Profile in Support: UCHealth YVMC Foundation
Access to mental health care can be life-changing. in rural communities, it can also be incredibly hard to come by.
Long waitlists, limited provider availability, and gaps in insurance coverage often mean that people are left navigating trauma and crisis without the support they need. That reality is why partnerships matter so deeply in this work.
The UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center Foundation stepped forward at a critical moment with Community Health Benefit Fund dollars that helped expand access to mental health services for some of our community’s most vulnerable residents. Through this support, dozens of clients connected to Brighter World Child Advocacy Center and Advocates of Routt County were able to access timely, trauma-informed mental health care - often at moments when support could not wait.
This funding filled a real and immediate gap.
It reduced financial barriers, helped bridge insurance limitations, and ensured that children and survivors seeking care were not placed on long waiting lists or forced to go without services altogether. For many, it meant the difference between delayed care and meaningful progress toward healing.
What we could not have fully anticipated was how this early investment would help shape the future of how we assist clients seeking mental health access across our different programs.
What began as direct assistance became a catalyst for something much larger.
As this work unfolded, it became increasingly clear that access alone was not enough - affirming care matters. For LGBTQIA+ community members, finding a mental health provider who understands lived experience, identity, and systemic barriers is often a challenge layered on top of already limited access. With UCHealth YVMC Foundation’s initial support as a model, this insight became the catalyst for Queer Futures’ LGBTQ+ Provider Pipeline.
Today, many Queer Futures clients have been able to access mental health services through this growing opportunity, connecting with LGBTQ+-identified therapists in ways that prioritize safety, trust, and dignity. What began as direct assistance evolved into a proof of concept - demonstrating both the need for and the impact of identity-affirming mental health care.
That momentum has since drawn in additional partners and funders, alongside collaboration with the Health Partnership Serving Northwest Colorado. While the majority of current funding continues to support direct mental health services - based on client need and ability to pay - the scope of this work is expanding. We are now building pathways to additional forms of affirming care, particularly for gender-expansive clients, reflecting a more holistic and responsive continuum of support.
None of this would be possible without Yampa Valley Medical Center Foundation’s willingness to invest early, thoughtfully, and with an eye toward equity.
UCHealth YVMC Foundation’s support didn’t just fund services…
it helped reshape what access to care can look like in our region.
We are deeply grateful for their partnership, leadership, and trust. Their commitment continues to strengthen the mental health landscape across Northwest Colorado, creating pathways to care that are more accessible, more affirming, and ultimately, more human.
