Routt County Human Services reported progress on staffing and co‑response program work during the commissioners’ Oct. 13 meeting.

Melina Molina (human services staff) said two caseworker candidates recently interviewed well and that, if hired, the department will be close to full staffing; the new caseworkers will be certified through the state. "Huge thank you to Penida for being so thoughtful about preparing them to go into the field pre and post certification," Molina said.

Molina and deputy Don provided an hour‑and‑a‑half de‑escalation training at the department retreat that staff described as informative and engaging. She said the co‑response team’s presentation to the Human Services department helped clarify referrals, typical calls and the program’s goals.

Grant and equipment updates: Molina said the federal JET grant for a co‑response cruiser is delayed and likely in a federal queue because of a federal shutdown. "It is a federal grant, and so it's probably in a queue waiting for a button to get pushed," she said. Staff discussed the potential problem that pre‑spending county funds could make the county ineligible for reimbursement under the grant rules.

Data and outreach: County staff are upgrading a data‑collection app to improve near‑real‑time analytics for the co‑response program and submitted a conference proposal combining de‑escalation training and the co‑response model to a national conference.

Community coordination: Molina said staff met with Yampa Valley Community Foundation and accounting to explore whether Croshaw Fire Fund resources could be used to provide direct assistance to an individual through a DHS program; if not possible, staff will consider redirecting funds to a nonprofit. She also raised potential adoption of blue‑envelope and sunflower identity aids to support interactions between law enforcement and neurodivergent individuals; deputies and local autism organizations plan further meetings.

Why it matters: County officials said the staffing and training steps should strengthen crisis response capacity. The delayed federal grant could slow deployment of a cruiser intended to support the co‑response team, and staff said they will coordinate funding and procurement decisions to avoid jeopardizing reimbursement eligibility.