ENGLEWOOD, CO (June 1, 2020) — AllHealth Network, a nonprofit organization that has been providing mental health and substance use treatment to the South Denver metro area communities since 1955, was recently awarded $12,500 of grant funding by the Colorado COVID Relief Fund to help support high risk homeless individuals in Arapahoe County with severe mental illness who are involved in the criminal justice system. Funds will be used to provide hotel vouchers to up to 25 individuals during the coronavirus pandemic. AllHealth Network’s mission is to support the quality of life in our community through compassionate, integrated behavioral health services and to be a mental health supporter and resource for all impacted by the pandemic.
“Our AllHealth Network team is here to serve the individuals, families and children in our communities who need us the most right now,” said Dr. Cynthia Grant, chief clinical officer of AllHealth Network. “This grant will help us to reach individuals who have been impacted by this pandemic but who don’t have access to the housing support they need due to their mental illness.”
AllHealth Network partnered with the Solutions for Achieving Fast, Effective Response (SAFER) Fund, a community initiative in Arapahoe County that works in partnership with the South Metro Fire Department. SAFER aims to address the needs of the community’s most vulnerable individuals released homeless from institutions. More than 10,000 people experience homelessness in Colorado, many of which suffer from severe physical and mental illness. For South Metro Fire and Rescue, homelessness is not just a public safety issue, but also a public health issue. Too often individuals with mental health disorders are released from institutions homeless and as a result disproportionately utilize significant resources in the form of emergency room visits, diverting first responders’ time and resources from critical calls. This is even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. South Metro strongly supports and partners with SAFER because without assistance and support, vulnerable individuals are unable to stop the cycle of homelessness and institutionalization and can’t follow public health guidelines to help stop the transmission of COVID-19.
In order to address these increased behavioral health needs, the Colorado COVID Relief Fund, led by an executive committee in coordination with the Governor’s Office, was developed to raise and coordinate allocation of funds based on COVID-19 prevention, impact and recovery needs of community-based organizations in Colorado. The Fund is organized to ensure that the most acute community needs across the state are being addressed and that community voice is reflected in all funding decisions made over time.
About AllHealth Network
AllHealth Network is a compassionate provider of mental health and substance use treatment, offering a full array of clinical services at 11 locations throughout the South Denver metro area. With over 200 clinical providers and more than 25 psychiatrists and nurse practitioners, AllHealth Network offers services from a caring team of clinicians who create personalized treatment plans to help clients thrive. For more information visit https://www.allhealthnetwork.org/.
