We envision a Colorado wherein all people, regardless of who they love, where they live, how much they earn, what language they speak, or how they worship, thrive in communities that support behavioral health and wellness without stigma or shame.
We envision a Colorado wherein people living with behavioral health conditions and living in recovery have access to more affordable, more compassionate care, and have a voice in creating person-first behavioral health policy that puts their interests above all else.
Finally, we envision a thriving Peer Support Professional workforce that is better trained, better understood, better supported, and fully integrated as a critical part of Colorado’s broader behavioral healthcare system.
"Colorado Mental Wellness Network knows the actual, real, and authentic issues that come with having a mental health, substance use, trauma, and/or co-occurring condition. People here do not talk about the issues; they live the issues. And that makes all the difference.”
“Thank you, CMWN, for giving me the opportunity to empower myself and to move forward in my recovery. This training was awesome, and I would love for everyone on this road to have the same training and experience. It can really change lives with all the knowledge it gives.”
“This organization transforms lives. Full stop.”
We are a state-wide, grassroots, peer-run organization that seeks to provide opportunities for individuals to improve the quality of their lives, give back to their communities, and change public perceptions of behavioral health. We do this by providing whole-person wellness education to those who are building a lifestyle of recovery. In order to spread this message further, we also advocate for person-centered care in traditional and non-traditional healthcare settings.
We help those who are successfully living in recovery and wish to give back to their communities by training them to become Peer Support Professionals and Peer Support Supervisors. In fact, we were the first peer-run behavioral health organization to provide Peer Support Professional training courses.
Finally, we serve as a voice for individuals with behavioral health conditions and offer hope that recovery is possible for everyone. We advocate for healthcare policy that benefits consumers above all others and call attention to legislation that is oppressive, discriminatory, or lacking in evidence. We also openly share our stories of lived experience and recovery to break the silence and defeat stereotypes. Most importantly, we train others to join us in this mission through advocacy workshops and webinars.
Put simply, we want to create a mentally well Colorado, one unique person at a time.
Through education and advocacy, Colorado Mental Wellness Network seeks to provide opportunities for individuals to improve the quality of theirs, give back to their communities through meaningful roles, and to change the perceptions of behavioral health.
We strengthen our community's behavioral health fabric by providing transformational training, building community through collaboration and partnerships, and elevating the voices and perspectives of community members living with mental health, trauma, substance use and/or co-occurring conditions.
Colorado Mental Wellness Network is a grassroots, 100% peer-run organization committed to mental and behavioral wellness education and advocacy in Colorado. Since 2002, CMWN has operated as a program of a larger mental health organization. In late 2010, CMWN’s statewide advisory board opted to move forward with incorporation (in 2011) and later independence (in 2013) to better serve and represent the peer community. In the years since its incorporation, CMWN has grown considerably and has become both a recovery leader and the voice of the Peer Support Professional workforce in Colorado.
CMWN’s ultimate goal is to provide people with hope, ensure that recovery is highlighted in all aspects of behavioral healthcare, and reduce the stigma associated with behavioral health conditions to allow people to seek treatment comfortably. For CMWN, that means working on the micro levels to provide individuals with tools and skills to achieve recovery. On the macro level, CMWN is addressing the state’s fragmented behavioral health system and issues with the Peer Support Professional workforce. CMWN fills an important niche in the continuum of care; the organization is there for peers who feel lost regarding their behavioral health conditions.
Organization name
Colorado Mental Wellness Network
other names
CMWN
2010
Tax id (EIN)
46-0547882
Category
Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, Mental Health & Crisis Intervention, Education, Community Improvement & Capacity Building
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
2390 S Downing St Suite CDenver County, CO, US