988 Colorado Mental Health Line Roadshow to Visit Crowley and Otero Counties May 4–8

Description: The 988 Colorado Mental Health Line will visit Crowley and Otero counties May 4–8, 2026, as part of a statewide roadshow to better understand rural mental health needs, build trust and raise awareness of 988 support services.

988 Colorado Mental Health Line to Visit Crowley and Otero Counties May 4-8 to Better Understand Community Needs

The 988 Colorado Mental Health Line (988 Colorado) will visit Crowley and Otero counties May 4-8, 2026, to better understand community mental health needs and ensure that 988 Colorado is shaped by the people it is designed to serve.

The 988 Colorado Roadshow will visit six regions through August for in-person conversations about mental health, connection, and utilization of 988 Colorado. The 988 Colorado Roadshow reflects the ongoing commitment to reach every person in Colorado who needs mental health support. 

Data show that Colorado's rural and frontier communities face significant behavioral health needs. For example, Crowley and Otero counties have high suicide rates compared to both the state average and neighboring rural counties.

Barriers to using 988 Colorado services include:

• Stigma around help-seeking, particularly among men and agricultural workers.
• Geographic isolation and limited local behavioral health infrastructure.
• Historical mistrust of systems, particularly in tribal, Latino, and other communities of color.
• Low awareness of 988 as a resource beyond crisis intervention.

"The best version of 988 Colorado is one that's shaped by the communities it serves," said Chloe Rekow, marketing and outreach specialist, 988 Colorado Mental Health Line. "That's why we're hitting the road to listen, to learn, and to build the relationships that make lasting change possible. When people across Colorado know that 988 is here for them, and when they trust it, that's when lives change."

The 988 Colorado Roadshow this year will take the outreach team directly into these communities for multi-day, listening-first meetings with local partners and organizations. A first round of visits is scheduled for this spring and summer, targeting the areas with the most demonstrated need. 

• Southeast Plains | Crowley and Otero counties | May 4–8
• Four Corners | Montezuma, La Plata and Dolores counties | May 17–20
• Far Northeast Plains | Yuma, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Kit Carson counties | June 8–11
• San Luis Valley | Alamosa, Saguache, Costilla, and Conejos counties | July 6–10
• Northwest Mountains | Moffat and Jackson counties | July 27–August 2
• San Juan Mountains | Mineral and Hinsdale counties | August 8-11
  
  

The 988 Colorado Roadshow May kickoff coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month. Governor Jared Polis issued a proclamation reaffirming the state's commitment to improving behavioral health. 

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