Lieutenant Governor, Keystone Partner to Conduct Series of Mental Health Listening Sessions

Ernest House, Jr., director of Keystone’s American Indian/Alaska Native program, leads a listening session on mental health at the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Photo courtesy of Lindsay J. Box.

Keystone Policy Center is partnering with the office of the Lieutenant Governor to conduct a series of mental health listening sessions in Southwest Colorado. The series is led by Ernest House, Jr., director of Keystone’s American Indian/Alaska Native Program, and aims to open a dialogue among state officials,  tribal members, nonprofit organizations, local government and education leaders, and the general public about issues related to mental health.

House led the first listening session on Nov. 21 at the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, with another session the following day at Montezuma-Cortez High School, which was attended by Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera.

“We hope to take that energy and hopefully make some strides for behavioral health. Not only down here but throughout the state,” said Primavera, according to an article from The Journal.

Keystone hopes to create a partnership with the Lieutenant Governor offices of other states in the Southwest to expand the series and support mental health solutions on a region-wide basis.