Larimer County Behavioral Health Services Department

For veteran Charles “Dick” Hall, relief came decades after his service to our country in the form of better sleep.

From 1950-1954, Hall was part of an elite tactical unit known as a Navy fighter squadron. These are hubs for crews and aircraft to deploy on flight missions.

Hall didn’t see active combat or, according to him, “do anything exceptional.” He had a notion that because he “didn’t go to war,” he hadn’t earned the right to feel the tough stuff related to his time in the military.

The man who grew up in South Dakota and never saw water before the Navy, then quickly ticked through his post-service experiences. He had a family. He worked. He retired. And he played lots of golf.

“I didn’t deserve it,” he said, wearing a blue windbreaker and black shiny cowboy boots.

Fast forward to about 2023, and the unimaginable happened. Seven people close to Hall – among them his wife, sister, two children, and an 18-month grandbaby – died within seven months.

“Depression was my friend,” said Hall, who still wears his wedding band.

Through all of that, someone with the Honor Flight program turned him onto the Healing Warriors Program.

The nonprofit was founded in March 2012 and has its headquarters in Fort Collins, with two other satellite clinics across Colorado. To interrupt factors leading to su***de, its team provides no-cost, non-narcotic therapy utilizing acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, and healing touch for veterans, service members, and their families.

Sleep is a challenge for him, and Hall uses a walker because of arthritis in the base of his spine. After his usual treatments at a November 2025 appointment, however, Hall walked on his own – unassisted.

“If I can get some sleep, it’s a whole new world,” he added.

He tells everyone he can about Healing Warriors.

See how Larimer County's local support of behavioral health is coming to life.

🗞️Check out the June edition of the Lamplighter newsletter: https://ow.ly/qGP350ZkKaS

When you see the behavioral health sales tax on your Larimer County receipts, think of Kat and Shauna. Twenty-year-old Kat started with Partners as a skeptical middle schooler. She didn’t expect to find a lifelong friend in her mentor, Shauna Gray, 45.

Their bond became an immovable bedrock, where Shauna’s steady presence gave Kat the solid ground to build her own independence. Through the years, their connection – matched perfectly through the program's intentional interviews – became a masterclass in resilience.

“They did an awesome job pairing us. It’s impressive, really,” said Gray, during a virtual interview. She playfully flipped her hair as evidence of the sassiness Kat was looking for in a mentor.

Together, they’ve tackled the big milestones and the heavy hurdles: Navigating grief and loss. Dropping out of school and later earning a GED. Securing housing. Planning for financial stability, from filing taxes to discussing household budgets. And reviewing and discussing local and federal issues, as Kat prepared to vote for the first time.

This is what community investment looks like in action.

By utilizing behavioral health sales-use tax dollars to support local pillars like Partners (serving Northern Colorado since 1978), we aren't just funding a program. We’re funding the preventative power of human connection. Kat and Shauna prove that when we invest in mentorship, we can change the trajectory of a life.

Every tour at the Acute Care facility at Longview campus is an opportunity to brag on Larimer County. People cared enough about one another that they chose to tax themselves to make sure there is mental health and substance-use care for people in crisis right here in our community. Thank you, to Senator Janice Marchman and Senator Cathy Kipp for sharing your time and support yesterday!

🗓️ Opened Dec. 2, 2023
💲 Made possible by Larimer County's dedicated behavioral health sales-use tax and a unique public-private partnership between Larimer County Government and SummitStone Health Partners
🕓 Open 24/7/365 to people of ALL ages -- regardless of ability to pay
🤝 There were over 300 visits to behavioral health urgent care after Longview opened. In April 2026, there were over 800 visits.

We are grateful to Colorado Representative Andy Boesenecker for spending time today with team members from Behavioral Health Services and SummitStone Health Partners. He saw firsthand how Larimer County stands apart in the state because of our community's investment in the Acute Care facility at Longview campus. Through our pioneering and unique public-private partnership, people of all ages have access to 24/7/365 behavioral health crisis care -- regardless of their ability to pay. This is possible only because of the care our neighbors have for one another and the 20-year behavioral health tax voters approved in 2018.

We took our second Coffee & Connections event to Just A Pinch Bakery in Loveland and met with yet another passionate group of people working in behavioral health. They represent the wide range of services in Larimer County, from Medically Assisted Treatment for substance use and support for people impacted by domestic violence to communities of artists coalescing around mental health and social change. It was our pleasure to share more about our community's investment in behavioral health and offer guidance to those applying for a 2026 Impact Fund grant. This is community in action! 💚

Behind every cup of coffee shared today is a ripple effect of healing across Larimer County.

This morning, our team hosted a Coffee & Connections event at LIMA COFFEE in Fort Collins. Although the immediate goal was helping local behavioral health professionals navigate their 2026 Impact Fund Grant applications, the true impact went deeper.

Every single provider who joined us represents hundreds — if not thousands — of neighbors, friends, and family members receiving vital mental health and substance-use support.

This is what it’s all about:

Intentional investment: Putting dedicated behavioral health tax dollars to work where they matter most.

Stronger bonds: Creating spaces for providers to connect, collaborate, and lift each other up.

We aren't just funding programs; we are strengthening Larimer County's entire system of care. Thank you to all the incredible providers who showed up today. Your dedication is the heart of our community! 💚