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Caring for Denver
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Mental Health Center of Denver on rising health crisis in Denver
Fox 31 Denver Death by suicide among young people is a rising health crisis in Denver, in fact, Denver is outpacing the national statistics by nearly 2-to-1. September is National Suicide Prevention Month and Carl Clark with the Mental Health Center of...
Mental Health Center of Denver launches new suicide prevention program
9NEWS Denver By Jennifer Campbell-Hicks Mental Health Center of Denver launches new suicide prevention program The Mental Health Center of Denver launched its STAY SAFE partnership at the start of National Suicide Prevention Week....
Task force: Denver should spend $55 million from American Rescue Plan Act funds on public safety priorities
Denver Gazette By: Julia Cardi Task force: Denver should spend $55 million from American Rescue Plan Act funds on public safety priorities The task force created to make recommendations for overhauling policing and public safety in Denver wants the city to use...
STAR Program In Denver Expands To Respond To Calls Seven Days A Week
CBS 4 Denver By Jennifer McRae STAR Program In Denver Expands To Respond To Calls Seven Days A Week DENVER (CBS4) – The program that started out as just a pilot is expanding. The Support Team Assisted Response or STAR program was started last year...
Denver to expand STAR program for responding to mental health 911 calls
KDVR Fox 31 News By Lanie Lee Cook DENVER (KDVR) — A year-old Denver program that removes police from some 911 calls involving mental health or substance use will be expanded to seven days a week. The Support Team Assisted Response program — STAR for short — responds...
15 months into Denver’s STAR program, no calls directed to civilian-led teams have led to arrests
The Denver Gazette By Julia Cardi A map presented to a Denver City Council committee on Aug. 30, 2021 show the geographic concentrations of calls sent to the Support Team Assisted Response program, which sends pairs of paramedics and mental health clinicians to...
Denver’s STAR program, sending mental health pros on certain calls instead of police officers, is about to get bigger
The program — still resulting in zero arrests and no calls to Denver police for backup when deployed — has the support to expand. Denverite By Esteban L. Hernandez Denver’s STAR van is parked outside of the Denver Rescue Mission at Park Avenue and Lawrence Street....
Caring for Denver Foundation Awards $8.4 Million to Redirect People with Mental Health and Substance Misuse Crisis Away from the Criminal Justice System.
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 25, 2021 Caring for Denver Foundation Awards $8.4 Million to Redirect People with Mental Health and Substance Misuse Crisis Away from the Criminal Justice System. Denver, CO – Caring for Denver will distribute $8.4...
Caring for Denver: Widespread, Community-Informed Support
OUT FRONT Magazine By Keegan Williams As the Denver community pushes forward in this new stage of the pandemic, the need for community services and resources is more dire than ever. Representative Leslie Herod saw this need to do better for our local communities,...
Garcia, Garnett Appoint Experts to ARPA Affordable Housing and Behavioral Health Subpanels
EIN Presswire DENVER, CO – Senate President Leroy Garcia and Speaker Alec Garnett on Friday appointed subject matter experts and representatives of local governments and nonprofits to the subpanels advising the task forces established...
Denver’s pivot from police is gaining popularity nationwide
Axios Markets via Yahoo News By Alayna Alvarez What started as a pilot program to reimagine policing primarily in downtown Denver is now expanding citywide and piquing interest across the country. Driving the news: The City Council this week voted to boost the...
Mayor Tishaura Jones & Congresswoman Cori Bush To Visit Denver Star Program — Discuss New Approaches To Public Safety
RiverBender.com ST. LOUIS, DENVER, CO – On Thursday, July 8, 2021, Mayor Tishaura Jones and Congresswoman Cori Bush will travel to Denver, Colorado to see firsthand the city’s public safety initiatives. The Mayor and Congresswoman will tour Denver’s Support Team...
Warren Village Announces $300,000 Caring for Denver Foundation Grant to Advance Wellness Initiative for Resident Families
Funds will allow Warren Village to dramatically increase onsite mental health services YourHub Warren Village, a Denver-based organization focused on helping low-income, single-parent families make the journey from poverty to self-sufficiency, received a $300,000...
Alternatives to Calling the Denver Police Department
Denver’s STAR Program is a success. So much so that it’s expanding this year. Here are some more local resources to phone if you don’t want to call the police. 5280 by: Celeste Benzschawel Denver’s Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program has responded...
NONPROFIT REGISTER | $300,000 grant to help Warren Village advance its Wellness Initiative for Families
Colorado Politics by: Joanne Davidson Photo courtesy of Warren Village WARREN VILLAGE Denver News: A $300,000 grant from the Caring for Denver Foundation is enabling Warren Village to start a two-year project that will advance its Wellness Initiative for Resident...
Denver’s STAR program gets tentative $1 million to expand with more vans, longer hours
The program also applied for an additional $1.4 million, from the Caring 4 Denver fund. Denverite by: Esteban L. Hernandez Denver’s STAR van drives past the Denver Rescue MIssion at Park Avenue and Lawrence Street. Feb. 12, 2021. Denver’s Support Team Assisted...
21 Organizations Awarded $7.8 Million in Grants from Caring For Denver to Increase Denver Residents’ Access to Mental Health and Substance Misuse Care
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2021 21 Organizations Awarded $7.8 Million in Grants from Caring For Denver to IncreaseDenver Residents’ Access to Mental Health and Substance Misuse Care Denver, CO – Caring for Denver Foundation has partnered with 21...
Alternative Dispatch Programs
A Strategy for Improving Emergency Responses and Reducing Police Violence Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund Introduction Approximately 240 million calls are made to 911 every year in the United States.1 Only a small fraction of these calls are for serious or...
Caring for Denver Foundation Reaches $44 Million Milestone in Grant Awards; $11 Million Additional Pending in August
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 2, 2021 Denver, CO — Caring for Denver Foundation announced it has reached a critical milestone this month having awarded $44.8 million in grants to organizations transforming how mental health and substance misuse...
7 things to know about Denver STAR, a program to send mental health workers and medics to 911 calls
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel By Ashley Houston Carleigh Sailon, Mental Health of Denver program manager, left, and Dustin Yancy, a Denver Health paramedic, respond to 911 calls involving mental health and substance abuse in Denver. City of Denver The calls for help...
Caring for Denver directs $11 million into jail diversion
Colorado Politics By Joey Bunch Caring for Denver Board chair Leslie Herod, a lawmaker from Denver, speaks with Lorez Meinhold, executive director of the voter-approved foundation’s board of directors.Courtesy of Caring for Denver The Caring for Denver...
Caring For Denver Approves 10 Million in Grants for Mental Health
Out Front Magazine Caring for Denver Foundation has approved 47 new grants that will provide $10 million to assist Denver youth struggling with trauma, substance abuse and mental health. The grants have been given to local nonprofits such as the Denver’s Children...
Denver STAR Program: When Mental Health Workers Respond to 911 Calls
TEDxMileHigh By Lily Capstick In June 2020, the Denver STAR program—a group of mental health professionals trained to respond to 911 calls—launched in Denver, Colorado, just as protests against police brutality erupted country-wide. Since June, the Denver STAR...
Philanthropy @ Work – Grants and Programs
Grantmakers in Health Caring for Denver Foundation (Denver, CO) Youth are experiencing profound mental health challenges that put them at higher risk of mental health and substance misuse issues. Now, Caring for Denver Foundation has approved 47 grants...
Caring for Denver Foundation Awards nearly $10 Million to Address Mental Health, Trauma, and Substance Misuse Among Denver Youth
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2021 Caring for Denver Foundation Awards nearly $10 Million to Address Mental Health, Trauma, and Substance Misuse Among Denver Youth Denver, CO – Youth are experiencing profound mental health challenges that put them...
STAR Program Redirecting Mental Health Emergency Calls Away From Police a Success in Denver
Criminal Legal News, a project of the Human Rights Defense Center By Kevin Bliss STAR Program Redirecting Mental Health Emergency Calls Away From Police a Success in Denver USA Today reports that Denver, Colorado, is showing success with a new program that...
Social Workers Instead of Police? Denver’s 911 Experiment Is a Promising Start
Curbed By Alissa Walker Social Workers Instead of Police? Denver’s 911 Experiment Is a Promising Start Instead of a police cruiser, a van with bottled water and snacks. Photo: Courtesy of Caring for Denver A 911 dispatch looks about the same no matter where you...
Instead of Responding With Cops, Denver Sends Health Care Teams to Non-Criminal Calls — and It’s Already Saving Lives
Thought Nova By Joshua There is already evidence that a new program where social workers and paramedics respond to certain kinds of non-criminal complaints in Denver instead of cops is working as expected. The program is called the Support Team Assisted Response...
Caring for Denver Foundation Seeks to Invest $10 Million in Supports to Improve the Provision of Care
Prime Time for Seniors Denver, CO – Caring for Denver Foundation is seeking to partner with organizations and agencies to increase Denver residents’ ability to find accessible, community-informed mental health and substance misuse care through a new Care...
COVID In Colorado: Center For African American Health Meeting Needs Of Black Community
CBS Denver By Libby Smith COVID In Colorado: Center For African American Health Meeting Needs Of Black Community DENVER (CBS4) – The Center for African American Health is among the community organizations that stepped up dramatically in the face of the...
Advocates of STAR program look to ways of evaluating its long-term success
Colorado Politics By Julia Cardi Denver police Chief Paul Pazen during an April 9, 2020, press conference expresses gratitude to the community for supporting first responders amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Alayna Alvarez, Colorado Politics) The new year has...
When Compassion Works Instead Of Force: Denver Saving Lives By Sending Health Care Teams to Non-Criminal Calls
Healthy Happy News By Admin When Compassion Works Instead Of Force: Denver Saving Lives By Sending Health Care Teams to Non-Criminal Calls The city of Denver’s Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) has been effective that majority of their calls come from their fellow...
In the Midst of Heightened Mental Health and Substance Misuse Needs, Caring for Denver Foundation Seeks to Invest $10 Million in Supports to Improve the Provision of Care
News Release In the Midst of Heightened Mental Health and Substance Misuse Needs, Caring for Denver Foundation Seeks to Invest $10 Million in Supports to Improve the Provision of Care Denver, CO – Caring for Denver Foundation is seeking to partner with...
Instead of Responding With Cops, Denver Sends Health Care Teams to Non-Criminal Calls — and It’s Already Saving Lives
A pilot program where teams of social workers and paramedics respond to certain non-criminal complaints in Denver is showing early success. Good News Network By Andy Corbley Denver Police Department The Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) program was launched in...
Health care workers replaced Denver cops in handling hundreds of mental health and substance abuse cases — and officials say it saved lives
CBS News By Li Cohen A program that replaces police officers with health care workers on mental health and substance abuse calls in Denver, Colorado, is showing signs of success, according to a six-month progress report. Despite responding to hundreds of calls,...
Denver successfully sent mental health professionals, not police, to hundreds of calls
USA TODAY By Grace Hauck Denver successfully sent mental health professionals, not police, to hundreds of calls Another U.S. city is reporting early success with a program that replaces traditional law enforcement responders with health care workers for some...
26 nonprofits receive Caring for Denver grants
Funding will support mental health, fight against substance misuse in community Life on Capitol Hill By Christy Steadman The goal is to do more to support mental health and the fight against substance misuse in the Denver community. In November 2018, Denver voters...
26 nonprofits receive Caring for Denver grants
Funding will support mental health, fight against substance misuse in community The Washington Park Profile By Christy Steadman The goal is to do more to support mental health and the fight against substance misuse in the Denver community. In November 2018, Denver...
Envision: You Awarded Caring for Denver Grant
Out Front By Denny Patterson Envision:You, a Colorado, LGBTQ, mental health and substance use disorder initiative, has been awarded a grant from Caring for Denver Foundation for increasing awareness and availability of affirming and culturally relevant...
Caring for Denver Foundation gives $5.6 million to community mental health organizations
Colorado Politics By Hannah Metzger, The Denver Gazette The Caring for Denver Foundation has approved 26 grants totaling over $5.6 million for community organizations aiming to address mental health and substance abuse issues. The grants promote...
Caring For Denver Foundation Opens $10 Million Funding Opportunity
The Arapahoe Pinnacle By Zoe Wells A new funding opportunity opens new doors for resources relating to mental health, trauma, and substance abuse from the Caring For Denver Foundation. On November 10th, 2020, the Caring For Denver Foundation opened $10 million to fund...
Caring for Denver Foundation Approves $5.6 Million in Grants to Support Community-Centered Solutions
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:December 2, 2020 Caring for Denver Foundation Approves $5.6 Million in Grants to Support Community-Centered Solutions Denver, CO – Caring for Denver Foundation, under leadership from Executive Director Lorez Meinhold and Board...
Caring for Denver Foundation Approves $5.6 Million in Grants to Support Community-Centered Solutions
Western Slope Now DENVER, Colo. – Caring for Denver Foundation, under leadership from Executive Director Lorez Meinhold and Board Chair State Representative Leslie Herod, recently approved 26 grants totaling more than $5.6 million for Denver organizations to...
Caring for Denver Foundation Opens $10 Million Funding Opportunity to Support Mental Health, Trauma, and/or Substance Misuse Among Denver Youth
News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:November 10, 2020 Caring for Denver Foundation Opens $10 Million Funding Opportunity to Support Mental Health, Trauma, and/or Substance Misuse Among Denver Youth Denver, CO – Caring for Denver Foundation is seeking to...
Caring for Denver opens $10M grant opportunity to fund mental health, trauma and addiction support for youth
Colorado Politics By Alayna Alvarez The Caring for Denver Foundation announced a $10 million grant opportunity on Tuesday for organizations working to provide mental health, trauma and substance misuse support for young people and their families. “We’re looking for...
Program uses mental health pros, not officers
The Denver Post By Elise Schmelzer A concerned passerby dialed 911 to report a sobbing woman sitting alone on a curb in downtown Denver. Instead of a police officer, dispatchers sent Carleigh Sailon, a seasoned mental health professional with a penchant for wearing...
From Citizen-Led Ballot Initiative to Community-Centered Solutions for Mental Health and Substance Misuse
Grantmakers in Health Views from the Field Lorez Meinhold, Executive Director, Caring for Denver Foundation A need to do better for those with mental health and substance misuse needs was the driving force behind the creation of Caring for...
Denver City Council proposes more than a half-dozen changes to Mayor Hancock’s budget
Colorado Politics By Alayna Alvarez Denver City Council President Stacie Gilmore delivered a letter to Mayor Michael Hancock at noon Friday requesting seven changes to his proposed $2.1 billion budget for next year, a time in which the city must close a budget...
Should Police Respond to Mental Health Crises?
Freethink By Doug Dais Video: https://youtu.be/qZ4b70dqews As tensions between law enforcement and the public continue to rise, many are beginning to evaluate the role of the police, and specifically – whether all 911 calls warrant a visit from armed...
How one Colorado program uses mental health clinicians as alternative to police
Colorado Springs Gazette By Matt Vasilogambros, Stateline How one Colorado program uses mental health clinicians as alternative to police Protesters in Denver call for the defunding of police in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. Cities across the...