CARBONDALE, CO, November 2, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Michelle Muething has been recognized for achievement in crisis intervention and mental health services.

Ms. Muething's career in crisis intervention and mental health services has been defined by innovation, leadership, and a commitment to advancing the specialty of mobile crisis nationwide. Since 2020, she has served as founder, trainer, and consultant for Frontline Crisis Academy, an organization she established in response to the evolving needs of crisis response as the field began to grow during the COVID pandemic. Recognizing the lack of standardized training for mental health professionals responding to behavioral health emergencies, Ms. Muething drew on her knowledge and experience to develop comprehensive programs that train mobile crisis clinicians and teams across the United States. Her work includes developing policies and procedures and teaching essential skills that form a 'crisis mindset,' such as genuine presence, rapid rapport building, and safe scene entry. She travels extensively, supporting teams as they launch and strengthen their operations while guiding newly hired crisis responders who are expected to perform at a high level from day one. Among her proudest achievements is founding Frontline Crisis Academy, which continues to set new standards for crisis response training.

From 2023 to 2025, Ms. Muething contributed her expertise as a technical advisor and crisis subject matter expert for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration GAINS Center, Policy Research Associates Inc. In this capacity, she provided critical insights into best practices for crisis intervention, further cementing her reputation as a leader in the field.

Her earlier tenure at Aspen Hope Center from 2010 to 2024 stands as another cornerstone of her professional journey. After moving to Colorado to be a stay-at-home mother, Ms. Muething was invited to consult on recommendations from a university study of local crisis services. This opportunity led her to become one of four founders of Aspen Hope Center, which was then the only freestanding crisis center in Colorado. She began as one of its first crisis clinicians before transitioning into program development. When the founding foundation closed two years after opening, she became executive director and guided the center through significant growth while always maintaining its community-first mission. She left Aspen Hope Center to make an even broader impact on the field; she now supports crisis teams across the country.

Ms. Muething's academic involvement includes serving as an adjunct professor at Colorado Mountain College's Spring Valley Campus from 2010 to 2016, where she shared her expertise with students pursuing careers in mental health. Before relocating to Colorado, she served as corporate compliance officer at Fairbanks Hospital in Indianapolis from 2005 to 2010.

From 2000 to 2010, Ms. Muething taught at Indiana University as an adjunct faculty member during the day while working crisis shifts at night, integrating real-life scenarios into her classroom instruction and applying course concepts directly in her clinical work. During those same years, she also served as a crisis clinician at Midtown Mental Health in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Her early career included serving as director of juvenile crisis services at Rape Crisis Center of the Lowcountry in Beaufort, South Carolina, from 1999 to 2000 and working as an assessment administrator for Neuropsychological Services in Asheville, North Carolina, from 1997 to 1999.

Throughout her career, Ms. Muething has been actively involved with industry organizations and task forces focused on improving mental health services and standards. She serves as vice chair of the Governor-appointed Board for Mental Health Regulation, Services and Standards in Colorado. She is a member of the executive board of the Colorado Provider Association (COPA) and serves on the task force revamping the curriculum at the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training Academy.

Ms. Muething's educational background laid a strong foundation for her many achievements in mental health care. She earned a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, in 1999 after completing a bachelor's degree in psychology at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida. She is licensed as a professional counselor in Colorado and as a mental health counselor in Washington.

She attributes her success to the relationships and partnerships she has built throughout her career. Lessons from colleagues and mentors have been integral to her professional growth and have shaped her approach to consulting, teaching, and clinical practice. Ms. Muething first became involved in crisis work after leaving graduate school, when she discovered an affinity for applying her clinical psychology training, social psychology knowledge, and neuroscience theories in high-pressure crisis settings.

Beyond her professional roles, Ms. Muething has demonstrated civic engagement through leadership roles with several organizations. She serves as board president of Wind Walkers Equine Assisted and Learning Facility and as a board member of Music Therapy Retreats. Her role as co-founder of Aspen Hope Center further highlights her dedication to community-based, innovative solutions for those experiencing a mental health crisis, where the individual is treated first and foremost as a human being, not a revenue stream or a checkbox.

Her contributions have earned numerous awards, including a community award from the Avon Police Department in Colorado. During her ten years at Indiana University she earned the Gateway Scholar Award, the Outstanding Faculty Care Award, and multiple Favorite Professor Awards; she cites these as her most valued honors.

Beyond her career accomplishments, Ms. Muething considers her twenty-five-year marriage and raising her two sons—instilling strong morals and values in them—her greatest personal achievements. She enjoys spending time on her back porch in the Rocky Mountains and on outdoor activities such as hiking, rafting, skiing, horseback riding, camping, and traveling abroad.

Looking ahead, Ms. Muething plans to build on her first book — a skills-based textbook and workbook — as an initial step toward establishing a larger academy dedicated to mobile crisis training. Her vision includes piloting an academy that offers structured training programs culminating in certification for graduates, with credentials employers recognize. With current contracts spanning multiple states from South Carolina to Oregon, she aims to expand Frontline Crisis Academy into additional states by providing standardized curricula to help certify crisis responders nationwide.

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