Written by Sami Damsky, Behavioral Health Outreach Coordinator
Education and Prevention
Suicide prevention begins with education. While I do not expect everyone in our community to know everything about suicide, I DO want everyone to know about local resources and where to go for support. So often in our rural mountain community, we hear how we don’t have adequate mental health resources. We do have a shortage of trained mental health professionals in our region, and many of our community members do not receive care. While I wholeheartedly agree and wish the healthcare system wasn’t so inequitable, I think many people do not know about some of the amazing local mental health resources we do have RIGHT NOW 😊. Knowledge is power and you never know when knowing about local resources will come in handy to help yourself or someone you love.
Therapy
- FREE THERAPY! San Miguel Behavioral Health funds: If you live or work in San Miguel County you are eligible for a maximum grant of $1500 for behavioral health services – think FREE THERAPY. To apply, fill out the Good Neighbor Fund application https://tchnetwork.org/gnf-application/
- LOW OR NO COST ONLINE THERAPY! Teletherapy: FREE for students and staff at participating schools. Over 50? First 6 sessions are free! For all others, services are available for $50 per session and a super-bill is provided for clients to file with their own insurance companies. If affordability is a barrier, let Tri-County Health Network know. We are committed to providing services to our community members.
Courses
FREE COURSES! Tri-County Health Network offers numerous FREE courses. Want your whole organization trained? Great! We will work with you to schedule organization-wide training at your convenience.
- safeTALK: 4-hour workshop for individuals 15+ where community members learn how to prevent suicide by recognizing signs, engaging someone, and connecting them to an intervention resource for further support.
- Mental Health First Aid (available in English and Spanish): 8-hour adult and youth trainings to provide community members with the tools to assist individuals who may be developing a mental health disorder or are in crises get the help that they need.
- NAMI Family to Family: 8-week class for families, partners, and friends of individuals with mental illness. This course facilitates a better understanding of mental illness, increases coping skills, and empowers participants to become advocates for their family members.
Please spread the word about these local resources! Ask a friend if they knew about them and have a conversation about mental health. Learning and sharing this information helps to stop suicide. For more information about these programs, visit tchnetwork.org or call us at 970-708-7096. Our behavioral health team is happy to talk! Also check out Tri-County Health Network’s online behavioral health resource guide: tchnetworkdirectory.org.
