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Gilpin County to apply for Attorney General’s Youth Mental Health and Well-being Challenge Grant
Summary
County staff will submit a no-match grant application to the Colorado Office of the Attorney General to extend youth mental-health, substance-prevention and enrichment programming; the board authorized submission with a 3-0 vote and staff said the application requires a school-district MOU.
The Gilpin County Board of Commissioners authorized staff to submit an application to the Colorado Office of the Attorney General for the Youth Mental Health and Well-being Challenge Grant, a no-match grant the county expects could extend current youth programming for two additional years.
Presentation and grant rationale
Jamie Boyle, the county’s grants manager, and youth program staff described the application and how it aligns with existing substance-prevention and youth engagement programming now partly funded through the Substance Abuse Prevention Grant (SAPG). Boyle said the SAPG funding is scheduled to end in mid-2026; the challenge grant would provide two additional years of support with a one-year overlap to allow a phase-in. The grant requires a memorandum of understanding with a school district; county staff said the Gilpin County School District (RE-1) has already reviewed a draft MOU and is prepared to sign, and the county legal team reviewed the draft as well.
Program details and partners
Youth program supervisor Jacob Rippey reported active youth participation: 44 registered teens in the program and an average attendance roughly consistent with eight participants per month (program staff offered quarterly figures to funders). Staff said programs include skills and peer-support activities, field trips (including coordination with regional partners such as Copper Mountain Resort and Teens, Inc. in Nederland) and summer programming. Grants manager Boyle said the Attorney General’s program is funded from structured settlements tied to youth-vaping and related prevention initiatives and can support prevention, outreach and well-being programming targeted at youth. County staff noted they plan outreach to students who attend schools in neighboring districts as well to ensure broad access for Gilpin County residents.
Timing and next steps
Staff told the board the grant application deadline was immediate; county staff sought and received the board’s authorization to submit the application. The board voted 3-0 to adopt resolution 25-005, authorizing submission of the grant application. Staff will notify the board if the county is awarded the grant and will return with the final MOU and any required implementation details.
Ending
If awarded, the grant would sustain youth programming and prevention services used by Gilpin County children and teens while county staff pursue other funding cycles. Staff said they will continue outreach to additional school districts as part of the application and program planning process.
