Nearly two years since Larimer County’s behavioral health facility opened to the community, Larimer County Commissioners on Tuesday approved an amended contract with SummitStone Health Partners to continue providing mental health and substance-use care services.Making contract amendments is to be expected throughout a…
The Conference Center at the Embassy Suites hotel in Loveland hummed with energy Tuesday as professionals from across the region and U.S. came together for the 2025 Rethinking Addiction and Recovery Conference. What started as one speaker in a room at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins eight years ago has grown into a…
Declines in suicide rate in recent years attributed to community-wide collaborationNOTE: This Spotlight article appeared in the Oct. 28, 2025, edition of The Lamplighter, Larimer County Behavioral Health Services' newsletter.Not all superheroes wear capes.Take Traci Sandoval, for example. She uses her powers of self-…
Hearts & Horses’ program an investment in today’s youth, tomorrow’s community leadersNOTE: This Spotlight article appeared in the Oct. 28, 2025, edition of The Lamplighter, Larimer County Behavioral Health Services' newsletter.The sky on this October afternoon was overcast, but the mood inside the arenas in West…
“The shortest distance between two people is a story.” - Patti DighWhen our community passed the behavioral health sales tax, we made a promise: to invest in one another. This newsletter is part of keeping that promise. Every story shared reflects the people, organizations, and connections that make Larimer…
Gary A. Darling Award for those making positive strides with individuals involved with justice systemA new Colorado State University (CSU) program aims to increase access to behavioral health care for individuals re-entering the community after incarceration.The pilot program is housed within the CSU Psychological…
More than 100 people gathered Monday on the Larimer County Behavioral Health Services at Longview campus to celebrate an expansion of youth services that will be available at a new adolescent unit. Youth have been able to get urgent behavioral health care at the taxpayer-supported Acute Care facility since it…
The Larimer County Behavioral Health Services Department is awarding $3 million to 42 local organizations through its annual Impact Fund Grant Program. Including this latest cycle of grantmaking, a total of $17.7 million in funding has gone to 77 unique organizations since 2019 — helping Larimer County…
A new program at Front Range Community College (FRCC) aims to create more access for people to start careers in behavioral health — just when it's needed most.The U.S. is facing a behavioral health crisis. More people than ever are struggling with mental health and substance use, and Colorado expects to be short…
The police report was eyebrow-raising: A meth lab hidden in a retirement community. But the more the elderly adult shared, the more confusing things became. There were disjointed sounds, smells, and memories.The police officer and co-responder clinician, Sue Jones, who met the individual in the Loveland Police…
The Impact Fund Grant Program is designed to invest behavioral health tax dollars in the form of annual grants to enrich community-based behavioral health services. We are grateful for and proud of the collective work of all grantees since the program’s start, and our community is better…
‘They transformed seven people’s lives’: Behavioral health tax dollars support life-changing work, reduce strain on community resourcesOn Aug. 30, 2024, Isabelle, Paul and their five children shared a home-cooked meal. It had been over a year since they had last eaten dinner together in their Larimer County home.“It was…
The Matthews House creating access to behavioral health services, resources through Parent Café
Tiffanie Sepulveda is working hard to be the best mother to her 19-year-old son, whom she affectionately calls “Pumpkin.”Sitting at a small table in the …
Terrell Keith and the SummitStone Health Partners peer specialist team at Longview are in the business of ‘fostering hope’ With his kind smile, tall stature, and unmistakable gold ear gauges, you can’t miss Terrell Keith. In fact, it seems that his name and positive impact are familiar to many people in the behavioral…
Growing crisis-response model meets people where they are and frees up other emergency personnel to respond to crisesNavigating America’s physical and behavioral health systems can be convoluted at best. So it’s no surprise that thousands of people annually in Larimer County call 911 when they or someone they know is…
Steffen Essen, of Loveland, shares story of sobriety in hopes of inspiring others to seek treatmentSteffen Essen used to drive to the liquor store in his pickup at 7:30 a.m., tears streaming down his face. What’s sad, he said, is he wasn’t first in line.“(The owner) was watching me die, one shooter at a time,” Essen, 51,…
In Larimer County, across our communities, we care about each other. We’re committed to building a community where support is always available and everyone has access to the care they need to thrive.Behavioral health has long faced challenges — limited funding and increasing demand — but, together, we can turn challenges…
The Larimer Integrated Network of Care, or LINC, project has potential to fundamentally change the way professionals across multiple systems collaborate to support those in crisisThere are generally two types of people in the world: Those who fall asleep at the mention of data and those who can't contain their excitement.…
Behavioral Health Services Director Amy Martonis has been appointed to the Mental Health and Substance Use Alliance Steering Committee, an organization with a 25-year legacy of collaboration in Larimer County.Her service on the committee exemplifies the Behavioral Health Service department’s belief that collaboration and…
Seated before SummitStone Health Center Partners and County staff, the Larimer County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously at its Dec. 17, 2024, meeting to approve an updated contract to continue round-the-clock behavioral health services provided at the Longview campus.The amended contract for 2025 outlines the state-…
Longtime resident Madeline Novey has joined the Larimer County Behavioral Health Services Department as its new communications specialist.The 16-year communications professional is excited to be part of a team that is making a difference in the lives of Larimer County residents with its investment in our community’s…
The Board of Larimer County Commissioners honored The Matthew House for being selected as the recipient of the 2024 Gary A. Darling Grant Award at their regular Administrative Matters Meeting this week.The Gary A. Darling Grant Award is part of the Behavioral Health Services [BHS] Impact Fund Grant Program and honors…
Grant awards for the 2024 Behavioral Health Services Impact Fund Grant Program were approved Tuesday by the Board of Larimer County Commissioners during their Administrative Matters meeting.Behavioral Health Services [BHS] is the administrator of funds generated through a ballot initiative for the expansion of behavioral…
Amy Martonis has been selected as Larimer County’s new Director of Behavioral Health, bringing 12 years of experience in Behavioral Health experience to the position, totaling 16 years in executive leadership roles in human service sectors.As director, she will lead Larimer County Behavioral Health and its partners in…
Larimer County Behavioral Health Services [BHS] is opening the application period for the 2024 Impact Fund Grant Program, aimed at addressing the pressing behavioral health needs of the community.
With $2.8 million designated for grant awards, this initiative marks a significant step in the ongoing commitment to enhancing…
