City Council Approves $6 Million for Behavioral Health and Homeless Services

By Robert Davis

Denver City Council approved nearly $6 million in contracts on Monday, May 3, that will continue the operations of one of Denver’s mental health crisis response units and to expand services in one of the city’s homeless shelter providers. 

More than $700,000 of the funds is earmarked for the Denver Crisis Intervention Response Unit (CIRU), a program that pairs mental health professionals from the Denver Mental Health Center with Denver police officers to assist with behavioral health emergency calls. 

Denver has been funding CIRU since 2016, according to the ordinance request. Since then, the team has swelled to a staff of 17, including two managers, 11 district-specific clinicians, one city-wide clinician, one homeless outreach clinician, one RTD clinician, and one behavioral health navigator. In 2019, the unit surveyed 2,263 individuals.

According to the request, the program is intended to “provide proactive care to ensure that appropriate interventions are made for persons with behavioral health issues to improve the lives of the citizens of the City and County of Denver, streamline services, and create system efficiencies.”

Another $5 million is slated to go toward expanding the Shelter Program Next Step case management program to several sites managed by the Denver Rescue Mission (DRM). 

The Next Step program is designed to “help men experiencing homelessness take steps toward stability by addressing basic needs like food, shelter and job skills,” according to DRM’s website. 

To qualify for the program, participants must be at least 18 years old, physically fit enough to do manual labor, and be open to Christian teachings. 

Currently, participants spend anywhere from 45 days to six months at the Lawrence Street Shelter while going through training and workshops on financial literacy, job skills, and relationship development. One benefit of the program is that participants are allowed 24-hour access to Next Step shelters, while other shelter residents must abide by curfews. 

Some of the $5 million money pot will also be used to fund shelter operations and programming at the 48th Avenue Shelter located at 4330 48th Ave and for day shelter services at the Lawrence Street Community Center for men experiencing homelessness.

The City estimates the money will serve approximately 14,300 individuals.