation. The strategies fall into the following categories:
| • Assure Adequate Connections to Services |
| • Maximize Capacity for Diagnosis, Prescriptions and Treatment |
| • Create and Re-create Essential Services |
| • Improve Information Sharing |
| • Policy Changes |
For details on how the strategies are implemented, view the Partnership's full Plan At A Glance (as PDF)
The Partnership’s Steering Committee, in its 2001 report titled "Mental Illness and Substance Abuse in Larimer County," noted that while Larimer County is home to high-quality mental health services, numerous barriers to care — including long waiting lists, delayed care due to cost and confusion over where to get services — persist. As a result, many of the 60,000 people in Larimer County who need mental health and substance abuse services often get bounced from agency to agency without guidance or continuity of care. Gaps in service sometimes result in people getting treatment in the most costly settings — hospitals or jails. Worse yet, mental illness and substance abuse can lead to death. The problem in Larimer County, where the suicide rate is 40 percent higher than the national average, is particularly acute.
For additional information on the Partnership, contact Amber DeNooy at (970) 224-5209 or adenooy@healthdistrict.org
Vision
A well-coordinated, well-funded continuum of mental health and substance abuse services which will achieve our maximum potential for meeting community needs and promote a healthier community through healthier individuals and families.
Goal
Restructure our system of mental health and substance abuse services to significantly improve our responsiveness to the needs of the 60,000 people affected by mental illness and addictive disorders in our community.