March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month!
In Douglas County, we celebrate people with and without disabilities coming together to form strong, diverse communities in March and all year long!
Did you know, Douglas County voters have supported local services for residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities for more than 20 years? Learn more about the Developmental Disabilities Mill Levy (DDML) Grant Program.
Douglas County partners with other community organizations to assist individuals with disabilities. With funding from the 2001 voter-approved Mill Levy, the County provides resources to Developmental Pathways, which provides services to individuals and families in Douglas and neighboring counties. The Arc Arapahoe, Douglas & Elbert Counties is another community organization that provides resources, advocacy and education to support children and adults with disabilities.
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Get to know your tailor-made Douglas County Health Department
Your new health department is inspired by you – a community that is continually ranked among the healthiest in the nation.
We are committed to transparency and providing you with the information you need so that you can make the best and most informed decisions for yourself and your family.
Colorado’s Core Public Health Services Requirements In 2008, the Colorado Public Health Act required the State Board of Health 1) to establish, by rule, core public health services that each county and district public health agency must provide or ensure; and 2) to establish minimum quality standards for those public health services. Effective Jan. 1, 2020, state and local health departments in Colorado are required to ensure the provision of seven Foundational Capabilities and five Foundational Services
In addition to the baseline, required services, a county may also consider additional services based on the unique public health needs of its community.
As such, in 2021, a public process, led by Douglas County and a team of public health experts, identified the unique public health needs of our communities through the implementation of a Community Health Assessment and a Public Health Improvement Plan, both requirements of state law for all public health agencies.
The public process revealed what our communities believe are the top three public health issues:
Behavioral Health – includes mental health and substance use
Injury Prevention
Disease Management and Prevention — addressing behaviors that lead to chronic diseases
Governed by a Board of Health, your Health Department is providing services in sync with the unique needs of Douglas County.
Your new 21st Century Douglas County Health Department aims to do our part to sustain healthy Douglas County communities while encouraging you to take a proactive role in managing your own health. We are dedicated to keeping you informed to help you make informed decisions toward healthier lives, through collaborative partnerships and actions to affect upstream determinants of health.
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Funding the Health Department The Board of Health and the Board of Douglas County Commissioners committed that the General Fund cost to operate the new health department would not exceed the County’s most recent share as part of Tri-County Health, or $2.5 million – the per capita cost for Douglas County served by Tri-County Health in 2022. The 2023 Health Department Budget is $7.4 million, funding by $4.5 million in state and federal grant programs, $900,000 from services fees, and $2 million in taxpayer dollars from the General Fund, approximately $700,000 less than previously contributed to Tri-County annually. View the Health Department Budget Facts.
History of Public Health Services Delivery in Douglas County On Jan. 1, 1966, following the South Platte River Floods of 1965, Douglas County joined the Tri-County District Health Department, providing Douglas County residents and businesses with requisite public health services. On Sept. 14, 2021, Douglas County separated from Tri-County Health Department to form its own local public health department with an Intergovernmental Agreement for Tri-County Health Department to continue providing some public health services through the end of 2022. Douglas County is now independent from Tri-County Health Department, with its own local health department.
Did you know that mental and behavioral health are among the top three priorities in Douglas County? For nearly a decade, your community has been on a mission to address mental health needs in Douglas…
Did you know that mental and behavioral health are among the top three priorities in…
U.S. Congressman Jason Crow will be in Douglas County at 1 p.m. Monday, March 20, to announce an award of $629,970 in federal funds to help advance the County’s Mental Health Initiative and the Initiative’s…
U.S. Congressman Jason Crow will be in Douglas County at 1 p.m. Monday, March 20,…
When was the last time you thought about your heart health? It’s far more important than you may realize, with heart disease remaining the No. 1 overall cause of death for Americans and the No.…
When was the last time you thought about your heart health? It’s far more important…