Vail Health Behavioral Health

Interns at VHBH are engaged in a variety of behavioral health services offered through our organization with major areas of focus that strongly align with the areas of focus within COPIC: Behavioral Health Intervention, Community Consultation and Systems Collaboration, Supervision, and Psychological Assessment. VHBH is a leader and coordinator of several behavioral health collaborations, work groups, community-based initiatives, and is viewed as a central hub for the integration and coordination of all behavioral health resources, providers, and organizations within our community. Interns at VHBH have opportunities to engage in behavioral health systems collaboration at state and national systemic level through policy advocacy and leadership development with the Colorado Psychological Association. Interns will provide outpatient therapy through VHBH to the Eagle Valley Community. Additionally, there are three separate tracks available for interns at VHBH: outpatient and assessment  (1 FT funded placements), integrated care and outpatient therapy track (1 FT funded placement), and high acuity (1 FT funded placement).

Vail Health Behavioral Health Outpatient Therapy Track (1 intern)

Interns placed with VHBH’s Outpatient Therapy Track support the Vail Health Behavioral Health (VHBH) Outpatient Clinics. VHBH Clinics serve as the community mental health center for Eagle and Summit Counties serving patients from all backgrounds and presenting concerns. As a safety net facility, VHBH has a primary focus on treating patients with depression, anxiety, substance use, and trauma but interns will also get exposure to patients with chronic and persistent mental illnesses. 

The intern;s primary clinical responsibilities include brief screenings and longer-term interventions including the provision of individual, family, and couples therapy with children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of presenting concerns. Interns will be responsible for facilitating a number of groups either in the outpatient setting or intensive outpatient program. There will be the opportunity to develop group curriculum based on intern interest or specialty. 

Interns may also receive referrals for solution focused, short-term work from the employee assistance program (EAP) for Vail Health employees. In the VHBH Outpatient Clinic, interns will also participate in the psychological testing program completing comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments and conducting neuropsychological batteries.

The Outpatient Therapy Track also offers the unique opportunity to be involved in leadership roles in many Community Consultation Systems including but not limited to: Zero Suicide Committee, Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, Eagle County Crisis Response Debrief, Disaster Behavioral Response Committee, Critical Incident Debrief Team, and more. The Outpatient Therapy also services the Latinx Community of Eagle County offering multiple opportunities for community engagement, bilingual service delivery, and program development.

Vail Health Behavioral Health Integrated Care & Outpatient Therapy Track (1 intern)

Interns placed with VHBH’s Integrated Care & Outpatient Therapy Track support the Integrated Behavioral Health program at Colorado Mountain Medical (CMM) and Vail Health Behavioral Health (VHBH) Outpatient Clinic. In the Integrated Care rotation, interns are embedded into the medical clinic supporting patients accessing primary care, dermatology, gynecology, endocrinology, urology, and pediatrics. Interns will field warm hand-offs from physicians, consult with medical staff, and provide brief, solution-focused interventions to patients, their parents, and families. Interns will also have the opportunity to attend physician meetings, build presentations for staff on treating behavioral health patients, and participate in the development of a specialty project related to primary care.

While rotating through VHBH Outpatient Clinic, interns primary clinical responsibilities include brief screenings and intervention including the provision of individual, family, couples, and group therapy with children, adolescents, and adults with a variety of presenting concerns. Interns may also receive referrals for solution focused, short-term work from the employee assistance program (EAP) for Vail Health employees. In the VHBH Outpatient Clinic, interns will also participate in the psychological testing program completing comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments and conducting neuropsychological batteries.

Vail Health Behavioral Health High Acuity Track (1 intern) *Formerly the Your Hope Center Crisis Track

In partnership with Your Hope Center, the Vail Health Behavioral Health High Acuity Track offers an immersive experience for interns dedicated to serving individuals with acute behavioral health concerns. This track has evolved from the original Your Hope Center Crisis Response Track to provide a broader scope of care. Interns in this track will spend two days a week in VHBH outpatient clinical services, providing individual, family, couple, and group psychotherapy for patients experiencing high-acuity behavioral health challenges. This will include participation in VHBH High Intensity Services Program. This program includes the VHBH Intensive Outpatient Program which offers 6 hours of group, weekly to adolescents, and 9 hours of group, weekly to adults. It also includes community-based stabilization for patients that do not require hospitalization. Interns will support in curriculum development, facilitation of group, and administrative support as well as safety planning, motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and communication skills training. Evening and weekend hours may be necessary to support the High Intensity Services programming.

In addition to high acuity outpatient, the interns will have the opportunity to rotate through additional high acuity service lines:

• Your Hope Center Crisis Co-Mobile Response: Working alongside law enforcement and paramedics to conduct risk assessments, facilitate de-escalation, and connect individuals to necessary resources. Weekend and evening hours may be required.
• Precourt Health Center: 28 bed inpatient psychiatric facility for acute behavioral health needs. Interns can perform individual, family, couples’ sessions in the unit as well provide milieu and group interventions. Weekend and evening hours may be required.