Coping resources for Denver.
Our contact at Denver Human Services, says:
We recommend that anyone in Denver looking for services first start with Rocky Mountain Human Services (https://www.rmhumanservices.org/). People can refer themselves or others right on their site there, you need only click the “Get Started” button in the top right corner. I would generally recommend anyone go there to receive a disability determination and get started. RMHS provides early intervention support for children as well, and services are offered for most all ages. Through RMHS as well, if anyone is ever in crisis and has mental health needs while also living with IDD, they should reach out to the Denver START program who will support them and provide wrap around supports and crisis responding.
If someone is in need of specific services, there are a few other organizations I can recommend. We also partner with Bayaud Enterprises. Through their BEHOME program, they provide housing navigation services, and can help people and families with IDD who are looking for housing stability. If ever you meet someone who is homeless, or at risk of losing their home, that is a great organization to get into contact with, and they will help with forms, finding housing, counseling, and other needs. Typically as well, connecting with one provider can lead to connecting to others, so never be afraid to refer and get that ball rolling.
You can also feel free to give anyone you meet information about our program and our website, and let them know that we have a public Council meeting every month they can tune into and give input through our public comment form. This can keep them involved and connected to the community and allows them to advocate for themselves and let us know what is happening so as we contract with others and begin new programs, we can take their experiences to that work.
We have many other partners and connections, and are more than willing to share them, but you can also read about them on our website. Autism Community Store provides sensory accessible public spaces throughout Denver, including at the Denver Art Museum, Molly Brown House Museum, and other wonderful locations. The Denver Public Libraries have a digital navigator program, who will work with people to help connect them to electronic/digital resources. We are also just now contracting with a whole host of providers through our VOICES mini grants, who will be providing many different programs to promote inclusion throughout the city.
In regards to eligibility, it can slightly vary by program, but overall the IDDEAS mill levy funding is available only to Denver residents with intellectual and developmental disability or developmental delay. There are some slight exceptions to that, such as if a person under 21 is in legal custody of Denver Human Services. To see the specifics of eligibility, you can read our program rules, which are also found on our website under “Resources and Publications”. While mill levy funding is available expressly for the benefit of Denver residents with IDD or developmental delay, we also allow for indirect and spillover benefit (which are also described in our rules), and many of our partners that I’ve listed here will also have other programs and services on offer for people who may not fit our specific eligibility criteria. Bayaud, for instance, does not only provide housing navigation services for folks with IDD, but also provide employment support and community outreach that are not funded by us and therefore have different eligibility requirements that may be more flexible. Rocky Mountain also has some other services available, and will help people connect to waivers and the like. Anyone who is looking for emotional and mental health support in Colorado is also welcome to contact Colorado Crisis Services at coloradocrisisservices.org.
