The Katz Amsterdam Foundation (KAF), a nonprofit founded by Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz and his late wife Elana Amsterdam, gathered mental and behavioral health leaders from mountain communities across the West this week for its annual Convening. The gathering strengthens peer relationships across a growing network while advancing shared, community-driven solutions to mental health challenges in rural mountain regions.
Since 2008, Katz Amsterdam has provided over $80 million in philanthropic investments and programming. Of that, $30 million has been specifically directed to mountain communities, with more than $22 million supporting mental and behavioral health initiatives in rural mountain areas. The Foundation currently partners with organizations in 12 mountain resort communities: Aspen, Crested Butte/Gunnison, Eagle County, Steamboat Springs, Summit County, and Winter Park in Colorado; Telluride, Colorado; Park City, Utah; Tahoe/Truckee in California and Nevada; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Sun Valley, Idaho; and Big Sky, Montana. In each location, local leaders define priorities and deploy funding to address community-specific needs.
Shared Data Dashboard Expands Across Communities
A key focus of this year’s convening was the continued expansion of a first-of-its-kind shared mental health data dashboard, now used across nearly all partner communities spanning seven Western states. The Katz Amsterdam Foundation Shared Measurement Framework Data Dashboard allows communities to track trends in mental health, provider capacity, youth well-being, and behavioral health outcomes over time. Developed in partnership with local leaders, the dashboard grew from community conversations identifying gaps in existing data and the need for aligned measures that preserve local context.
Rob Katz emphasized the value of this approach: “Shared data creates shared learning, which is essential for behavioral health. After a decade of working alongside mountain community leaders, we’ve seen firsthand how sustained partnerships lead to sustained results.” In Tahoe Truckee, the dashboard has provided data revealing that below-poverty residents carry the heaviest need for mental and behavioral health services. Local organizations including Tahoe Family Solutions, Crow’s Nest Ranch, Sierra Community House, and What’s Up Wellness provide mental health support regardless of ability to pay, with support from the Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/katz-amsterdam-foundation-marks-decade-of-investments-in-mountain-communities-at-annual-convening-expands-shared-mental-health-data-dashboard/