Aspen Hope Center earns accreditation from American Association of Suicidology
Data indicates only 117 agencies in the country have earned accreditation status
Kaya Williams, The Aspen Times
kwilliams@aspentimes.com
April 24, 2022
The Aspen Hope Center, a local crisis response and prevention nonprofit, has earned accreditation as a crisis center from the American Association of Suicidology, according to an April 20 announcement from the Hope Center.
The organization completed a six-month-long process in January. Recent data indicates only 117 agencies in the country have earned the accreditation status, according to the news release. Colorado Crisis Services, which operates the state crisis line, is the only other crisis agency that has earned the accreditation and employs mobile crisis and co-response clinicians, the release states.
When the Aspen Hope Center was established in 2010, it was Colorado’s first freestanding crisis agency independent of a community mental health center, hospital or law enforcement agency, according to the release. The organization replicated the model in Eagle County, opening what is now known as Your Hope Center there. Aspen Hope Center remains one of just a few freestanding crisis agencies in the United States.
The nonprofit employs mobile crisis and co-response clinicians to meet people where they are during a mental health crisis. Clinicians participate in a 90-day “crisis boot camp” when they are hired “in order to become experts in crisis response” and also “learn the incident command system so they can aid first responders during times of community-wide tragedy,” the release states.
“Aspen Hope Center extends its deepest appreciation to community partners who have never wavered in their support, including Basalt Police, Roaring Fork Fire, Carbondale Police, Carbondale Fire, Eagle County Sheriff, Glenwood Police, Glenwood Springs Fire, Garfield County Sheriff, Silt Police, New Castle Police, Rifle Police, Parachute Police, Mountain Rescue and Roaring Fork School District,” the release states.
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