During the recent Board of County Commissioners meeting, significant discussions centered around behavioral health initiatives and community engagement efforts. Commissioner Mortenis reported on various meetings attended, including the Blackhawk City Council and the ECCI legislative meeting, highlighting a site visit to Ron's Pass that sparked excitement.

Commissioner Hollingsworth shared insights from the Colorado Behavioral Health Coalition conference, emphasizing the state's lag in youth behavioral health treatment compared to national standards. She noted ongoing efforts to improve services and mentioned the opioid conference attended by both herself and Commissioner Grama, where they discussed the effective use of opioid settlement funds. Gilpin County is set to utilize these funds to launch a core response program aimed at addressing opioid-related issues.

Additionally, Hollingsworth attended a candidates forum in Central City, expressing interest in the candidates' views and their potential collaboration with the county. She also participated in various meetings related to legislative priorities and mental health funding, revealing concerns over underfunding in community-based mental health centers, which recently led to layoffs.

Commissioner Grama echoed the discussions on opioid funding, noting the exchange of ideas among counties on utilizing settlement funds effectively. He also mentioned his role in narrowing down legislative priorities during the CCI Legislative and Policy Commissioners meeting.

Overall, the meeting underscored the county's commitment to addressing pressing issues in behavioral health and community collaboration, while also navigating the challenges posed by funding limitations.