Partner Highlight: Larimer County Behavioral Health Services
At Crossroads Safehouse, we’re proud to partner with organizations that are helping shape a healthier, more supportive community—and Larimer County Behavioral Health Services (LCBHS) is a shining example of that work in action. Through strategic investments, cross-sector collaboration, and a deep commitment to community well-being, LCBHS is building a more responsive and accessible behavioral health system across Larimer County. In this Q&A, the LCBHS team shares how their grantmaking efforts, including support for Crossroads, are making a lasting impact—and why community partnerships are at the heart of everything they do.
1) Why does supporting local nonprofits matter to your business/organization and the community you serve?
The Larimer County Behavioral Health Services Department exists because our community values behavioral health. Since voters approved the behavioral health tax seven years ago, we have invested $14.7 million in 72 unique organizations in Larimer County through the annual Impact Fund grant program. This total will increase to $17.5 million when the 2025 grant cycle is complete.
Impact Fund grant recipients – Crossroads Safehouse included – are meeting the individualized behavioral health needs of youth, adults, families, veterans, and members of marginalized and underserved communities. Several grantees provide care in unique, non-clinical settings, which removes barriers to accessing care. And they all create spaces where people feel seen, supported, and a sense of belonging – in a world that can feel isolating.
Through investments and partnerships, we are collectively making meaningful progress toward a more sustainable and flexible behavioral health system in Larimer County.
2) Why do you support Crossroads Safehouse?
As a long-standing organization with established community relationships, Crossroads Safehouse has been prioritized for grant funding in the past because of its innovative approaches to providing care for survivors of domestic violence and youth across Larimer County, as well as the Crossroads staff who support them. Now, perhaps more than ever, it is challenging to be a behavioral health professional – given current demands for services and funding uncertainty. Crossroads is taking a proactive approach to retention by providing therapeutic support for staff, and this ties directly into Behavioral Health Services’ focus on strengthening the behavioral health workforce in Larimer County. Funding has also gone to the Time to Talk program, a violence prevention course for teenagers and families that focuses on healthy dating relationships and recognizing the red flags of dating violence.
Crossroads Safehouse is the only 24/7 domestic violence shelter in Fort Collins, yes, but it is more than that. Its staff offer a range of services and collaborate with school districts, nonprofits, and providers to build systems of care for those who need it most.
3) How do you like to stay connected with the community or causes you support?
The values of the Behavioral Health Services team are stewardship, community, and partnership. Our collective efforts lead to shared growth and success that can benefit every individual in Larimer County. We also work to enhance cross-sector collaboration – knowing we are better together, and strive to build trust in the behavioral health work happening in our community by investing tax dollars in three primary areas: the Acute Care facility at Longview campus, the Impact Fund grant program, and co-response programs that bring clinicians and law enforcement together to respond to mental health-related calls. Bigger than that, we want to amplify the work and voices of others – to improve well-being, normalize behavioral health care, raise awareness of community resources, and show people the return on investment of these unique tax dollars through things like “Stories of Impact.”
Our staff will continue to connect with partners – one-on-one and at community meetings and events. If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to connect with us on Facebook and Instagram, or via email at bhs@larimer.org.