Southeast Mental Health Services (SEMHS) is a private non-profit corporation providing mental health services to six rural and frontier Colorado counties – Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero and Prowers. These counties cover a total of 9,600 square miles with an aggregate population of 52,400 people.
SEMHS offers a full range of services to adults, children and families. Individuals can be self-referred, referred by another agency or professional, or come in through the Emergency Services Team. SEMHS provides 24-hour, seven-day-a-week crisis intervention and assessment. No one is refused service due to the inability to pay.
The staff is skilled in the assessment and treatment of a variety of emotional problems including depression, anxiety, trauma, children’s issues, relationship issues, and severe and persistent mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia. People with severe and persistent mental illness receive a more intensive level of support designed to help them live successfully in the community. In 1998, the new Executive Director, Bob Whaley, provided the vision and leadership for many of the new and innovative services that today mark SEMHS as a leading example of rural mental health service delivery.
