Serving Northwest Colorado since 1978, beginning in Moffat County and expanding to Rio Blanco County in 2021. The agency, originally founded as Advocates Crisis Support Services (ACSS), merged with Memorial Regional Health in 2018. Up until January 2024, Open Heart Advocates operated as a DBA under the Community Clinics at Memorial Regional Health (CCMRH). As of January 1, 2024, we have officially transitioned to Advocates-Crisis, Trauma, and Survivor Services (ACTSS) with a DBA of Open Heart Advocates (OHA), reestablishing ourselves as a standalone 501(c)(3) community-based nonprofit.
Since 2021, ACTSS/OHA has encompassed three arms of victim services: Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and all other Victims Rights Act (VRA) Crimes, as well as Community Response for Crisis and Trauma events, including Behavioral Health and the Bears Ears Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISM), offering behavioral and other emotional support to first responders. Through local, state, and federal funding, as well as donations, Advocates provides free 24-hour on-scene response services dispatched through our locally staffed 24/7 hotline, along with long-term follow-up services and support, both on-scene and during office hours.
