SummitStone Health Partners Awarded FEMA Grant to Provide Counseling Services to those Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
Emergency Response "Colorado Spirit" call-line to provide emotional support and resources for Larimer County.
FORT COLLINS, Colo., July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SummitStone Health Partners, in collaboration with the Health District of Northern Larimer County, has been selected to provide mental health disaster response due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A 24-hour crisis counseling and resource call-line, named Colorado Spirit, is now available to anyone impacted by COVID-19. The mission of Colorado Spirit is to assist individuals across Larimer County in recovering from the psychological effects of COVID-19 through the provision of community-based outreach and educational services.
"Our warm-line will provide a safe, anonymous outlet for those who may be experiencing a number of emotions due to the effects of the pandemic," said Program Manager Alison Hartman, MA, LMFT, "Our trained counselors are here to talk to folks who may be experiencing anxiety, depression, hopelessness, worry or even cabin-fever at levels they never have before. They may not be at the crisis level but really just feeling like they need someone to help them work through this extremely difficult time."
Funded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with oversight by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the Colorado Spirit support call-line will provide short-term interventions to assist those impacted by COVID-19 in understanding their current situation and reactions, mitigating stress, promoting effective coping strategies and resilience, and providing emotional support. Crisis counselors, working closely with community organizations, will be able to distribute available resources and refer survivors to behavioral health treatment and other services in the community. Services are provided at no cost and are available to anyone who has been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Utilizing the already well established "Connections" emotional support line offered by the Health District, SummitStone's emergency staff will employ two crisis counselors, three warm-line staff, a senior care specialist, and a childcare specialist. This service can be accessed by calling (970) 221-5551.
About Health District of Northern Larimer County. The Health District of Northern Larimer County has been meeting local healthcare needs since 1960. Today they provide dental, mental health, prescription assistance, cholesterol, and blood pressure testing, quit tobacco, health insurance assistance and advance care planning services to the residents of northern Larimer County. The Health District partners with other local organizations to assess and plan for the larger health-care needs of the community.
About SummitStone Health Partners. SummitStone Health Partners is the not-for-profit behavioral health provider for Northern Colorado and Larimer County. Since 1957, SummitStone's mission has been to provide unsurpassed mental health and substance use prevention, intervention and treatment services. SummitStone now serves more than 10,000 community members across Larimer County annually, which includes a Behavioral Health Urgent Care and Crisis Stabilization Unit located at 1217 Riverside Ave. in Fort Collins.
SOURCE SummitStone Health Partners
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