Challenge Grant

PO Box 503 Sterling, CO 80751
970.526.3616
970.526.3617 (fax)
Project Coordinator: Maranda Miller
maranda.miller@rural-solutions.org
Funded by a $20,000 grant from The Colorado Trust, www.coloradotrust.org and matching $20,000 funds from Rural Solutions.
Project Vision: To eliminate suicide through positive choices.
Project Mission: “Human life is valuable. LifeSource works to educate Northeast Colorado on the availability of resources which help them make positive decisions concerning healthy living that resolve issues of suicide.”
Project Objectives:     
  • Increase suicide prevention awareness in the community.
  • Increase community awareness of available suicide prevention and treatment resources.
  • Improve communities’ suicide prevention Gatekeeper skills.
  • Increase the number of individuals who are identified by Gatekeepers as being high risk.
  • Increase the number of high-risk individuals who are referred by Gatekeepers.
  • Increase the number of local access points in sparsely populated areas to address immediate needs.
  • Increase the number of people referred for risk assessment and treatment.
  • Increase communication and collaboration among service providers who provide services to at-risk individuals.
  • Increase access to support groups.
  • Increase services for uninsured/underinsured at-risk individuals.
  • Increase treatment for identified at-risk population/families.
  • Increase the availability of Suicide Response Teams in the Northeast Region.
Area of Service: LifeSource through Rural Solutions, serves an eight county area in Northeast Colorado. We have community members that serve as stakeholders who offer us support and expertise. Our stakeholders include: mental health officials, public health officials, school psychologists, counselors, area human services directors, law enforcement officials, coroners, private therapists, EMTs, victim advocate coordinators, survivors of suicide, CSU Extension office representatives, church officials and Baby Bear Hugs representative.

 

Speaker's Bureau

Rural Solutions
PO Box 503 Sterling, CO 80751
970.526.3616
970.526.3617 (fax)
mail@rural-solutions.org

Rural Solutions announces the development of the Northeast Colorado Speaker's Bureau.

This directory includes speakers on a wide variety of health and wellness topics from addictions to family literacy.  Presenters are available to speak to such groups as community groups, businesses and schools.  They offer their expertise free of charge so that they may share their knowledge with interested community members.  To view a full listing of topics and presenters, you may request a hard copy of the bureau or you may print it from the following link Speaker's Bureau.

 
Rural Solutions
PO Box 503 Sterling, CO 80751
970.526.3616
970.526.3617 (fax)
mail@rural-solutions.org
Improving Access to Cardiovascular Care for the Latino Population in Northeast Colorado
In July of 2008, Rural Solutions received a $200,000.00 grant from the State of Colorado. 
Description:  Rural Solutions has developed a community-based strategy addressing barriers that limit access to cardiovascular (CV) healthcare for the Latino population in northeast Colorado. Through a network of primary care and hospital providers, our outreach program will focus on CV disease, including primary care prevention and screening for diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
Purpose: The purpose of this project is to improve accessibility to CV healthcare services, including precursor conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension for the rapidly growing Latino population in northeast Colorado. Rural Solutions will work in collaboration with primary care and hospital providers throughout a 10-county region located in northeast Colorado to break down barriers that limit access to these healthcare services.
Major Interventions:    
  
  1. Project Initiation Summit for community and agency leaders and staff participating in this project sponsored by Rural Solutions to discuss the project’s goals and objectives, timeline, and expected outcomes,
  2. Baseline Assessment of healthcare organizations’ readiness to care for an ever-growing Latino population,
  3. Implementation of Cross Cultural/Diversity Advisory Board that will consist of local community and agency leaders,
  4. Development and implementation of outreach program that may include, but is not limited to, hiring outreach workers, developing outreach materials, bilingual signage, patient educational materials related to CV disease, and community educational programs that uniquely meets the needs of participating communities,
  5. Cross Cultural/Diversity Training for healthcare professionals and support staff, and
  6. Medical Interpretation Training for bilingual healthcare professionals and support staff.
Population Served: The Rural Solutions established provider network includes hospitals, primary care practices, and public nursing organizations. Rural Solutions will reach out to children and adults and focus on CV services including precursor diseases. Currently, health care providers lack sufficient cultural diversity and medical interpretation training to care for this ever-growing Latino population.
Expected Outcome: An increase in the number of Latinos accessing health care services in northeast Colorado.
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QPR Gatekeeper Training
A Gatekeeper is anyone trained to recognize a suicide crisis and know how and where to find help. Training is now available in your area through the LifeSource program of Rural Solutions. QPR Gatekeeper Training was created and developed by Paul Quinnett, Ph.D., of Spokane, Washington. Dr. Quinnett began a QPR Instructor Certification Program to allow qualified candidates to teach QPR and increase the number of gatekeepers trained to act in a bold and positive manner to prevent a suicide and save a life. The founders of QPR believe that most people contemplating suicide – whether because of depression or some other significant problem – will turn to a friend, a family member, a parent, a clergyperson, or physical heath professional instead of seeking the help of a mental health professional. Therefore, anyone who is in routine contact with a distressed individual stands the best chance of intervening. That is why LifeSource encourages everyone to learn these skills. The information presented in the training is easy to understand and reinforced by a QPR booklet and card complete with warning signs, methods to encourage a person to get help and a list of resources available in your community.
To set up a Gatekeeper Training or if you have any questions, please contact Maranda Miller at 970.526.3616 or maranda.miller@rural-solutions.org., the LifeSource Program Coordinator at Rural Solutions. The training takes only about an hour to complete and is completely free.
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