The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County had the distinct pleasure of spending time with Mental Health Partners this week to meet their new chief executive and learn about their expanded mission.
The group has undergone several recent, major changes, with a continued mission of serving the growing needs of Boulder and Broomfield Counties’ residents with mental health conditions. The organization estimates that out of the 360,000 residents in both counties, more than 60,000 have some form of mental illness. Mental Health Partners serves about 35,000 people every year.
While that’s a large client and patient population, Chief Philanthropy Officer Bill Myers points out that every individual has unique needs. One may need skill or job training and help scheduling his medications, another may need emergency crisis care.
New Chief Executive Officer Kelly E. Phillips-Henry took the helm of the organization in January 2015. The organization has started a campaign to raise $4.5 million over the next three years: It would allow it to serve an additional 3,000 of our neighbors by 2018.
In addition to counseling, substance abuse treatment and other traditional mental health services, Mental Health Partners embarks on integrated, “whole person” care: Dental services and primary physical care, for instance. They have a new wellness center, renamed the Ryan Wellness Center after retired CEO Barbara Ryan. The nonprofit has art classes, a commercial-style kitchen called Chinook Cooks for burgeoning cooks, and a computer center for other job skills training.
In addition, in December 2014, Mental Health Partners just opened a 24/7 walk-in crisis center at the west entrance of its wellness center, 1000 Alpine Ave., Boulder. It’s part of a new statewide effort to care for those in crisis when they need it most.
Mental Health Partners is an important community asset, providing critical, compassionate care. For more information, call 303-443-8500 or go to www.mhpcolorado.org.
