By Shannon Lukens.

A new program is being developed in Northwest Colorado called the Hope Initiative. HOPE stands for Helping Others through Peer Engagement. It is being coordinated with Yampa Valley Community Foundation and groups across the community.

• REPS, which is Reaching Everyone Preventing Suicide
• Health Solutions West
• Warhorse Ranch
• Northwest Colorado Health
• Steamboat Springs School District
• The Health Partnership
• Steamboat Springs Police Department
• And concerned community members.

 

It is a collaborative effort between mental health providers and resource organizations to help fill a gap in mental health resources in Routt County, with hopes to expand to Moffat County. Here’s Traci Hiatt with Yampa Valley Community Foundation.

“There are still gaps. And that’s demonstrated by the fact that we had 19 suicides between Routt and Moffat County in 2024, and we’ve already had too many in 2025. So we got together and started to talk about how to appreciate the resources we have, acknowledge those, and also start to talk about what are the gaps. What gaps can we fill and how can we fill them?”

 

The HOPE Initiative will have a team of highly-trained, certified peers who are on staff 24/7/365. Two people will always be on duty to take live calls and help a person, whether they are having a crisis, or they need to know how to find resources in the community, like maybe food or housing.

Here’s SSPD Police Chief Mark Beckett

“When someone is having a bad day there will be a phone number that they can call. They’ll be engaged with a local community member, not a clinician, not a psychiatrist, not a psychologist, but a local community member who can just talk to them and they’ll help them with resources and they’ll get them places that they need to go.”

 

Here’s more from Traci Hiatt.

“It’ll be a staff of trained certified peers who are able to assess a situation and determine if someone just needs, you know, someone supportive to talk to, or if they’re in distress about finances or being able to pay rent and they don’t know who to call or they are struggling to feed their family or whatever it may be. Whatever is causing someone distress, to try to get them plugged into the resources that exist in our community to prevent that distress from moving into acute crisis and suicidal ideation.”

 A $250,000 donation from an anonymous donor has been made to get the HOPE Initiative going.

If you would like to get involved, or would like to make a donation, reach out to Traci Hiatt at YVCF at traci@yvcf.org or call 970-879-8632.

 

Video Message on the HOPE Initiative from SSPD Chief of Police Mark Beckett

 

Traci Hiatt has more on the HOPE Initiative and how it was formed.

“The Hope Initiative came together as a collaborative effort between many different agencies in mental health, behavioral health, nonprofits and supports that already exist in the Yampa Valley, with the recognition that there are many people who have been supporting individuals with their mental health in many ways, and saving lives and providing integral services in our community. This group got together because there was an acknowledgement that while there’s tremendous resources and good resources and people who are passionate and doing a really good job in this area, there are still gaps.

And that’s demonstrated by the fact that we had 19 suicides between Routt and Moffat County in 2024, and we’ve already had too many in 2025. So we got together and started to talk about, okay, let’s appreciate the resources we have, acknowledge those, and also start to talk about what are the gaps. What gaps can we fill and how can we fill them? And there’s a lot of work to be done. The Hope Initiative is a first step in trying to fill some of the gaps and resources that exist by providing a hyper-local, 24-hour hotline where someone can get connected to resources, support, a friendly ear, to someone who’s within this community and knows the resources that exist and can get them connected immediately.

It’ll be a staff of trained certified peers who are able to assess a situation and determine if someone just needs someone supportive to talk to, or if they’re in distress about finances or being able to pay rent and they don’t know who to call or they are struggling to feed their family or whatever it may be. Whatever is causing someone distress, to try to get them plugged into the resources that exist in our community to prevent that distress from moving into acute crisis and suicidal ideation.”

  

• July 3, 2025 — Chief Beckett has an important message on suicide in the Steamboat Springs Community 
• July 7, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Tips for Talking to Youth about a Tragedy
• More on the Story — SSPD Chief Beckett warns parents about E-Motorcycles and illegal drinking parties
• June 4, 2025 — Steamboat Police are concerned about incidents with Electric Motorbikes and Motorcycles
• Feb. 10, 2025 — Steamboat Springs Police Chief Mark Beckett speaks out and challenges local leaders to do the same