Sam is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 12 years of experience serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness and co-occurring disorders, primarily in crisis settings. Since 2016, Sam has been an integral part of Denver’s Co-Responder Team, joining at its inception and playing a key role in its development both as a front-line clinician and as a leader.

Currently serving as the Associate Director of Criminal Justice Services at WellPower—Denver’s Community Mental Health Center—Sam oversees multiple programs designed to divert individuals from the criminal justice system and reduce recidivism. These include the Co-Responder and STAR programs, as well as a range of Court-Based initiatives such as Competency Diversion, Competency Restoration, Probation Liaison, and Behavioral Health Navigator services.

In addition to her work at WellPower, Sam has served as a board member of the Colorado Co-Responder Alliance since 2022, helping to advance statewide collaboration and best practices in co-responder models.

Sam is passionate about building bridges between behavioral health and public safety, and has spent much of her career collaborating with first responders, public defenders, district attorneys, and community-based partners to create more equitable and supportive systems of care. Helping to grow these initiatives and teams has been a highlight of Sam’s professional journey.