Arapahoe County Commissioner Nancy Jackson on Wednesday was named the 2022 Local Community Behavioral Health Champion by the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council. The award recognizes her passion and dedication to making behavioral health care more accessible throughout the state. The commissioner is the first recipient of the award.
“Nancy has been a true advocate for mental health access, both in Arapahoe County and beyond,” said Commissioner Bill Holen. “Today our residents have more and better access to behavioral health services than any other point of time and it comes at a time when we need it most.”
Nominators celebrated her commitment to advance policies and programs to increase accessibility and awareness of behavioral health care during her tenure, including:
- Chairing the Governor’s Behavioral health Task Force Safety Net subcommittee.
- Serving on the Aurora Mental Health Center’s Governing Board, where she advocates for behavioral health through support of community organizations.
- Board liaison to the Tri-County Board of Health.
- Participant in the National Association of Counties Behavioral Health Subcommittee, promoting policies that recognize and support the critical roles counties play in caring for people affected by mental illness.
“Nancy has always known that true health includes taking care of our minds. Her legacy can be seen in the thousands of residents who now have access to behavioral healthcare as part of her career service,” said Commissioner Carrie Warren-Gully.
Jackson will continue advocating for the health of Arapahoe County residents as one of two commissioners elected to the Foundational Board of Health. That board is overseeing the creation of the Public Health Department, which is scheduled to open on Jan. 1, 2023.
Jackson is finishing her third and final term as commissioner representing District 4, which includes unincorporated areas in northern Arapahoe County and portions of the City of Aurora.