Staff Perspectives

Debra Krauss

Residential Counselor I, Lincoln House

I work with men so down on themselves, and work with their strengths to build them up. Each one has remarkable stories to tell, and I will listen to every one.  Through various activities, I help consumers keep up on current events, stay active, cook, clean, maintain good hygiene, take their medication, set a positive daily routine, and set long-term goals.

I love my job and the people I work with - my supportive peers, my terrific supervisor, his supervisor, and everyone at Mental Health Center of Denver. People are sorry if they ask me what I do because I'll spend forever telling them how great it is to work for Mental Health Center of Denver.

Russell Urrutia

Program Manager, El Centro de las Familias

For the past few years, I have had the honor to lead a great team at El Centro de las Familias.  El Centro is a multi-cultural, bilingual clinic, providing culturally competent mental health care primarily to the Latino/Hispanic community and the southwest community in Denver.   With a long history of collaboration with the community and other health care providers, El Centro is an indispensable resource for mental health.

It is an honor to provide leadership for a creative clinical team serving marginalized populations and Spanish speakers.   We make a difference every day, because we focus on giving the best treatment possible.   I love to problem solve and am passionate about what I do.   My 25 years in mental health has given me insight into the importance of culturally appropriate services and the importance of building the right services to meet the needs of the community.

Michelle Tijerina

Child & Family Community Coordinator

“La persona que habla dos idiomas vale por dos.”  The person who speaks two languages has the value of two - a phrase my grandfather told me.  I am happy to be one of several bilingual Child and Family clinicians, connecting our community to services from clinics and programs like: Dickenson, West Denver, Home-Based, School-Based, “El Centro de las Familias,” Early Childhood, and other treatment teams.  

I have such gratitude to Mental Health Center of Denver for its commitment to serving all our families   through a kind, ethical and effective therapeutic process.  I am also grateful we take care of our employees.  Mental Health Center of Denver invests, values, and listens to the ideas and opinions of their employees.

Perhaps the most important and certainly the most heartening benefit of working for Mental Health Center of Denver is leadership’s commitment to creating and maintaining a “Wellness Culture” -  acknowledging and supporting each other, not only as team members but as individuals, each with our own strengths and limitless potential.