In response to the October 2020 Cal-Wood and Lefthand Canyon wildfires, Boulder County Community Services, Community Foundation Boulder County, and Jewish Family Service are launching the Wildfire Mental Health Program (WMHP) to assist fire-impacted individuals and families seeking crisis support. The two fires last October burned almost 11,000 acres, destroyed properties, and caused the evacuation of thousands of Boulder County residents. The WMHP offers benefits for mental health services to individuals and families directly impacted by these fires and connects them to licensed mental health providers in Boulder County. 

Wildfires such as the Cal-Wood and Lefthand fires can have a significant impact on an individual’s emotional well-being. Adults and children across the community who were impacted by the fires may experience normal stress response symptoms like mood swings, sleep disruption, and other stress reactions. WMHP offers up to $500 towards five individual therapy sessions (a maximum of $100 per session), or up to $875 towards five family therapy sessions (a maximum of $175 per session) and provides a pool of licensed providers from which to choose.  

Fire-impacted Boulder County residents will identify and select a local mental health provider. Only local mental health providers who have registered for the program are included on the list. After services are completed, registered providers invoice JFS for payment. This program will be the foundation for a faster response to community-wide disaster events in the future.  

Register as a fire-impacted client: jewishfamilyservice.org/voucher-client 

Information about becoming a Medicaid provider or for client Medicaid enrollment:   

• Medicaid provider information: cchacares.com/for-providers/ 

• Client enrollment: colorado.gov/search?tid=peak 

Mental health services are available to fire-impacted county residents until April 2022, or until all funding is expended, whichever comes first. Providers may submit invoices for services until June 30, 2022. 

For more information about the Wildfire Mental Health Program, call 720.248.4686.