NEWSLETTERS
SUBSCRIBE
Colorado Politics

Print Edition

Log in
My Account
Log in
Subscribe
My Account
Log in

Denver considers $1 million contract for homeless mental health services

By 06/09/2024 | updated 1 year ago

The Denver City Council on Monday will consider a $1 million contract with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless to provide more behavioral health service staffing at its multiple permanent supportive housing sites.

This is the council’s first contract since January involving Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, one of metro Denver’s largest nonprofits serving homeless people through housing opportunities.

The city’s proposal on Monday’s agenda reads the money will “address gaps in behavioral health services with additional staff, a technology update, and staff training.”

(function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:11095963150525286,size:[0, 0],id:”ld-2426-4417″});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src=”//cdn2.lockerdomecdn.com/_js/ajs.js”;j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,”script”,”ld-ajs”);

City funding provides “strengths-based case management with two case managers to formerly homeless individuals with disabilities, including substance and significant primary and mental health care needs at Riverfront Lofts and Upton Lofts Permanent Supportive Housing communities,” the coalition’s proposed contract with Denver said.

#dsk-box-ad-e.new-ad-loading [id*=”-outstream-icon”] {display: none !important;}[id*=”-outstream-icon”],[id*=”-outstream-icon”] > img {width: 24px;height: 24px;display: block;cursor: pointer !important;font-size: 24px !important;line-height: 1 !important;max-width: unset !important;vertical-align: unset !important;box-shadow: unset !important;}[id*=”-outstream-icon”]:hover {filter: drop-shadow(black 0px 0px 6px);}#bottom-controls_videoPlayer_3382 {position: absolute;bottom: 5px;left: 5px;display: grid;grid-template-columns: 24px 24px;}#tpd-volume-control_videoPlayer_3382.muted > #volume-on-outstream-icon_videoPlayer_3382,#tpd-volume-control_videoPlayer_3382:not(.muted) > #volume-muted-outstream-icon_videoPlayer_3382 {display: none;}#tpd-play-pause-control_videoPlayer_3382[playing=”true”] > #click-to-play-outstream-icon,#tpd-play-pause-control_videoPlayer_3382[playing=”false”] > #click-to-pause-outstream-icon {display: none;}@media (max-width: 770px) { #dsk-box-ad-e.new-ad-loading iframe[src],#dsk-box-ad-e.new-ad-loading video {display: none !important;} } #dsk-box-ad-e.new-ad-loading #ad-container_videoPlayer_3382 {background: #5a585830 !important;mask: linear-gradient(315deg, #000 30%, #88888855, #000 70%) right / 350% 100%;animation: tpd-shimmer 1.15s infinite;}@keyframes tpd-shimmer {100% {mask-position: left}}#dsk-box-ad-e:not(.new-ad-loading) {background: black;}#dsk-box-ad-e {opacity: 1;animation-name: fadeInOpacity;animation-iteration-count: 1;animation-timing-function: ease-in;animation-duration: 0.75s;}@keyframes fadeInOpacity {0% {opacity: 0;}100% {opacity: 1;}}#dsk-box-ad-e.new-ad-loading #progress-row_videoPlayer_3382,#dsk-box-ad-e.has-countdown #progress-row_videoPlayer_3382 {display: none;}#progress-row_videoPlayer_3382 {width: 100%;display: block;bottom: 0px;position: absolute;}#dsk-box-ad-e.new-ad-loading #progressLabel-container_videoPlayer_3382 {display: none;}@media (max-width: 770px) { #progressLabel-container_videoPlayer_3382 {display: none;} } #dsk-box-ad-e.has-countdown #progressLabel-container_videoPlayer_3382 {display: none;}#progressLabel-container_videoPlayer_3382 {width: 300px;position: absolute;bottom: 15px;height: 0px;}#progressLabel_videoPlayer_3382 {color: white;font-size: 7pt;font-family: Arial, Sans-Serif;text-align: center;width: fit-content;height: 5px;margin: auto;}#progressBar_videoPlayer_3382 {width: 300px;height: 3px;background-color: lightgray;}#progress_videoPlayer_3382 {height: 100%;background-color: cornflowerblue;width: 0;}#dsk-box-ad-e:not(.replay) #replay-outstream-container_videoPlayer_3382 {display: none !important;}#dsk-box-ad-e.replay #replay-outstream-container_videoPlayer_3382 {display: flex;height: 100%;width: 100%;z-index: 99;position: relative;background: black;}#dsk-box-ad-e.replay #replay-outstream-icon_videoPlayer_3382 {width: 30px;height: 30px;margin: auto;position: relative;background-image: url(‘data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg fill=”white” height=”30px” width=”30px” xmlns=”https://www.w3.org/2000/svg” viewBox=”0 0 74.999 74.999″ xml:space=”preserve” stroke=”black”%3E%3Cpath d=”M33.511 71.013c15.487 0 28.551-10.563 32.375-24.859h9.113L61.055 22 47.111 46.151h8.006c-3.44 8.563-11.826 14.628-21.605 14.628-12.837 0-23.28-10.443-23.28-23.28 0-12.836 10.443-23.28 23.28-23.28 6.604 0 12.566 2.768 16.809 7.196l5.258-9.108c-5.898-5.176-13.619-8.32-22.065-8.32C15.034 3.987 0 19.019 0 37.5c-.002 18.481 15.03 33.513 33.511 33.513z”/%3E%3C/svg%3E’);}#dsk-box-ad-e.replay #bottom-controls_videoPlayer_3382_videoPlayer_3382,#dsk-box-ad-e.replay [id*=”-outstream-icon”]:not([id^=”replay-outstream-icon”]) {display: none !important;}#dsk-box-ad-e.replay #video-container_videoPlayer_3382 {display: none !important;}#dsk-box-ad-e {margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;}/* Main Styling */#dsk-box-ad-e.first-render {display: none !important;}#page-content_videoPlayer_3382 {display: inline-block;}#video-container_videoPlayer_3382 {position: relative;}#video-element_videoPlayer_3382 {position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;}/* Some providers inject their ad content into the video element *//* but if not we hide it. */#video-element_videoPlayer_3382:not([src]) {display: none;}#ad-container_videoPlayer_3382 {position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;cursor: pointer;}#dsk-box-ad-e,#page-content_videoPlayer_3382,#video-container_videoPlayer_3382,#video-element_videoPlayer_3382,#ad-container_videoPlayer_3382 {width: 300px;height: 250px;}#dsk-box-ad-e div[id*=”google_ads_iframe_”] {width: 300px !important;height: 250px !important;z-index: -1;position: absolute;}

Pause
Play
Unmute
Mute
Advertisement: 14 sec

The staffing is needed at the coalition’s permanent housing sites, not within Mayor Mike Johnston’s temporary, transitional housing program sites that brought homeless people inside straight from the streets. Homeless people either stay long term in temporary sites, go back to the streets, or transition into permanent housing opportunities.

So far, 497 homeless people, out of 1,564 moved indoors, have transitioned from temporary housing into permanent housing, according to the city’s homeless housing dashboard, which adds 45 of those homeless people transitioned straight from the streets into permanent housing.

Some “mental health first” critics argue homeless people aren’t getting enough mental health services in housing programs.

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless serves an estimated 300 permanent housing “clients” per year, and plans to train 150 staff per year, according to the nonprofits contact.

The training consists of “Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges and emergencies among clients,” the contract said.

City funding, if approved, also provides medical and nursing support at the Stout Street Recuperative Care Center and group counseling, according to the coalition’s contract.

In other action Monday, the council will consider:

  • A $1.5 million contract with United Airlines for the company to be the exclusive marketing partner under the “airline category” at venues and locations citywide.
  • A $2.35 million purchase agreement with Globeville Redevelopment Partners, LLC for an affordable housing project at 4964 N. Pearl St. and 624 E. 50th St. The residential development will feature at least 170 units and open up space for the new Globeville Branch Denver Public Library.
  • A $1.7 million grant agreement with the Colorado Office of the Governor for the “Governor’s Education Relief” program supporting summer youth employment, summer Pop-Up events for youth and families, Denver Parks and Recreation’s Night Moves program and tutoring support at comprehensive youth serving organizations.
  • A $844,851 federal grant agreement for the “High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area” program. Funding assists the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program initiative enforcing high drug trafficking areas.
(function(){ var script = document.createElement(‘script’); script.async = true; script.type = ‘text/javascript’; script.src = ‘https://ads.pubmatic.com/AdServer/js/userSync.js’; script.onload = function(){ PubMaticSync.sync({ pubId: 163198, url: ‘https://trk.decide.dev/usync?dpid=16539124085471338&uid=(PM_UID)’, macro: ‘(PM_UID)’ }); }; var node = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0]; node.parentNode.insertBefore(script, node); })();

(function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:11095961405694822,size:[0, 0],id:”ld-5817-6791″});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src=”//cdn2.lockerdomecdn.com/_js/ajs.js”;j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,”script”,”ld-ajs”);

Avatar photo
Noah Festenstein

Reporter

PREV

PREVIOUS

Aurora council to vote on 'tough love' homeless approach, domestic violence case handling

Aurora councilmembers will address several awaited issues in Monday’s study session and council meeting.  That includes a proposed “tough love” approach to homelessness, a proposal to remove domestic violence cases from municipal court, an ordinance changing the makeup and term limits of the Aurora Housing Authority and a proposal to increase the number of dogs […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Pro-Palestinian protesters block Pride Parade in Denver

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the Pride Parade in Denver on Sunday morning, and one activist was arrested for assault after spitting on an officer. Chanting “No pride in genocide” and saying “Pride started as a riot,” the pro-Palestinian activists occupied the middle of the street near the intersection of Franklin Street and Colfax Avenue in […]
Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests