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Behavioral health strategic plan recommends county-led backbone; facilitator to be hired under 3-year term
Summary
Consultants delivered an 80‑page behavioral health strategic plan recommending a county‑led governance and funding alignment, a term‑limited behavioral health facilitator position (funded three years), and a set of six goals covering governance, funding coordination, navigation, continuum expansion, access and workforce.
Pitkin County and partner agencies presented a behavioral health strategic plan that recommends a county‑led backbone structure to coordinate funding, governance and implementation and proposes hiring a term‑limited behavioral health facilitator to run implementation.
Consultants SHG Advisors described a mixed‑methods process of partner meetings, interviews and focus groups and produced a detailed plan of goals, implementation tactics and recommended governance. "SHG advisors did a comprehensive mixed methods approach to the plan," the presentation noted.
Key recommendations include forming an advisory group and work groups, aligning and coordinating funders, building a community‑wide resource navigation system, expanding alternatives to inpatient care, improving access to services (including incentives to accept commercial insurance and exploring reciprocal licensure), and strengthening the behavioral health workforce and peer support networks.
Staff said the facilitator would be a full‑time, three‑year term‑limited position funded by a group of local funders; the department plans to transition an existing term‑limited data analyst role into a facilitator role with no net FTE increase. Jordana and Jenny Constable, manager of planning, education and partnerships, said funders have committed to three years of support and that the facilitator will focus on convening partners, supporting work groups and public reporting.
No formal board vote to adopt the behavioral health plan was taken at the meeting; the board asked for regular monitoring and reporting on implementation and outcomes. Staff said they will launch a public landing page for plan materials and proceed to recruit a facilitator pending budget approval.
