The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced $3.7 million in suicide prevention funding for eight community organizations across Colorado on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Just over $1 million of this investment will directly support the Grand Valley and its surrounding counties, where the per-capita rate of suicide deaths is more than double the national average.
Veterans in Mesa County are particularly affected by these statistics, accounting for 18% of suicide deaths in the county over the past decade, despite making up only 10% of the adult population, according to estimates from Mesa County Public Health.
A significant portion of the local funding, $750,000, was awarded to Mesa County Public Health. This money will be used to establish a "Tri-County Veteran Support Hub," a comprehensive, community-based initiative designed to reduce suicide risk, improve mental well-being, and strengthen social connectedness for veterans and their families across Mesa, Delta, and Montrose counties, as stated in a press release from Mesa County Public Health. The agency noted that this hub aims to address a critical deficit in mental health support for veterans in the region.
Historically, veterans in the area have struggled to access help due to challenges such as stigma, rural isolation, transportation barriers, and provider shortages. Mesa County Public Health estimates that 4,000 of the county’s roughly 12,000 veterans—one-third of the total—are not connected to services they should be eligible for. The Tri-County Hub plans to bridge this gap by connecting veterans with peer mentors who also have service experience.
These connections will be made in "natural, relaxed environments where trust comes naturally," rather than traditional clinical settings, according to Mesa County Public Health. Jennifer Daniels, Behavioral Health Division Director for Mesa County Public Health, stated that many rural veterans are hesitant to seek help from traditional clinical institutions or view needing help as a sign of weakness. She added that the grant allows them to "strip away that institutional stigma" by meeting veterans where they are, building connections before a crisis.
Because Delta and Montrose counties extend beyond Mesa County Public Health’s typical area of operation, the agency will partner with two organizations in those neighboring communities. One partner is Sovereign Roots Veterans Retreat, a nonprofit in Delta County that offers peer-driven, nature-based programming and gatherings to reduce veteran isolation and support the overall wellness of veterans and their families. The second partner is the Kadkhodaian Behavioral Health Center, also established in Delta, which focuses on connecting first responders and military veterans with peer support, relationship guidance, and evidence-based programs for behavioral health and substance use disorder, according to Mesa County Public Health. Daniels emphasized that this is a collaborative public health effort to ensure no veteran on the Western Slope feels isolated, forgotten, or disconnected.
Separate from the Tri-County Hub, the VA also awarded $340,000 to the Volunteers of America Colorado Branch. According to the VA’s list of awardees, VOA Colorado will serve Delta, Garfield, Gunnison, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco counties. The VA document did not provide details on the specific purpose of this funding, and VOA Colorado did not respond to requests for information before publication.
This local funding is part of the nationwide Staff Sgt. Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. The program, known as Sgt. Fox grants, will support 191 community suicide prevention organizations with more than $112 million across the country, as detailed in a press release from the VA Western Colorado Health Care System. Mathew Tekansik, Director of the VA Western Colorado Health Care System, explained that community organizations are vital in strengthening the support network for Colorado veterans. He noted that these grants provide veterans with lifesaving support and ensure they have access to care and resources in the community.
The Sgt. Fox grants are designed to help veterans not connected to the VA, with the press release citing that 61% of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 were not receiving VA healthcare in the last year of their lives. Conversely, Sgt. Fox grantees connected approximately 2,650 veterans who had not previously used VA healthcare with VA care and resources last year, which was about 1,000 more than the prior year. The VA also stated that approximately 17,000 veterans, service members, and their families received services through Sgt. Fox grantees in 2025.
Beyond the Grand Valley, the Rocky Mountain Veterans Advocacy Project received $750,000 in Sgt. Fox funding for statewide suicide prevention work. The remaining $1.9 million was awarded to organizations serving other regions of Colorado. These include the Eastern Plains Healthcare Consortium, which received $400,000 for rural eastern Colorado counties; The Healing Warriors Program, which received $477,458 for Arapahoe, Denver, El Paso, and Larimer counties; The Home Front Military Network, with $153,285 for 17 counties east of Colorado’s continental divide; Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, which received $100,000 for El Paso and Teller counties; and The Veterans Community Project, awarded $748,663 for the Front Range and parts of Missouri.
