Peer Support

District 17 Colorado A.A. offers 21 peer support meetings each week, including 4 in Spanish. Of these, 20 are open to anyone who has an interest in alcoholism or A.A.; only 1 meeting is closed to members or those with a desire to stop drinking. Each member is encouraged to get a sponsor. A sponsor is another member of Alcoholics Anonymous who commits to guide a member through the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Individuals may visit district17coloradoaa.org/meetings for a list of local meetings. If an individual is unsure or hesitant to go to a meeting by themselves, contact cpc-pi@district17coloradoaa.org, and the Public Information Chairperson can connect the individual with a volunteer member of A.A., who will call and offer to meet the individual at an A.A. meeting to help introduce them to the Alcoholics Anonymous program, including the types of meetings, literature and sponsorship.

FIRC has two peer support programs – Alma Peer Support for Latina Women & Accion Peer Support for Latino Men. The ALMA program hosts monthly group sessions and then pairs women with a peer mentor, a companera, who has faced similar challenges and completed the program. You will learn strategies to relieve stress, take care of yourself, and how to achieve your goals in a confidential environment.

ACCION is a safe, confidential, and judgment-free space, and is a way for men to talk collectively, and work on managing emotions. Together you will learn strategies to relieve stress, take care of yourself, and achieve goals. If you are interested in enrolling in either of these peer programs, contact FIRC at 970-262-3888.

MHBHC offers peer support, with a specialization in working with High-Fidelity Wraparound families, and individuals who are experiencing a substance use or mental health-related concern. MHBHC’s peer program also involves hosting sober events in the community. MHBHC’s peer services may be a good fit for individuals involved in their High Fidelity Wraparound program, as well as individuals who are struggling with substance use or a mental health condition and are looking for someone with lived experience that they can connect with. For more information, please reach out to 970-485-6676.

Oso Outdoors increases opportunities and dismantles barriers for immigrants, non-English speakers, and other underrepresented communities in the mountains to be able to access the outdoors and public lands. Oso Outdoors is a progressive, inclusive, and sustainable effort that is led by people from the mountain immigrant and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community. For questions or opportunities for collaboration with Oso Outdoors please reach out to Javier at Javier@mountaindreamers.org. All of Mountain Dreamers’ programs are free of charge.

Paragon offers peer support within their Crisis Stabilization and Assertive Community Treatment programming. Contact 720-281-9049 for more information about Paragon’s programming.

Summit County Government Youth and Family Services has a Peer Mentoring program. Youth and Family Services offers teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) to our local community. tMHFA teaches teens in grades 10-12, or ages 15-18, how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers.

Youth and Family Services also offers a cross-age, 1-to-1 Peer Mentoring Programs for Youth. These are set up with partner agencies and facilitated in partnership. Current programs are in partnership with Snowy Peaks School, Summit High School, and The Peak School. Program creation in new areas is always considered. For more information, please contact Nicole Batway, Peer Mentoring Specialist, at nicole.batway@summitcountyco.gov.