A Time of Change - and Opportunity

Winston Churchill is attributed with saying, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”

Changing often sounds exhausting, so perhaps perfection isn’t a realistic goal. But improvement is important, especially as an organization whose focus is serving our local communities. Communities change. Community needs change. Opportunities change. Technology changes. So should we.

Many people know that Community Connections has managed some major changes in recent years. In November 2023, we became the Southwest Colorado Case Management Agency for people with disabilities seeking long time care services. In July 2024, our direct services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities moved to a new nonprofit, Our Own Lives.

Changing our focus expanded our work to include people with a variety of disabilities. It also left us in a position to assess our role within the community and how we could best leverage our strengths to serve.

One of the first opportunities to present itself was La Plata Cares, now called Southwest Colorado Cares, a community care hub designed to coordinate the services people access in our community to support their social health needs—things like housing, transportation, food, in-home care, or emergency financial resources. Thanks to some funding and a parallel effort through the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, this program is well into development.

A couple of other exciting opportunities are currently in the works and will enable Community Connections to help people with disabilities and other community members connect with the great resources available in our region.

Through a partnership with Rocky Mountain Health Plans (RMHP), we are currently hiring two Medicaid care coordinators who will be part of our Community Connections team. These two people will be working with people with disabilities and other community members on Medicaid to access the resources they need to improve their overall health, including connecting to appropriate health care services and social health resources. These care coordinators will also be working closely with Southwest Colorado Cares to facilitate referrals between community organizations.

But we know there are plenty of community members who aren’t on Medicaid and could still use some guidance and someone to help them navigate the resources available in our communities. Thanks to a generous grant from CommonSpirit Mercy Hospital and a private donor, we are also hiring a care navigator to work with the rest of the community.

Soon, we’re also going to be looking for five community ambassadors across our region to do outreach for Southwest Colorado Cares with local organizations and residents. This program has been developed by our fabulous AmeriCorps member Kelsey MacDonald.

We’ve also been fortunate to have Martha Mason join our team to provide community-based training on how to navigate social services and the health care system and advocate for your best life, especially as you age.

We’re looking forward to the improvements these changes will provide and look forward to the opportunity to better coordinate with local organizations and support our Southwest Colorado neighbors.