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Comitis Crisis Center shifts to family‑only shelter model; county aid funds support operations
Summary
Mile High Behavioral Health’s Comitis Crisis Center told commissioners it has transitioned from serving single adults to operating as a family shelter, reporting increased permanency placements and service changes after a major funding cut from the City of Aurora.
Comitis Crisis Center staff told the Board of County Commissioners that the shelter has transitioned from a mixed adult population to an exclusively family shelter to meet rising local demand for family‑centered services and to improve outcomes for children.
Anna Miller, speaking for Comitis and Mile High Behavioral Health, said the center — operating for more than 60 years and run by Mile High for about 18 years — closed for roughly three weeks to renovate the building for families, replaced play equipment, painted child‑friendly murals and reconfigured rooms. Miller said the center now serves only families with children under 18 (kinship arrangements and LGBTQ families included) while two specialized programs continue to serve single adults: a Veterans program and an Opportunity for Recovery program.
Miller said the family model has allowed case managers to focus on housing placement and supportive services rather than daily crisis management. She reported several program results: every child at the shelter was enrolled in school, the center served more than 40,000 meals in 2024, and staff have seen an increase in permanent housing placements compared with previous years. Miller described the average length of stay at roughly 90 days, with some guests staying as little as two weeks and some longer than a year.
Commissioners asked about intake data, residency and voter registration, and whether the shelter captures prior county of residence; staff said intake collects prior location when possible but many clients lack a stable home county. Commissioners also asked about alternative resources for single adults; staff said Advanced Pathways was awarded a contract to provide shelter for singles and that Comitis coordinates with that provider. Commissioners discussed the program’s recent funding challenge: staff said City of Aurora support was cut by more than $1 million (county staff described it as “closer to $1,500,000”), affecting Comitis and associated Colfax Community Network operations and prompting intensified fundraising and donor outreach.
Ending: County staff thanked Comitis for the update; commissioners encouraged tracking of outcomes and offered to receive further follow‑up information about client origins, voter‑registration outreach opportunities and the shelter’s fundraising and staffing plans.
