In November 2025, 988 Colorado convened its first-ever Sandbox Summit, bringing together state leaders, system partners, providers, and community stakeholders to advance a shared vision for Colorado’s behavioral health crisis system. Grounded in the 988 Colorado 2025–2028 Strategic Plan, the Summit focused on celebrating progress to date, identifying system challenges, and collaboratively shaping the future of 988 operations, outreach, governance, and sustainability. Discussions highlighted the importance of stronger system integration, expanded public awareness and trust, improved use of data to tell a more complete impact story, and proactive planning to ensure long-term financial and operational sustainability.
Third Horizon served as strategic advisor and facilitator for the Sandbox Summit, designing and leading the convening to support meaningful cross-agency collaboration and actionable planning. Through facilitated discussions and structured breakout sessions, Third Horizon helped partners align around shared priorities, surface opportunities for improvement, and identify concrete next steps to strengthen coordination across Colorado’s crisis response ecosystem. The Summit reinforced a collective commitment to building a responsive, integrated, and person-centered system of care anchored by the 988 Colorado Mental Health Line.
