Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
Photo – Carbon County Public Health logo – Courtesy Carbon County Public Health
Carbon County Public Health is putting together a team to help residents navigate traumatic events.
During the January 6th, Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Public Health Nursing Manager Amanda Brown announced the creation of Carbon County Connect. Brown explained that the Connect team is a group of people who provide resources for survivors of loss.
Carbon County Connect is part of the Connect Postvention Suicide Program, an initiative developed by the New Hampshire National Alliance on Mental Illness to help communities respond after a suicide. The Connect Program provides a coordinated response framework that guides schools, law enforcement, mental‑health providers, and other community partners as they respond after a suicide.
According to a Carbon County Public Health flyer, the local Connect team helps survivors feel supported, encourages open and compassionate conversations about mental health, and strengthens community resilience by preparing people to respond together and prevent future tragedies.
Back at the January 6th County Commissioners meeting, Brown said Public Health Community Engagement Consultant Tracy Young is still building the Carbon County Connect team and invited people to contact Young for more information.
Brown said the key issue is funding, noting that the organization must determine how it will pay for the support it will provide for the community.
The Carbon County Connect team has held training sessions in Baggs, Saratoga, and Rawlins. Commissioner Sue Jones asked why no classes were held in the northern part of the county. Brown replied that she would like to expand the trainings, but only Baggs, Saratoga, and Rawlins residents have expressed interest in the program at this time.
Commissioner Jones expressed her approval of the program, saying that post‑suicide support has been needed in the past.
The Carbon County Connect team is seeking volunteers. The organization is hosting two virtual meetings this month to discuss what the Connect team offers and to set up future training programs. The first meeting is at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, January 23rd. The following session is scheduled for Monday, January 26th, at 11:00 a.m. A link to the two virtual training meetings will be included in this story when it is posted to the Bigfoot99 website later today.
For more information about the Carbon County Connect team, email Public Health Community Engagement Consultant Tracy Young at communityisprevention@gmail.com.
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Friday, January 23rd 10 am
Video call link: Meet – yoo-kzyv-gtv
Monday, January 26th 11 am
Video call link: Meet – bdi-vuwo-yqi
