Paula LaPorte, BSN
In the Mental Health field since 1976.

BS Nursing, 1971 Certified Psychiatric Nurse, 1989 Medication Administration Trainer

Paula LaPorte is the County Director for Morgan County.  Paula came to Centennial Mental Health Center in 1976 as an R.N. staff nurse and worked primarily with the Substance Abuse Program and the Community Support Program (CSP).

Paula had worked previously under a joint grant with Northeast CO. Health Dept. and Northeast MHC (now Centennial MHC).  She was a Public Health Nurse who provided outreach services to consumers (and their families) who had been treated in an inpatient setting for alcoholism at the State Hospital in Pueblo.  

By the early 1980’s Paula was a team leader at Centennial, a member of the Quality Improvement (QI) Committee and actively assisted with emergency commitments while on emergency call. She provided adult individual and group psychotherapy and taught prenatal classes for unwed teenagers.  She was credentialed through the American Nurses Association (ANA) as a certified psychiatric nurse in 1989.

In the 90’s, Paula continued to provide adult psychotherapy and emergency services and was the CSP team leader.  She was a member of the QI committee, assisting with writing policies and procedures for QI.  She provided supervision and orientation to new staff as well as assigning cases to the outpatient staff.  When prenatal classes were discontinued, Paula became an approved medication administration instructor for the CO State Public Health Department, providing 4 classes a year in Northeast CO. 

In 1997-98 Paula was promoted to the Program Manager position for the Community Support Program in Ft. Morgan, transferring to the building (Rainbow House) where staff and services for CSP are housed.  Paula also helped to reorganize Morgan County’s O.B.R.A. (Geriatric Program) and H.C.B.S-M.I. (Home and Community Based Services for the Mentally Ill) programs.  She remained an active member of the QI and a committee member for the Forms Committee.  

Named Interim Director for Morgan County when the County Director was promoted to Deputy Director in July, 2001, Paula accepted the position of County Director in September, 2001.  Paula has a B.S. in nursing from South Dakota State University.  She has a current and active license in Colorado as an R.N. and is certified as a Psychiatric Nurse through the A.N.A.