For a list of career opportunities at Colorado West , click here.
OUR VISION
We envision health and wellness in our communities.
OUR MISSION
To create access to quality mental health and substance abuse services, enhancing recovery and resilience.
OUR VALUES
- Strength created through local Partnerships with Collaboration & Education
- Integrity and Accountability in all we do
- Outcomes-driven
- Leadership in Physical and Behavioral health care Integration
- Responsible Financial Stewardship
In 1970 the western slope town of Granby was rocked by 4 suicides within a very short period. Citizens and professionals decided that no more time could be lost in getting resources to vulnerable individuals, and Colorado West was born.
A private, not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation, we first opened our doors in 1972, primarily funded federally by the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) for the first 8 years until fiscal support for mental health shifted largely to individual states.
Today, we are dependent on revenue from client fees & insurance, federal & state contracts, foundation & corporate grants and the generosity of people like you.
We provide mental health wellness, crisis and substance abuse services to a 23,000 square mile area in northwestern Colorado, from the Continental Divide to the Utah State border, with offices in 13 cities and towns along the western slope. We also have the only psychiatric hospital on the western slope.
2005 was a landmark year as the Colorado West TeleHealth Network expanded to reach our entire 10-county area and the psychiatric hospital opened its doors in reaction to psychiatric units in Grand Junction, Durango and Montrose closing. With Colorado currently ranked last among states with regard to the number of psychiatric beds per population, we responded to the needs of our citizens and communities. Although based in Grand Junction, the Hospital serves the needs of the entire state.
CW’s mission always has been to provide high quality, professional mental health care and service. Headed for many years by Executive Director Ken Stein, Ph.D., CW evolved after the arrival in 2008 of President and CEO Sharon Raggio LMFT, LPC, MBA, to include an emphasis on accessibility and engagement in treatment.
Under Raggio’s tenure, in concert with CFO Bonnie Wasli, Colorado West settled a $10 million debt, reorganized our board and governance structure, improved corporate compliance and significantly upgraded the quality of treatment.
Today, CW is ranked #1 in Colorado for our effectiveness in reducing symptoms and our ability to nurture clients through successful treatment completion. Our Same Day Access Program ensures individuals receive care the day they seek it. The hospital is no longer just a crisis stabilization center but offers full therapy modalities for an array of behavioral and mental health disorders.
And for the future? While always striving to improve quality of services across the board we are focusing on our Mobile Services and Integrated Care, with plans to be in more locations with more convenience for you. Please know you can count on us when you need us.