June 27, 2022 – Rocky Mountain Health Foundation (RMHF) has awarded grants totaling $603,000 to health-focused organizations on the Western Slope. Grants from the new Workforce Development Fund will specifically address the healthcare workforce shortage by promoting and supporting women, people of color and people with low income who are seeking to begin or further their careers in behavioral health or health care, such as Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Personal Care Provider (PCP), Master of Social Work (MSW), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC), for example.
The Rocky Mountain Health Foundation board of directors approved funding to 23 organizations from 10 Western Slope counties to help fund scholarships, paid internships, and living-expense stipends for behavioral health or healthcare related degrees or certifications as well as professional supervision for licensure that will ultimately improve the capacity to meet patient/client healthcare needs across the Western Slope.
As the recipient of a Workforce Development Fund grant, Laura Landrum from Building Hope Summit County writes, “Thank you and the rest of the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation team for this funding opportunity! We’re absolutely ecstatic that we can lessen the financial burden for behavioral health workers from institutionally underserved communities in Summit County who are furthering their educations and careers. We’re in the process of finalizing our Behavioral Health Professional Development Scholarship Program and anticipate enrolling participants in the next six to eight weeks!”
Rocky Mountain Health Foundation was established in 2017 to improve the health of people living on the Western Slope by investing in community assets and by acting as a catalyst for new approaches. To learn more about Rocky Mountain Health Foundation and to see a detailed list of funded projects, visit https://rmhealth.org/grant-making/funded-projects/. Contact: Michaelle Smith, 970.644.8188, michaelle@RMHealth.org