This is the continued Mental Health Minute, beginning July 7, 2025.

LINK to all previous Mental Health Minutes — DECEMBER 1, 2024, THROUGH JUNE 23, 2025

(Graphics provided to Steamboat Radio. ) This is a weekly update. Visit YampaValleyResources.org today to explore all the resources available for you and your household. Together, we are working to create a stronger, more resilient Yampa Valley where everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive.

 

July 14, 2025 — Helping Others through Peer Engagement: The HOPE Initiative

The HOPE (Helping Others through Peer Engagement) Initiative is a collaborative effort between many mental health providers and resource organizations in Routt County to establish a hyper-local 24/7 hotline of trained peers in our community who will provide respite, support, resource and referral to anyone who is in distress or in need of resources. This fills a critical gap in mental health resources in Routt County.

The HOPE Initiative will be a team of highly trained, certified peers hired to be 24/7/365. It will be a two-person on call system that is an immediate and local response through connection with a live person, with an option for in-person response when needed. This hotline will be interconnected with other existing resources.

We are looking for community members who are passionate about opportunities to engage in mental health supports in our community. Are you interested in becoming a certified peer as part of the new HOPE Initiative, volunteering to help with awareness and marketing of mental health programs and supports, donating to support this work, getting trained in mental health support or suicide awareness and prevention?

Contact Traci Hiatt at Yampa Valley Community Foundation, traci@yvcf.org or 970-879-8632 for more information.

Steamboat Radio News coverage; July 10, 2025 — HOPE Initiative is forming to help fill gaps with mental health resources

 

July 7, 2025 Processing Tragedy by Mindy Marriott, Valery Lozano, Chresta Brinkman