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Episode 23: December 2024

Network-Wide CRN User News

CRN Holiday Events or Community Service

Is your organization offering a special holiday community service or event, or are you looking for one?

To advertise in the CRN Newsletter: Fill out the form at this link to send us the info.

To advertise a holiday community service in the CRN Resource Directory: Have your organization’s Entity Admin add to the mission/description in the “Entity Info” section of your organization set up in CRN, making sure to use the term “Holiday Services” as part of the description. Example: “Holiday Services: providing turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day, 11am-2pm.  Reservations required. Please call 999-999-9999 to reserve a spot.”

To find holiday events in the CRN Resource Directory: Enter “Holiday Services” in the keywords section of the search page.

Upcoming Training

Utilization

Network-Wide Utilization Stats
(to see region-specific numbers, scroll to the bottom)

Regional News

West Mountain

Tina Hughes,
Engagement Manager 
West Mountain Region
Contact

West Mountain News

Community Spotlight West Mountain

Providing free civil legal aid

Alpine Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free civil legal aid for residents and employees of the Parachute to Aspen region. Founded in 1987, our mission is to advance justice in our community and improve lives through legal advocacy, outreach, and education. We help individuals and families navigate legal matters that significantly impact their lives, such as evictions, elder abuse, domestic violence protection orders, and custody matters. We also provide a free weekly hotline for the general public, as well as an annual Law Week event to help empower community members to know and uphold their legal rights and the rule of law.

Welcome Our New CRN Partners in West Mountain!

Insight Medical Counseling, LLC 

Website Click Here

Blended physical/mental health practice focusing on relieving chronic pain and other chronic symptoms such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, etc.

Regions Served: State of Colorado

CRN Usage: Receives email/fax referrals

Hispanic Affairs Project

Website Click Here

The Hispanic Affairs Project (HAP) is committed to supporting immigrant communities in Western Colorado. We provide services focused on immigrant integration, including advocacy, leadership development, and essential support resources. HAP assists individuals with navigating legal, educational, and healthcare systems, and connects them with community resources to support their social and economic well-being. For referrals or more information, please contact us directly—we’re here to help empower our community and make a positive impact.

Regions Served: Mesa County, Delta, Montrose, Gunnison

CRN Usage: Receives email/fax referrals

A Network Partner Organization has users in CRN and may accept electronic referrals through CRN

An Associated Partner does not have users in CRN, but accepts email/fax referrals that are sent though CRN

Mesa County

Angela Rodriguez 
Engagement Manager 
Mesa County
Contact

Wade Montgomery
Engagement Manager 
Mesa County
Contact

Mesa County News

Community Spotlight Mesa County

Creating goals, connecting to resources, education, and encouraging self-advocacy

Hilltop Community Resource’s Family Development Program provides support to individuals and families in creating goals, connecting to resources, education, and encouraging self-advocacy. There are a few services that have a heavier focus on parenting skills or targeted case management.

Upon referral, Navigators set up an intake where they meet with the individual or family and complete an assessment to determine the support that person or family may need. This assessment highlights the strengths of the individual and/or family as well as areas to develop goals. Common goal areas are: Employment, Housing, Transportation, Food Security, Childcare, Child Education, Child Development, Parenting Skills, Social Support, Adult Education, Income/Savings/Debt Management, Health Coverage, Physical/Mental Health.

After the intake, navigators meet with the person or family, typically in the home, and lead participants in accomplishing goals that the participant has created. This might look like: creating a budget, helping with an application for a job or for an assistance program, discussing challenges with their own education or the education of their children and connecting them to appropriate resources that can help.

We receive and welcome referrals from anyone including – self-referrals, schools, doctor’s offices, case managers, and therapeutic/counseling practices.
This program comes at no cost to the participant. Grant funding is available for participants who are interested in our services, and we are also able to bill Medicaid. Our aim is to help families and individuals have well-rounded support and knowledge to be successful as they move forward in their lives. If you are interested in receiving these services or have questions please contact Kara Lind at karal@htop.org or 970-244-0452.

Welcome Our New CRN Partners in Mesa County!

Insight Medical Counseling, LLC 

Website Click Here

Blended physical/mental health practice focusing on relieving chronic pain and other chronic symptoms such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, etc.

Regions Served: State of Colorado

CRN Usage: Receives email/fax referrals

Hispanic Affairs Project

Website Click Here

The Hispanic Affairs Project (HAP) is committed to supporting immigrant communities in Western Colorado. We provide services focused on immigrant integration, including advocacy, leadership development, and essential support resources. HAP assists individuals with navigating legal, educational, and healthcare systems, and connects them with community resources to support their social and economic well-being. For referrals or more information, please contact us directly—we’re here to help empower our community and make a positive impact.

Regions Served: Mesa County, Delta, Montrose, Gunnison

CRN Usage: Receives email/fax referrals

Mesa County RSVP Handyman Project

Website Click Here

We are a volunteer organization that helps seniors contribute to their community by finding opportunities to serve. Our two in-house programs designed to directly assist clients are the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and the Handyman program.

Handyman Program:
Assistance with light home repairs, installation of mobility aids, (wheelchair ramps, grab bars), light plumbing and light electrical repair for need-based clients

SHIP:
Our SHIP program uses state-trained unbiased Medicare counselors to help enroll or advise seniors on their Medicare choices.

Regions Served: Mesa County

CRN Usage: Receives email/fax referrals

A Network Partner Organization has users in CRN and may accept electronic referrals through CRN

An Associated Partner does not have users in CRN, but accepts email/fax referrals that are sent though CRN

Delta/ Montrose/ Gunnison

Cherie Schmitz
Engagement Manager
Southwest Region
Contact

Delta/ Montrose/ Gunnison News

Community Spotlight Delta/Montrose/Gunnison Region

Providing financial certainty and confidence for everyone

Beneficent connects seniors and disabled individuals to funds that pay for the high-quality care our industry partners provide. They have 100% application success rate for the programs covering the costs of assisted living, adult day care, non-medical home care, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. They serve the whole state of Colorado.

Beneficent has been privileged to successfully assist thousands of families and individuals through asset preservation while coping with long-term care costs. They consider the trust extended to them over the last 20 plus years with their community partners and clients to be among their greatest honors.

They understand firsthand the mental, emotional, and financial toll placed on families to pay for long-term care. They also understand Senior Care Communities and Nonmedical Companies feeling overwhelmed and overloaded with the amount of people they must turn away because they don’t financially qualify for all the care they need.

At Beneficent, they enjoy providing financial certainty and confidence for everyone.

Earn CE credit! Join your industry peers to learn more about long-term care funding, common Medicaid myths, and the best next steps to help your clients get the care they need. We host online learning events, and we can custom events just for you and your team. 719-645-8350

Welcome Our New CRN Partners in Montrose/Delta/Gunnison!

Insight Medical Counseling, LLC 

Website Click Here

Blended physical/mental health practice focusing on relieving chronic pain and other chronic symptoms such as fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, etc.

Regions Served: State of Colorado

CRN Usage: Receives email/fax referrals

Hispanic Affairs Project

Website Click Here

The Hispanic Affairs Project (HAP) is committed to supporting immigrant communities in Western Colorado. We provide services focused on immigrant integration, including advocacy, leadership development, and essential support resources. HAP assists individuals with navigating legal, educational, and healthcare systems, and connects them with community resources to support their social and economic well-being. For referrals or more information, please contact us directly—we’re here to help empower our community and make a positive impact.

Regions Served: Mesa County, Delta, Montrose, Gunnison

CRN Usage: Receives email/fax referrals

A Network Partner Organization has users in CRN and may accept electronic referrals through CRN

An Associated Partner does not have users in CRN, but accepts email/fax referrals that are sent though CRN

Helpful Resources for December 2024

from the Colorado Regional Health Connector Program–> 

  • Funding Opportunities 
    • Funding (due 12/18) – The Community Prevention and Early Intervention (CPEI) Team at CDPHE  is excited to announce a mini-grant funding opportunity (between $7,000 and $10,000) for community-based organizations engaged in substance use primary prevention efforts and the promotion of healthy behaviors and positive choices. This mini-grant program is funded through American Recovery and Rescue Plan funding that is part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Substance Use Prevention and Treatment (SUPTR) Block Grant Treatment Program. This program will be managed by CPEI at CDPHE.
    • Funding (due 2/26/25) – Strategic prevention framework. The purpose of this program is to help reduce the onset and progression of substance misuse and its related problems by supporting the development and delivery of community based substance misuse and prevention and mental health promotion services.
    • Funding (applications accepted on an ongoing basis) – Hearst Foundations Health Grants. The Hearst Foundations provide grants for organizations working to address access to healthcare for high-need populations, healthcare professional shortages, evolving healthcare demands, and medical research.
    • Funding (applications accepted on an ongoing basis) – National Grassroots Organizing Program. Two-year unrestricted, general operating support grants of up to $30,000 per year, with an average grant size of $20,000 per year, to small, constituent-led grassroots organizations throughout the US and its territories.
    • Funding (applications accepted on an ongoing basis) – Economic Development Assistance. Funding to support the implementation of regional economic development, including public works projects and job creation projects. Past projects have included funding for water and wastewater projects in hospitals and healthcare facilities and road infrastructure projects that would support the expansion of healthcare facilities. Rural tribal and other underserved communities are of priority.
    • Funding (applications accepted on an ongoing basis) – Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Grants for innovative projects that are working to build health equity, ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need and all families have the opportunity to make healthier choices.

    Webinars, Trainings & Conferences

    • Training – Become a Systems Thinker – This module highlights the importance of systems thinking in public health, where challenges often involve multiple factors that influence each other. Participants will be introduced to practical tools designed to help them apply systems thinking in their work. (free)
    • Colorado Community Champion Coaching – Coaching support for organizations that work with young people, this is focused on cannabis prevention.
    • Webinar   Advancing Healthy Aging. All webinars will have live Spanish interpretation. And will be posting all of the webinars in Spanish and English on this website (https://engagement.colostate.edu/health-extension/).  Be sure to register and mark your calendars!
      • January 23, 2025: Flipping the Script on Aging with Dr. Allyson Brothers, Colorado State University
      • February 20, 2025: Strengthening Intergenerational Connections with Dr. Christine Fruhauf, Colorado State University
      • March 13, 2025: Ahead of the Curve: Advance Care Planning with Cheryl Noble, Larimer County Extension and Kat Laws, UC Health Aspen Club
      • April 17, 2025: Bridging the Digital Divide: Advancing Digital Equity for Older Adults with Dayton Romero Older Adult Technology Services & AARP Senior Planet
      • May 15, 2025: Advancing Inclusive Older Adult Programming: Success Stories from the Field panel facilitated by Ginger Williams, MHA
    • National Center for Farmworker’s Health is hosting a series of Learning Collaboratives. More information can be found here.
    • Sources of Strength is offering multiple upcoming information sessions and webinars. Details and registration information can be found on the Sources of Strength Events webpage.
    • Mark your calendar and plan to join The 2024 Colorado Food is Medicine Summit. This one-day event brings together policy and practice leaders from across the state to engage in insightful discussions and explore strategies to increase access to essential nutrition programs. Join us at The Summit and help continue this vital momentum! Registration details and cost to follow. Event Details: Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 8am-4pm, History Colorado Center
    • 2025 Colorado School of Public Health Practice-Based Learning & Career Expo! This year we will have two in-person events. One will be on Wednesday, February 26 at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the other will be on Thursday, February 27 in Fort Collins at the Colorado State University Campus. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with top talent from the Colorado School of Public Health and receive a FREE professional headshot. This expo provides a platform to showcase practicum, capstone, and job opportunities. It’s the perfect chance to recruit future public health professionals and establish relationships that can help you grow your team and advance your work in the public health sector. 🔗 Register here to reserve your space at the expo(s)!
      • In-Person CU Anschutz Medical Campus Event Details:
        📅 Date: Wednesday, February 26
        📍 Location: CU Anschutz Medical Campus, Education 2 Bridge
        Time: Expo: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM Lunch: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (Provided)
      • In-Person Fort Collins Event Details:
        📅 Date: Thursday, February 27
        📍 Location: Colorado State University, Lory Student Center, Room 386
        Time: 12:00 PM-2:00 PM (lunch provided)
      • Parking details and a code will be provided for attendees when the event gets closer.
      • 🔗 Register here to reserve your space at the expo(s)!
      • If you cannot attend in-person, but still want us to promote your opportunities please fill out this form.
      • If you have any questions please email us at Coloradosph.careers@cuanschutz.edu

    News & Resources:

    • HCPF is excited to share the Cover All Coloradans Communications Toolkit! This toolkit provides everything that advocates, and health care providers need to spread awareness, educate their neighbors, and facilitate enrollment in the program. The toolkit provides practical materials and strategies, including key messages, social media posts, flyers, outreach letters, and frequently asked questions. It is designed to help community-based organizations, health care providers, and advocates communicate clearly and consistently about the program’s benefits, eligibility requirements, and enrollment processes. By using the tools in this guide, stakeholders can ensure they are providing accurate information, addressing common concerns, and engaging communities in a culturally sensitive and effective manner. The ultimate goal is to increase awareness and participation in the Cover All Coloradans program, ensuring health care access for those who need it most. Take a look: English I Spanish can also be found on Cover All Coloradans website.
    • In honor of Indigenous People’s Month, this article and news piece covers the project that a group has been working on for the last few years. This article came out when they released their report this summer. People of the Sacred Land was highlighted on CBS news last night. Check it out! You can also review the full report on their website: https://peopleofthesacredland.org.
    • Public Health Workforce Development Resources (put together by Trailhead Institute’s workforce development team).
    • Colorado Public Health 101 – Colorado Public Health 101 will assist you in developing and maintaining your knowledge of public health in Colorado. Practicing public health professionals coordinated by the Public Health Nurse Association of Colorado (PHNAC) have worked collaboratively with the Rocky Mountain Public Health Training Center (RMPHTC) and other public health professionals from both State and Local Public Health Departments to design this online toolkit. In 2024, the course was updated in partnership with the Office of Public Health Practice, Planning & Local Partnerships. The content in this course has been curated and developed to provide a foundation in public health and act as a focused and long-term guide to public health in Colorado.
    • The November DFM Community Engagement Program Monthly Meeting presentation on the COAHEC: Colorado Area Health Education Center.  For those of you who were not able to make it, please see the link below to the meeting slides, links and resources:
    • Through HCPF’s coordinated efforts with policymakers, other state agencies, providers, and patient advocates, Colorado has prioritized continuous eligibility as a way to ensure that Medicaid members are getting timely access to the health care they need with as few barriers as possible. Legislation from 2023 – Continuous Eligibility Medical Coverage (HB23-1300) – laid the groundwork to expand Colorado’s continuous eligibility policies and also requires Colorado to design an implementation plan during 2025 to operationalize the approved amendment by January 1, 2026.
    • November newsletter for the CHW Medicaid benefit
    • 2024 issue of the AgrAbility Harvest newsletter in PDF format. A screen-reader friendly version is available at http://www.agrability.org/harvest/agrability-harvest-2024/. Topics include:
    • Hats Tell Stories
    • Finding a Way Forward: Limited Sight Doesn’t Limit Determination
    • Assistive Technology: Skid-Steer Loaders and Accessories
    • New Resources on Farm Shops, Drones, and Worksite Assessments
    • 2025 AgrAbility National Training Workshop in Los Cruces, New Mexico
    • Parent and Family Wellness Center Perinatal Wellness Check-In. The Parent and Family Wellness Center is offering free wellness check-ins to pregnant and postpartum folks throughout Colorado. These 20-30 minute video sessions with a specially-trained mental health clinician provide psychoeducation about PMADs (perinatal mood and anxiety and disorders) and help folks understand and mitigate their risk factors. During your free 1:1 video session, a clinician will help identify what stressors you may have, check-in on your relationships, and educate you about how pregnancy and postpartum can affect your mood. And if you want more support, we’ll help set that up. To schedule a session visit: parentfamilywellness.com/perinatal-check-in or email info@parentfamilywellness.com