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Links to past Mental Health Minutes are below.

 

Upcoming COPE Events Offer Transformative Poverty Simulation

Poverty touches every corner of America, yet its realities often remain invisible to those not directly affected. More than 40% of U.S. households struggle to afford basic needs like housing, food, and healthcare. Behind these statistics are families making impossible choices every day—between paying rent or buying groceries, between working overtime or caring for a sick child. Understanding these challenges is essential to building more compassionate and effective communities.

This month, The Health Partnership is bringing the nationally recognized Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) to Northwest Colorado, offering community members a chance to engage in a transformative simulation that reveals the daily challenges faced by families living in poverty. Developed by Think Tank Inc., COPE is a 2.5-hour immersive experience grounded in real stories and designed to foster empathy, humility, and action.

Two sessions are scheduled:

• Tuesday, October 14^th in Steamboat Springs
• Wednesday, October 15^th in Craig

Both events will run from 9:30 a.m. to noon, followed by an optional ‘Beyond COPE’ discussion session from 12-2 p.m., with a complimentary lunch provided.

Participants will take on roles based on real-life families and navigate systems such as housing, healthcare, employment, and education. The experience is designed to challenge assumptions and build understanding of the barriers that keep people in poverty. As one past attendee expressed, “Powerful experience. I recommend to anyone who can do it.”

Registration is free and open to the public. To learn more or reserve a spot, visit the event pages for Craig and Steamboat Springs, or explore the COPE initiative at Think Tank Inc.

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

• Oct. 6, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) comes to Northwest Colorado
• Sept. 29, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Get Immediate Support with the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line
• Sept. 22, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Theater as an Outlet
• Sept. 14, 2025 –Mental Health Minute — Connection in Times of Adversity
• Sept. 7. 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Sharing stories and building bridges at new event
• Aug. 31, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Message from Yampatika
• Aug. 25, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Mental Health After a Critical Incident: How to Help, What to Expect, and Taking Care of Yourself
• Aug. 17, 2025 — Mental Health Minute: Uncertainty Is Part of Life — But It’s Heavier for Some
• Aug. 11, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Re:generation: A Christ-Centered Path to Lasting Transformation
• Aug. 3, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Steps to Help Save A Life
• July 28, 2025 — Mental Health Minute — Steamboat Kids & Phones
• July 24-2025 — Mental Health Minute — Starting with the basics
• July 15, 2025 — Mental Health Minute – Helping Others through Peer Engagement and The HOPE Initiative
• LINK to all previous Mental Health Minutes — DECEMBER 1, 2024, THROUGH JUNE 23, 2025