STAR Program
Arvada Fire’s STAR program launched in 2023 to expand and improve care to individuals experiencing behavioral health crisis, substance abuse, and/or homelessness in our community.
The innovative program deploys a community support team consisting of a licensed mental health clinician and a firefighter paramedic. Both staff a discreet co-responder van and are dispatched to calls involving behavioral health. The co-responder team provides crisis assessment and referral services, counseling, social services and resource navigation, and transportation to alternative destinations such as a crisis center if needed.
This new resource is being developed because behavioral health crises have steadily increased in recent years. In fact, responses to 911 calls for suicidal ideologies, overdoses, substance use disorders, mental illness, and other incidents involving severe anxiety and depression have more than doubled in the last three years.
Deploying a specialized community support team allows Arvada Fire to better respond to an individual’s immediate mental health needs. The firefighter paramedic’s role on the team is to rule out any underlying medical cause for a behavioral health crisis. The licensed clinician identifies appropriate pathways for care and connects the individual to services and resources that can improve their wellness.
Nationally, these service models have provided improved quality of care to those experiencing mental health emergencies while decreasing unnecessary arrests or hospitalizations. These models improve the availability of other agency resources, such as ambulances or fire apparatus that can return to service for other emergencies. The program also reduces costs for the agency by diminishing repetitive calls for service.
The STAR program is made possible by a partnership between Arvada Fire and WellPower, a not-for-profit community mental health center known locally and nationally as a model for innovative and effective community behavioral health care.
Resources
Colorado Crisis Services
No matter what you’re going through, help is available. Call Colorado Crisis Services at 844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255. Learn more at ColoradoCrisisServices.org.
Suicide Prevention - WellPower
We are devoted to addressing the growing need for suicide awareness and prevention. If you or someone you love is in immediate crisis, please call 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255.
998 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States.
Friendship Line - Institute on Aging
The Friendship Line is both a crisis intervention center and a “warm” line for routine, even daily, phone calls that provide emotional support, medication reminders and well-being check-ins.
Arvada Homeless Navigation Program (AHNP)
The City of Arvada Homeless Navigation Program is committed to assisting individuals and families experiencing homelessness in locating permanent housing. Enrollment in the services provided by the AHNP is entirely voluntary and is limited to individuals and families that are homeless and are seeking housing, regardless of other circumstances.
Severe Weather Shelter Network
SWSN provides emergency overnight shelter on life-threatening winter nights for the single individuals living on the streets in West Arapahoe and Jefferson counties. Volunteers welcome guests by name and provide a hot meal and a bed roll on severe weather nights from October through April each year.
Mission Arvada
People experiencing homelessness in Arvada are invited to the Mission for encouragement, food, and personal help. Visitors to the day shelter can sign up to take showers, eat a hot meal, visit the food bank, obtain clothing and hygiene items, obtain severe weather gear and participate in activities or service opportunities being offered.
Community Table
We strive to improve the quality of life for hungry families and children in our community. At Community Table, putting food on the table is only the beginning. Now with expanded services to encourage self-sufficiency, Community Table’s Human Services program supports clients through education and linkage with the rich community resources available to them.
2-1-1 Colorado Resources
2-1-1 Colorado streamlines services and provides one central location where people can get connected to the resources they need.
Adult Online Therapy
Therapy Direct
Therapy Direct is for adults 18 years and older in metro Denver and beyond. We welcome people from all backgrounds - whether you're needing urgent support or just want to try therapy to see if it's right for you, you're welcome here. You do not need to have a mental health diagnosis, referral or past experience with therapy. It's therapy direct to you.
Man Therapy
Man Therapy® was created by a multidisciplinary team of suicidologists, mental health experts, marketing strategists, and creatives to make mental health approachable by using humor to break stigma and help men take action with tools and resources.
Youth Online Therapy
The Trevor Project
Crisis counselors are trained to answer calls, chats, or texts from LGBTQ young people who reach out on our free, confidential, and secure 24/7 service when they are struggling with issues such out, LGBTQ identity, depression, and suicide.
iMatter Colorado
The I Matter program can connect you with a therapist for up to 6 free virtual counseling sessions (some in-person appointments available, too) that are completely confidential. Talking with someone can make you feel better.
WellPower - Access Our Services
To access services at WellPower, the first thing to do is call the Access Center. Staff will ask you questions over the phone to learn more about you or your child. They will ask about who you are, your finances and/or insurance information and ask for some clinical information. We use this to determine if you or your child meet our requirements to access services with us.
El Centro de las Familias - WellPower
El Centro de las Familias es una clínica multicultural que ofrece servicios de salud mental bilingües (español e inglés) a adultos, jóvenes, niños y familias de la comunidad latina/x e hispana.
Additional Resources
- JCMH Resource Library
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (Nami.org)
- Nami Resource Directory
- LGBTQI Community (Nami.org)
- Black African American (Nami.org)
- Hispanic Latinx (Nami.org)
Resources for Hospitalization, Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), or Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- Centennial Peaks Hospital
- SCL Health West Pines
- Jefferson Center Mental Health (JCMH)
- AllHealth Network
- Highlands Behavioral Health System
- Denver Springs
- Children's Hospital Colorado
- Sandstone Care Denver Rehab Center
- Centura Psychiatric Inpatient Unit