Center for Health Progress awarded HealthTeamWorks a year-long contract funded by the Kaiser Permanente Community Health Fund of The Denver Foundation to support six Safety Net Physical and Behavioral Health Centers across Colorado. Through the contract, HealthTeamWorks is providing technical support to these providers of behavioral health support, physical care for children and adults, dental care, vision screening and glasses, employment services, refugee support, a food pantry and more. Of the participating sites, in particular, Jewish Family Service (JFS), has made great strides in addressing gaps in behavioral health care for Medicaid patients.

Founded in 1872, JFS is a nonsectarian, nonprofit human services agency serving metro Denver and Boulder. JFS provides quality mental health counseling to children and adults, helps seniors maintain a high quality of life, offers training and job placement to people with barriers to employment, and provides food and financial aid to individuals and families in crisis. Their team of 25 mental health professionals (including psychiatrists) offers support for those suffering from anxiety, depression, grief, post-traumatic stress, and other chronic mental health challenges. JFS provided treatment to more than 1,700 children, adolescents & adults in fiscal year 2018. JFS accepts, Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), private insurance and self-pay.  A sliding fee schedule is available to those with limited financial resources.