News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 11, 2021
21 Organizations Awarded $7.8 Million in Grants from Caring For Denver to Increase
Denver Residents’ Access to Mental Health and Substance Misuse Care
Denver, CO – Caring for Denver Foundation has partnered with 21 organizations providing mental health and substance misuse care to Denverites, awarding $7.8 million through its Care Provision funding area. The funding addresses a community-identified need for care that reflects, represents, and values unique cultures and needs, while also supporting the needs of care providers.
“Caring for Denver is partnering with these organizations to prioritize mental health, build resiliency, and ensure the care being provided reflects our communities,” said Lorez Meinhold, Executive Director.
“Seeking help and support should not add to a person’s distress. This funding will help more people in Denver access care when they need it from providers they trust,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, Board Chair of Caring for Denver.
The awarded organizations will use funding to support three goals:
- Increase availability of trusted, accessible care that fits Denverites’ needs
- Support care providers to provide high-quality, culturally informed care
- Support more effective coordination between available resources to ensure the consumer comes first
Grantees include:
- Asian Pacific Development Center (Denver)
- Atlantis Community Foundation
- Catholic Charities of Denver
- City and County of Denver – Department of Public Health & Environment
- Clínica Tepeyac
- Colorado Health Network
- Elements of Discovery – Therapist of Color Collaborative
- Face It Together
- First Descents
- Griffith Centers for Children
- Joy as Resistance
- Karis Community
- Maria Droste Counseling Center
- Mile High Behavioral Healthcare
- Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners
- Servicios de La Raza
- Sobriety House
- Spark the Change Colorado
- Stout Street Foundation
- TOSA: Denver
- Voluntad (formerly Street’s Hope)
About Caring for Denver Foundation
Caring for Denver Foundation was founded and funded with overwhelming voter support to address Denver’s mental health and substance misuse needs by growing community-informed solutions, dismantling stigma, and turning the community’s desire to help into action. Caring for Denver has funded more than $44.6 million in the areas of alternatives to jail, care provision, community-centered solutions, youth, and special initiatives. To learn more, visit caring4denver.org.
About Lorez Meinhold
Lorez Meinhold serves as the Executive Director of Caring for Denver Foundation. She brings over twenty years of implementation and policy experience as a director of multilateral initiatives involving the public, private, and civic sectors, working at the local, state, and national levels. Lorez has worked in many capacities integrating health programs addressing mental health and substance misuse needs, connecting early childhood and health communities, delivery and payment system reforms, and efforts that required statewide stakeholder engagement.
About Rep. Leslie Herod
Colorado State Representative Leslie Herod (D-Denver) was elected in 2016 as the first LGBTQ African American in the Colorado General Assembly. Since then, she has passed 52 bills, addressing criminal justice reform, mental health, addiction, youth homelessness, education, and civil rights protections. Herod championed the Caring for Denver Ballot measure and now serves as Chair of the Caring for Denver Foundation Board.