The Grief Center of Southwest Colorado

The Grief Center of Southwest Colorado is dedicated to meeting the needs of bereaved members of the community regardless of cultural and/or religious beliefs, manner of death, relationship to the deceased, and ability to pay. In a resource-scarce desert such as the rural and tribal areas of SW CO, we have become a leader in providing mental health services to members of these communities, who have suffered a disproportionate number of traumatic losses.

The Grief Center of Southwest Colorado offers grief support to 500+ clients/year through individual, family and group therapy, school-based services, response to schools and organizations following a loss, and special events. Our current budget is $500,000, with a geographical range covering 5 counties in Southwest Colorado, the border towns of northern New Mexico, and two tribal lands. We focus primarily on children and families; our rates of childhood bereavement range from 1 in 4 to 1 in 11 across this region (CBEM 2024), with high rates of suicide, substance-related, and deportation losses. We utilize a team and culturally appropriate family systems approach to our care, contracting with 14 grief therapists and providing training to graduate interns and mental health professionals. We envision a community where no one is left to grieve alone.