Sharon Raggio has a Toyota 4Runner, and she has been stuck on the wrong side of Vail Pass in blizzard conditions. She has seen elk on the sides of rural Colorado highways.
In other words, Raggio feels as thought she has officially moved to the Western Slope.
Raggio is the new chief executive officer for Colorado West Mental Health Center, which serves 10 counties in western Colorado and has 14 offices across the Western Slope.
Raggio came to Colorado West in March from Pikes Peak Behavior Health Group in the Colorado Springs area where she was the chief operations officer. Raggio is a licensed family and marriage therapist and also has a business degree.
Raggio said there are similarities between Colorado West and the Pikes Peak group, so she is making the transition smoothly.
“It felt like the right time in my career to help a good organization maybe kick it up a notch,” Raggio said. “I have gotten to all 14 offices and learned what we are doing and how we fit into the fabric of the community in each of these offices.”
Raggio said it is important for Colorado West to meet the unique needs of the respective communities it serves.
In Mesa County, Colorado West has strong partnerships with existing organizations such as the Marillac Clinic, Mesa County Department of Human Resources, Mesa County Jail and youth corrections division, she said.
What Raggio wants to step up is communication between all offices and an increased awareness of prevention and children’s mental health.
Often, she said, there is a negative stigma about mental health problems, so erasing negativity is an important educational step.
May is national Mental Health Awareness Month and a good time to highlight Colorado West and its services, she said.
“Good mental health is embedded in the community,” she said. “The services we offer make a difference. I want them to matter, and I want to demonstrate that with data.”
Colorado West isn’t an institution, although hospital facilities are available. Colorado West offers drug and alcohol abuse classes among other classes to improve mental health.
“The good news is treatment works,” she said. “We want to improve quality of life.”
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E-mail Melinda Mawdsley at mmawdsley@gjds.com.
