A Community Effort: Sustaining School Mental Health Supports

When state-level grant reductions created a $110,000 shortfall for school-based mental health services for the 2026–2027 school year, the Yampa Valley Community Foundation (YVCF) stepped in to close the gap. Generous local donors ensured the Steamboat Springs School District could maintain all contracted school-based mental health providers.

“Ensuring our students have access to mental health care is vital for the health of our entire community,” said Traci Hiatt, vice president of philanthropy for the YVCF. “When this shortfall arose, our donors stepped up without hesitation to ensure no student was left waiting for support.”

SSSD extends our sincere gratitude to YVCF and the generous donors who made this support possible:

• Brad & Kathy Iversen Family Fund

• FCP Fund

• Madison Foundation

• McEvoy Family Share Plan

• McGinnis Family Fund

• Mor Luv Fund

• The Simmons Foundation

• Three Moon Fund

• White Pine Fund

• Yukon Don Fund

• Anonymous Donor

While this partnership with YVCF secures our current needs, delivering comprehensive mental health support across SSSD always takes a whole-community effort:

• Steamboat Springs Education Fund Board (EFB): Through the City's voter-approved ½-cent sales tax, EFB awards grant funding to local public schools and educational non-profits to support crucial school counselor positions. EFB funding also enables Partners for Youth to provide school-based mentors for students.

• State & Federal Grants: CDE and CDPHE grants cover school social workers, suicide prevention programming, and Medicaid-reimbursed services.

• Community Health Partnerships: Collaborations with Northwest Colorado Health’s mobile mental health bus bring care directly to campus.

• Mental Wellness Day: Last May, Steamboat Springs High School hosted a Mental Wellness Day for all students, generously supported by the Craig-Sheckman Family Foundation. Led by local community partners, the event featured breakout sessions highlighting activities that help students build strategies for sustained mental wellness.

“The variety of funding we utilize to support our mental health services shows the vast community support for maintaining these programs,” said Director of Mental and Behavioral Health Services Shelby DeWolfe. “Ensuring access to mental health services helps keep students ready and equipped to bring their best selves to the classroom.”

Community members interested in supporting student mental health can contact SSSD’s Grants and Strategic Partnerships Manager Emily Beyer (ebeyer@ssk12.org) or Traci Hiatt (traci@yvcf.org).