SAFER Opportunities Initiative

SAFER (Solutions for Achieving Fast, Effective Response) — an initiative supported by Mental Health Colorado — provides short-term housing in a hotel setting with the goals of health stabilization, basic resource access assistance, employment assistance, and next-step housing for unhoused individuals experiencing mental health and/or substance use concerns at risk of or experiencing justice system involvement. Safer Opportunities accomplishes this by connecting participants with peer support services, on-site mental health care, case management, and other supportive services.  Safer Opportunities serves vulnerable individuals living with mental health issues who are either being released into homelessness from the Arapahoe County Detention Center or who are homeless and in contact with first responders as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. SAFER’s short-term shelter is the essential first step to improving these folks’ situations while connecting them to longer-term housing, health care, support, and services. To date, we have served 150 unduplicated individuals with 56 successful housing placements.

Participant Eligibility Criteria

Eligible individuals must..

  • Have a connection to Arapahoe County
  • Be experiencing mental health or co-occurring behavioral health concern(s)
  • Have the ability to be respectful to Safer staff and Peer Support team
  • Be able to take care of themselves, live safely in a hotel setting, and must not be on the hotel’s do not rent list.
  • Be motivated to move forward to address their barriers to housing and employment
  • Be justice-involved or at risk of justice involvement
  • Be an unhoused single adult (no couples or families due to environment and care capacity). No guests are allowed in rooms on site
  • Not have a prior Sexual Offense conviction due to hotel policy. If the applicant’s criminal history has offense(s) past or present that is Domestic Violence, Assaultive, or with any type of weapon the affidavit for the offense must be provided with the application.
  • Maintain program engagement and demonstrate commitment to addressing needs and barriers by taking steps toward housing

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We hope you will give what you can to support this SAFER initiative. With your help, we will continue providing essential services for these vulnerable members of our community — ultimately contributing to the betterment of Colorado, improved health care access in our state, and the decriminalization of mental health. 

Find more information below on SAFER.

  • About Us

    Click the following links to learn more about the SAFER initiative.

    • In the Media

      Click the following links to see SAFER referenced in the news: 

      • Community Partners

        Here are some partners within the community who’ve helped support our work:

        • Events

          Upcoming:

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          Past:

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          • Success Stories

            Access testimonial by SAFER program participants.

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            • Photo Gallery

               

               

               

               

               

               

               

               

            Thank you again for your interest in SAFER.
            For additional information, please contact Adam Goss at AGoss@mentalhealthcolorado.org.