Part I of a two-part On-Edge Series about Solvista Health.

A conversation with Solvista Heath Centers CEO Brian Turner is bound to be optimistic, as he discusses the gains made by the nonprofit he leads, which holds the primary contract to serve the behavioral health needs of a four-county area; Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, and Lake counties.

The state’s 64 counties are divided into and served by 17 Colorado Behavioral Health Centers, each with a defined service area.  It is sobering when one realizes that as much as this mental health resource does, the need is growing faster than ever.

“We just submitted our totals for individuals served to the State, and it was actually higher than originally thought,” said Turner, who noted that only a few months ago, an earlier report to the state dated June 30, 2021  listed 5,024 individuals served. “We’ve served 5,300 so far in FY21 and the year is not over. So that  is 96 percent more than in 2017.”