GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) — Mental and behavioral health was a major focus for Mesa County Public Health in 2025, according to its 2025 Impact Report.
The county health department launched a new behavioral health division in July and targeted different areas to help residents access resources.
To help address mental health, the county health department held a coordinated behavioral health summit early in the year.
“We brought some key leaders in our community to talk about some of the closures happening in our community and what collectively can we do together,” said Jennifer Daniels, behavioral health division director for Mesa County Public Health.
Summit identifies key focus areas
The summit highlighted some key areas to focus on, including crisis stabilization, local and regional infrastructure expansion, sustainable funding and workforce retention.
In July, the department launched its behavioral health division and rolled out the “Find the Right Fit” campaign, an online platform to help people find the care that’s right for them. Since then, the campaign has managed to get nearly 100,000 impressions on social media.
“The mental health system sometimes feels overwhelming, and many people don’t know how to access that system. And there’s a lot of negative narratives that come with accessing that system.” Daniels said.
Officials with the department think they can keep the momentum from last year going forward.
“Last year we learned a lot, to gather the folks, the key leaders in our community, whether they are at the top of their agency or they’re boots on the ground, everybody has a voice at the table,” Daniels said.
Public health officials say there are still some things from last year’s summit that they want to put into action in the future.
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