Aspen as seen on Monday, June 23, 2025, with EcoFlight.Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Pitkin County has launched a new Behavioral Health Strategic Plan webpage, providing a centralized online resource with the aim of increasing transparency, community engagement, and access to information about the county’s behavioral health priorities and initiatives.
The webpage defines this type of plan as “a leadership tool,” with behavioral health defined as “a person’s mental and emotional well-being. Behavioral Health encompasses both mental health conditions and substance use disorders, and allows us to take a broader approach to addressing the behavioral health continuum than focusing solely on mental health.”
This webpage, along with the county’s open recruitment for a new Pitkin County Behavioral Health Facilitator, are part of the county’s commitment to carrying out the Behavioral Health Strategic Plan that was released in August 2025. The page, and more on the history of the development of the plan, can be found at https://pitkincounty.com/bhsp.
“The webpage and hiring the Behavioral Health Facilitator are the first steps in implementing the Behavioral Health Strategic Plan,” Programs, Education & Partnerships Manager for Pitkin County Public Health Jenny Constable told The Aspen Times. “The web page will help all the partners and the public see how the plan’s execution is moving forward.”
Jordana Sabella, Public Health director for Pitkin County, echoed this sentiment in the county’s press release.
“The Behavioral Health Strategic Plan web page is an important step toward making our work more accessible and accountable to the community,” Sabella said. “By sharing our priorities, progress, and challenges openly, we are inviting collaboration and ensuring that behavioral health remains a shared responsibility across Pitkin County.”
According to the webpage, Pitkin County Public Health has been involved in the mental and behavioral health space in the Roaring Fork Valley since 2017, when “a funders’ group was created to pool funding and allow stakeholders in the community to collectively fund behavioral health services.” Since 2017, the webpage says funders have included the city of Aspen, Aspen School District, Aspen Valley Hospital, Pitkin County, and the towns of Snowmass Village and Basalt.
The new webpage offers residents, partners, and stakeholders an overview of the Behavioral Health Strategic Plan, according to a county press release, which includes goals, focus areas, and opportunities for collaboration.
“The site reflects Pitkin County’s ongoing commitment to improving mental health and substance use services through coordinated, community-informed strategies,” the release reads.
According to Constable, expanding access to the resources on the newly launched webpage is “key” to helping those in the valley who might be struggling with mental health or substance use.
“We’ve found that there are a range of services available for community members in need of support, but getting those clients connected to the right care can be difficult for a variety of reasons,” Constable said. “The plan asks work groups to directly address these barriers to care.”
Transparency is also a huge piece of the puzzle in terms of supporting and improving the community.
“Transparency is important because we want the whole community, from funders to individuals with behavioral health needs, to be able to see where we have made progress and where we still have work to do,” Constable said.
The Behavioral Health Facilitator will play “a central role” in the continued progress, “convening partners, supporting cross-sector collaboration, and advancing the strategies outlined in the plan,” the release states. The facilitator is expected to work closely with community organizations, service providers, and county leadership to help translate strategic goals into what the release calls “measurable action.”
According to Constable, key qualifications for the Behavioral Health Facilitator include “the ability to facilitate broad coalitions and build relationships with partners; project management; strategic planning and implementation; systems thinking; and excellent communication skills.”
Those interested in applying for the position can visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/pitkin/jobs/5190708/behavioral-health-facilitator?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs.