This year the Yampa Valley has suffered 18 suicide losses. This number far exceeds the losses the Yampa Valley has experienced in at least 20 years. This crisis has no boundaries as it affects all of us.

Whether a person is suffering from stressors from mental health, addiction, medical needs, financial burden or other concerns, the need for immediate action and resources is critical.

For Zack Alexander, Joshua Haddock, Chresta Brinkman, Brian Fleming, Mindy Marriot and Anna Allsberry of REPS, and Valery and Mike Lozano of Warhorse Ranch, it was time for immediate action. The group’s first goal was to create the Mental Health Minute and the Yampa Valley Safety Net (YVSN.org) with a mission to save lives. 

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Creating the Mental Health Minute is part of collaborative efforts from various organizations and members of the community in which our goal is to meet struggling community members where they are at in their struggles rather than letting challenges grow bigger which can exacerbate mental health symptoms, especially if mental health issues are already present. 

The Mental Health Minute will provide a link to the YVSN.org website (Yampa Valley Safety Net) which will be a central location for people to obtain resources (mental health, addiction and other needs) in various areas.

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For instance, if someone is looking for assistance in paying a utility bill, they will see a heading for utility bills or the like, that will list organizations, grants, churches, etc. that can help out. If someone is looking for youth resources, then they would find all of that under that heading.

We will have a Veterans heading that would list the mental health providers that take Tricare — as there are less than 5 — as well as info on the caregiver program, ChampVa, etc. In addition to these resources, we will keep the community in the loop as to how the mental health crisis is improving or worsening. 

The Mental Health Minute will also provide information to the public such as how to create a safety plan for someone who is concerned about a loved one’s mental health safety and how to help them. Another topic could be informing how 988 can be used by family and friends that are concerned about a loved one, and is not restricted to the individual in crisis. 

This mental health initiative is fueled by a group of us that want to shed light to the unfortunate suicide losses we have suffered in the Yampa Valley.

There seems to be this very unhealthy “smoke effect” that is covering the Yampa Valley as to the severe mental health crisis we are experiencing. This crisis is not new, but these rising numbers are.

The smoke needs to be cleared and the reality of this crisis needs to be discussed often. We as a community need to lift each other up, and we need to check on each other often, especially during the holidays.

We are all human beings, so loving, supporting and checking in on each other should be second nature. 

For some reason this is not happening and our community members are feeling hopeless. For some reason, we are focusing efforts and financial support in other avenues unrelated to helping community members who are feeling hopeless.

We can change that by showing others that struggling is okay, and asking for help is okay.

There is nothing shameful about it. 

Since last Thursday, Warhorse Ranch has been running public service announcements for not only mental health awareness, but also discussing many resources that are available to individuals who are struggling.

Since these simple PSAs have been running, many people have reached out in favor of these messages and how for some, they “needed to hear it” and are now reaching out to some of the resources tagged in the video.

The most common response to these PSAs is that people simply had no idea that there have been 18 suicide losses.

Why is that? Why is there this continuing silence and smoke effect as if it is not happening?

A simple free video that took about two minutes provides a real message from real people in this community, and it’s already changing lives.

The Mental Health Minute and YVSN.org are only the beginning in our goals. We are driven to make a change and fueled by our passion.

As we say in our PSAs, we are here for you. After all, we all are human, and taking care of each other should be what the Yampa Valley is all about.

Valery Lozano, MSFP, LPCC, is the Executive Director of Warhorse Ranch