COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The Colorado Healing Fund (CHF) announces a new role and committee dedicated to reaching and assisting victims following Club Q response.
The Community Health Partnership is helping CHF better support victims locally by creating a supportive role called 'the navigator.'
The navigator is a licensed professional counselor who is a trusted member of the LGBTQIA+ community in Colorado Springs. CHP hopes more victims will come forward knowing the navigator isn't part of law enforcement.
"We want to ensure that folks that don't feel comfortable accessing those resources, have another way of getting the help that they need," said CHP CEO Amber Ptak.
Ptak said the navigator will also ensure local health providers are trained to help LGBTQIA+ victims.
"We do not want to connect victims of Club Q or any other LGBTQ plus community member to health care that isn't affirming to who they are," said Ptak.
Since the shooting that took place last November that left 5 dead and 33 injured, the CHF has raised over $2.1 million in money for the victims.
$450,000 was given to 81 individuals already. The new advisory committee will decide where the remaining $1.6 million will go.
100 percent of donations go directly to victims.
"Helping them access not only behavioral health resources but other financial needs so it may include things like rent, utilities, transportation," said Ptak.
The Club Q Advisory Committee is composed of LGBTQIA+ leaders, victim assistance experts, and community partners and was created to shape a plan for distributing the remaining funds to victims.
Members of the Club Q Advisory Committee include:
- Rachel Keener of Community Health Partnership
- Denise Whinnen of the Gill Foundation
- Jessica Laney of Pikes Peak Pride
- Jessie Pocock of InsideOut Youth Services
- Nadine Bridges of One Colorado
- Cari Davis of Colorado Springs Health Foundation
- Daniel Ramos of Colorado Democracy Alliance
- Curt Drennen of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response in the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Kate Horn-Murphy and Kelly Kissell of the Office for Victims Programs at the Division of Criminal Justice
- Mari Dennis of Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance
- Robin Finegan who formerly served as Regional Administrator for FEMA Region VIII
- Cynthia Coffman who formerly served as the Colorado State Attorney General and helped establish the Colorado Healing Fund
The CHF will continue to work with the navigator and Club Q Advisory Committee to figure out how to distribute the rest of the funds to victims in the future.
Victims can reach out to the Navigator at communitysupport@pppchp.org
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