Casey Piscura took his life on Feb. 2, 2025 — a Sunday. That week the news broke slowly, then quickly rippled through the community, opening a chasm of grief shared among the people who knew and admired this seemingly unstoppable farmer. Several memorials were held in the weeks that followed, including a gathering of hundreds […]
Mental Health
Posted inColumns
When the light goes out: Understanding seasonal depression
By Mónica Grijalva Ruiz, LCSWMental Harmony This Sol del Valle article has been translated for English Readers. The change in weather is indeed related to our quality of life. Every year, with the arrival of autumn and winter, many people experience more than just the simple cold in the air. It’s seasonal depression, also known […]
Posted inBusiness
SANCTUM opens psychedelic healing center in Aspen
On Saturday, June 14, SANCTUM, a new psychedelic healing center in Aspen, held their official opening ceremony. The community ceremony took place in Aspen Shakti, a yoga studio and wellness center which now also houses SANCTUM. Former Aspen city councilmember and SANCTUM founder Skippy Mesirow, alongside SANCTUM co-leader Jamie Butemeyer Mesirow, took turns welcoming guests […]
Posted inNonprofits
AZYEP rings in a quarter century of empowering young people
The Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program (AZYEP) is celebrating a quarter of a century of getting kids on the airwaves. Coming up on June 7, the youth radio team will host a party — of the century — in front of its home at KDNK Community Access Radio. The entire block from Main Street to […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Recovery cards — messages of hope for those living with addiction”
The deadline for Colorado artists to submit designs for the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration’s (BHA) recovery and mental health commemorative cards series closed on Feb. 26. The project, created in partnership with the Lift The Label public awareness campaign, utilizes the talents of Colorado-based artists to celebrate recovery efforts for those living with mental health […]
Posted inNonprofits
Aspen Hope Center expands mental health support in schools
Aspen Hope Center (AHC) continues to expand its programs that help bridge the gap in accessible mental health services through collaboration with schools to help support some of the Valley’s most vulnerable youth and individuals. AHC started in 2009 and focuses on three key aspects of mental health response: prevention, intervention and postvention. One of […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Drawn together — Local craft clubs alleviate loneliness
Almost every Tuesday night for over seven years, the Roaring Fork Drawing Club has gathered artists of all ages and skill levels for a casual encounter at traveling locations throughout the Valley. The club has met at a tattoo parlor, businesses now shuttered, art museums and galleries, venue spaces, a thrift store, fashion show rehearsals, […]
Posted inNonprofits
Castle Valley counters mental health crisis one family at a time
Carbondale-based Castle Valley Children’s Clinic will now offer its clients behavioral health services thanks, in part, to a state grant. The clinic has been treating young people in the Roaring Fork Valley since 2011 for their medical needs. Medical Director Carey Levin, MD said there is a list of patients waiting to receive treatment from […]
Posted inNews
A Way Out’s Fall Symposium to address substance abuse and trauma
Carbondale-based nonprofit A Way Out will hold its annual fall symposium at The Arts Campus at Willits (TACAW) on Oct. 3 from 8am to 1pm. The event will offer insights into substance use disorders and mental health and feature a lineup of notable speakers who will address addiction and trauma recovery. Founded in 2014, A […]
Posted inNews
Parameters set for authorized psychedelic therapy in Colorado
In mid-August, the Colorado Department of Revenue finalized legislation on the parameters for psychedelic therapy. This is just one of many steps in a long process of recognizing medical and therapeutic value in psilocybin mushrooms. The substance has been featured increasingly in media since 2018. Colorado is a leading state making progressive regulatory steps regarding […]