Food Coalition for Archuleta County Colorado
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  • Home
  • What we do
    • Health Equity
    • Nutrition Security
    • Community Cohesion
    • About Us
  • Donate
  • Events & Happenings
    • Archuleta Health Fair and Expo
    • Kids in the Mountain Garden
    • Food Drive
    • Archuleta Food Summit
    • Chef on Wheels - Food Demos
  • Resources
    • Food Pantry Network
    • Food Production Booklet
    • Community Produce Donations
    • Local Food Producers
    • Primary Health Care Access
    • CLAC En Espanol
    • NS|HE Assessment
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer with Us
    • Youth Engagement
  • News
Mental & Behavioral Health

​Events & Resources
This page provides an overview of capacity building opportunities for our local healthcare workforce and community members, shares information on opportunities for academic training related to mental and behavioral health, and provides links to community resources. To learn more about each section, please scroll down the page. 

Capacity Building Opportunities

The Continuum of Professional Cultural Competency in Mental Health
Monday, April 7, 2025 (5:00 - 7:00 pm) Professional Training for Health Care Providers and Staff
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 (5:00 - 8:00 pm) for Community
Jose Canaca, MD
Cost: Free

​Training Overview: We all strive for healthy communities and work diligently to achieve our health goals. Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. To attain this state, it is essential to collaborate as a team that includes healthcare providers and the community, each bringing their unique perspectives and cultural backgrounds.  Effectively working with individuals from diverse cultures requires a commitment to a continuum of intercultural development. This process demands lifelong self-reflection, the recognition of personal biases, and an understanding of the various cultural, linguistic, and social contexts of others. Archuleta County is rich in culture, particularly through the contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. Rather than viewing cultural competence as a fixed goal, cultural humility invites providers to see each patient as an individual shaped by unique experiences, including their heritage, migration journeys, socioeconomic status, and family dynamics.  This approach emphasizes the importance of actively listening to patients, valuing their cultural knowledge, and fostering collaborative relationships that honor their cultural traditions and preferences. By practicing cultural humility, providers can build trust, reduce health disparities, and improve the quality of care for Latino individuals facing mental health challenges.  There are numerous barriers preventing our Hispanic and Latino community from discussing mental health openly. This community experiences significant suffering, compounded by a persistent stigma surrounding the pursuit of help. Let us come together to share our knowledge and experiences. After all, “There is no health without mental health” (WHO).
Dr. Jose A. Canaca is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of New Mexico (UNM). He currently serves as the director of the rural psychiatry program and the medical director of the telehealth program within the Division of Community Behavioral Health.  With many years of experience working in rural communities in both Latin America, where he grew up, and New Mexico, where he moved nearly two decades ago, Dr. Canaca has dedicated his career to serving vulnerable populations, including Native Americans, Hispanic/Latino communities, and recent immigrants. He oversees cultural psychiatry lectures for UNM residents, emphasizing the importance of applying cultural sensitivity in their interactions with patients.  In recent years, he has also collaborated with the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America (COMISCA) as a co-director and lecturer in an ECHO program focused on mental health. ​

Community Interpretation Training
September 19th, 20th, 26th and 27th. 
Participants must commit to attending all four days
Offered by Community Language Cooperative (CLC)
Contact Healthy Archuleta for the Location

Cost: FREE
Please note, 15 registrants are needed for this session to be offered.  Although registration closes on 8/22, we would appreciate if you register as soon as possible. Also, please get the word out to other bilingual folks.
Learning Session Overview: Bilingualism is a powerful asset that should be fostered and nurtured but never exploited within organizations. The Community Interpreter training is offered for community members who are fully bilingual/multilingual and are interested in using their skills to dismantle linguistic oppression in their communities.  
Session Topics include:
  • Connecting to Our Stories and the importance of heart languages
  • The Community Interpreter
  • Interpreting Ethics
  • Interpreting Techniques
  • Intersectionality
  • Interpreter Care
  • Initial steps for freelancing, forming a network, coop, or institutionalizing language justice within your organization.
​Space is limited please register as soon as possible.
The Community Language Cooperative (CLC) provides language and community engagement services to ensure inclusion and accessibility to linguistically diverse communities. The Cooperative offers services that broaden participation opportunities and increase community engagement by non-English speakers.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) Training
May 9 & June 13 (9 am - 4 pm)
We’ve partnered with Authentic Solutions to offer a training for our team in this therapy tactic from 9am to 4pm. Contact us if you’re interested in joining.
Training 1 Goals (Learning)
  • Introduction to MI
  • Understanding the Stages of Change
  • Four Fundamental Processes of MI
  • Understanding and working with Sustain Talk
  • Strengthening Change Talk
Training 2 Goals  (Practice)
  • How to use your OARS 
  • How to strengthen Change Talk
  • Creating a Plan​
Stacey Foss, co-owner of Authentic Solution and a counselor, will conduct the training modules. She is an experienced instructor of Motivational Interviewing (MI) courses and is approved to teach the two MI competency courses required for the state's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) certification. Stacey is a Licensed Addiction Counselor and Approved Domestic Violence Treatment Provider. She has worked in the field of Behavioral Health for over 29 years. She is involved in the ongoing discussions about what is needed for other certifications in the state. 

Community Health Work Training
Patient Navigation & Community Health Worker Training (PNCT) offers a full curriculum for patient navigators, care coordinators and community health workers. Start your career as a community health worker (CHW) or learn new skills. The course can be taken in-person or vitualy and prepares students to take the Colorado Health Navigation Competency Assessment and become registered with the state once they pass the assessment. To learn more about the training please visit PNCT's website, https://patientnavigatortraining.org/

QPR/Suicide Prevention Training
"The Jefferson Center provides a 90-minute gatekeeper training program, customizable for various audiences, focused on suicide prevention. QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer, representing three accessible steps anyone can learn to intervene in a suicide crisis. Much like CPR, QPR training equips individuals to recognize suicide warning signs and to question, persuade, and refer those at risk to help. Upon completion of the training, participants will learn to: recognize the warning signs of suicide, offer hope to individuals in crisis, and know how to refer them to resources and potentially save a life."
"The training was concise, informative, and provided opportunities for interaction and discussion between participants and the instructor. I would highly recommend this training to any professional or community member who has children with Mental Health needs or work with community members directly." From a Team Member
To learn more about this training and register for an upcoming session, visist the Jefferson Center's website at ​https://www.jcmh.org/qpr-suicide-prevention-gatekeeper-training/

Lay Counselor Academy Training
Lay counselors are trained professionals who provide crucial mental health support without traditional clinical licenses. They offer empathic care, bridging the gap in mental health services. The Lay Counselor Academy is a 14 week intensive course the equips individuals with practical mental health couseling skills. To learn more about the program please visit the Lay Counselor Academy's website at https://www.emorrisonconsulting.com/services/lay-counselor-training-academy/

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training provides an opportunity to learn about mental health and acquire crisis intervention skills, joining over one million Americans who have taken this step to reduce stigma. MHFA teaches participants to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use disorders, building confidence to help those in crisis. This training is open to all who wish to improve community well-being, including neighbors, parents, friends, veterans, first responders, people in recovery, and community leaders.
The Jefferson Center offers the following MHFA courses:
  • Adult Mental Health First Aid: Includes a two-hour self-paced online module and a six-hour live, interactive Zoom session led by Certified Instructors (webcam and microphone required).
  • Virtual Youth Mental Health First Aid: Focuses on risk factors and warning signs of adolescent mental health problems, designed for adults working with youth aged 12-18.
  • Mental Health First Aid for Veterans: Addresses military culture and its relation to mental health, examines specific risk factors faced by service members and families, and offers an action plan and resource connections.
To learn more about these courses and sign up for an upcoming session, please visit the Jefferson Center's webiste at ​https://www.jcmh.org/mental-health-first-aid/

Community Health Empowerment (CHE) Training
​Community Health Empowerment is a community based health and wellness program that aims to increase health literacy among participants. The program focuses on sleep, nutrition, physical activity, and mental wellness. Participants learn together through modules on each topic and create a supportive community space to empower them to make changes related to these topics. 

Academic Training 

The following information was collated and shared with Healthy Archuleta by Bianca Gonzalez-De La Rosa, MSW
Researcher- OMNI Institute as part of the Colorado Trust Technical Support. 
Many counseling programs require students to complete an internship or practicum. This maybe an effective recruitment strategy. The information below includes contact information for field placement departments, which maybe useful. It also includes information for career centers and main departmental contacts.
LatinX Therapist Project
An organization created and run by Latinx therapists on a mission to increase mental health care providers serving the Latinx Spanish speaking community and empowering our next generation of Latinx therapist. They have a specific recruitment program for orgs. 
[email protected]

University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work Latinx Certificate Program
The LatinX certificate is part of the Graduate School of Social Work. Eligible students  complete Spanish based internship and some social work courses in Spanish. 
Miriam ([email protected]) leads the certificate. 

Servicios de La Raza
Servicios de La Raza has a graduate level internship mental health program. 
Vera ([email protected]) is the internship coordinator

Metropolitan State University of Denver
The Career Link is a platform to recruit students
[email protected] and [email protected] can help answer questions about connecting students to the field. They navigate the health and wellness programs at the university.
Master of Science in Clinical Behavioral Health is a new graduate level program with a focus on substance use counseling. They are looking for internship host sites. The program is a hybrid model.
  • Graduate Internship Site Approval Application
  • [email protected]

University of Colorado
CU Denver has the Handshake platform to post jobs for alumni. 
https://www.ucdenver.edu/lynxconnect/hire-a-lynx
[email protected] supports connecting alumni with jobs. To become a featured employer, call 303.315.7319

Adams State
Internship program for their clinical mental health counseling program. This is an online program.
https://www.adams.edu/students/career-services/diversity-resources/
[email protected] Their specific diversity focused hiring can be reached at 719-587-8300

Colorado State University Pueblo
Graduate level social work program places students in field placements were employment could potentially be counted. 
https://www.csupueblo.edu/social-work/field-practicum.html
Steven is the main contact for placements [email protected]

Fort Lewis College
They have a combined BSW and MSW program with partnership through DU. Alumni recruitment can be done through Handshake
https://fortlewis.joinhandshake.com/login
[email protected]

Community Resourcs

Primary Health Care Access
For information on local primary care resources, please request our brochure and check out the Primary Health Care Access page on our website.
Food Pantry Services in Archuleta County
Learn more about the seven food pantries, their hours, and locations on our website.
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CLAC En Español Resource Fair
February 25
5 pm to 7 pm
Community United Methodist Church 
To ensure our Spanish-speaking community is aware of the resources available to them, we're hosting a resource fair.

Who is Healthy Archuleta?
On September 10, 2021 Healthy Archuleta, Inc. was established as a non-profit corporation in the State of Colorado. Healthy Archuleta is dedicated to advancing food production, health and community wellness through food/nutrition resource assistance, educational programs, advocacy, systems work, and promoting community-driven solutions that lead to a healthier Archuleta.
Capacity building Resources
Health Equity
Nutrition Security
Community Cohesion

Acknowledgments

Contact Us
Physical Address: 80 CR 600, Pagosa Springs, CO  81147 
Mailing Address: PO Box 3995, Pagosa Springs CO, 81147

​401-206-4579 | ​[email protected]
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