Description

Please join us in person for "The State of the Mental Health," in-person at Social Capitol Events, catered by Footers! 

Keynote Address:

Vincent Atchity
President & CEO, Mental Health Colorado

Vincent Atchity joined Mental Health Colorado in 2019. Vincent previously served as Executive Director of The Equitas Project, a national initiative to disentangle mental health and criminal justice, which has now become part of Mental Health Colorado. Vincent is an advocate for public health and health equity, a population health management strategist, and a builder of communications bridges connecting communities and community partners with better health outcomes and more efficiently managed costs.
 

Confirmed Panel Presenters:

Jessica Dunbar
Vice President of Business Development and Community Engagement
Jefferson Center for Mental Health

Jessica Dunbar currently works at Jefferson Center for Mental Health as their VP of Business Development and Community Engagement. In this role, she leads the communications and philanthropy department and the Center’s strategic business development efforts to ensure the community mental health center is responsive to the behavioral health needs in the community. She is currently focused on a project to offer permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness, expand wellness and therapy services for the business community in the region, expand integrated behavioral health services with community partners, and advance the community mental health center's partnerships with commercial payors through value-based contracts.

Meredith Ulon, MSSW, LCSW
Manager of Assessment and Referral and Outpatient Services
West Pines Mental Health and Addictions Services

Currently over the Assessment and Referral Team at West Pines Behavioral Health in Wheat Ridge and is also in private practice.  Prior to this she was the Director of the Mental Health Assessment Team at Children Health of Texas for 20 years, where she specialized in child abuse and psychiatric illness in children and adolescents. 

Commander Melanie Thornton
Arvada Police Department

Commander Melanie Thornton has been with the Arvada Police Department for 22 years and has served in all Bureaus of the Department, which include Patrol, Investigations, and Administration. She has been an instructor or subject matter expert in use of force disciplines and crisis intervention throughout her career. Commander Thornton implemented the Arvada Police Department Mental Health Co-Responder Program in 2016 and continues to oversee the program today. She has also been a leader in Crisis Intervention training in Jefferson County, leading the Arvada Police Department in C.I.T. training since 2002. Commander Thornton holds a doctorate degree in psychology and serves as an editorial board member for a peer-reviewed American Association of Psychology journal. Her research on trauma in law enforcement has been referenced in numerous articles relating police trauma and academy training.​

Dave Mitchell, EMS Chief
Arvada Fire Protection District