We serve people affected by incarceration
because we are those people
As a team that has collectively experienced the impact of incarceration, we understand the challenges of re-entering back into the community and navigating the healthcare system. While not all of us have been through the same exact journey, we share common ground in our lived experiences, and use that to connect with you on a personal level. Leveraging our connections with healthcare providers and Colorado Medicaid, we are well-equipped to assist you in accessing medical care and achieving YOUR wellness goals, whatever they may be. In this complex healthcare landscape, we're here to guide you every step of the way, ensuring you feel cared for, respected, and treated with dignity.
Our Team
Angel Soto (Registered as a member on CDPHE’s Health Navigator Registry)
Health Navigator
I’m Angel, the CU WORTH Health Navigator. I’ve worked in medical administrative and clinical positions for over 10 years. I am a Colorado native and grew up in the Denver Metro area. During my time, I’ve experienced addiction, recovery, incarceration, and being unhoused at the age of 12. I taught myself how to navigate the healthcare system while experiencing stigma and trauma within the medical setting. This is why I choose to become part of that system and try to change it from the inside out. Through it all, I have found a passion for supporting those who are currently in a situation similar to where I was. I use my past experiences to advocate for others by walking with them through their hard times to find the strength and resilience within themselves.
I believe EVERYONE deserves quality healthcare and to be treated as a human despite their past situations; together we all can make a difference to change the stigma and stereotypes around folks who have experienced incarceration, mental health challenges, gang involvement, trauma, and/or addiction.
Bruce Ratliff, CAS, CPFS
Peer Support Specialist
Bruce is a passionate Peer Professional whose big heart matches his large stature. He is a family man and enjoys being present with his children, work family, and his recovery community where he takes on life’s internal and external challenges. Bruce was raised on the streets of New York City where he experienced early childhood trauma, poverty, and homelessness. Using substances became the way in which he coped through the pain, misery, and suffering he was faced with. This method of coping worked until it didn’t. Eventually, Bruce found intervention during one of the lowest points of his life, in prison. It was this low point when his resilience kicked in and he embraced the challenge ahead of him, and never looked back.
Bruce has an extensive professional background supporting others as a Peer Professional. For over twelve years he has served various populations in our community. His unique personal lived experience, training, professional background, and person-centered trauma informed approach makes him a valuable asset to the WORTH Team.
Bruce is up for trying almost anything once, even snowboarding, scuba diving, and rock climbing! With an open mind and an adventurous spirit, Bruce fills his heart and life with purpose. He gladly shares his recovery with others to support anyone with a desire to improve their quality of life, however that looks to them. Bruce is honored to do this work and looks forward to working with you!
Jessie Henderson, CPFS
Peer Support Specialist
Jessie Henderson is a self-proclaimed urban enthusiast in the land of majestic mountains. In a twist of fate, his formative years took an unexpected turn, plunging him into an offbeat adventure. It was an extraordinary opportunity filled with joy and pain, where he encountered challenges that defied convention and learning experiences that sparked his imagination. Jessie emerged from this adventure with a unique perspective and a hunger for meaningful change.
Jessie stumbled upon his calling as a peer support specialist, where he skillfully employs his natural curiosity to guide and uplift individuals in the community. With a lighthearted touch, he has an uncanny talent for striking up the most random and surprisingly inspiring conversations with people, especially grandmas, who warmly welcome his presence. As a passionate CrossFit enthusiast, he embraces the exhilaration that comes from pushing his body to its limits, finding a unique sense of joy in the transformative process of growth. The occasional muscle ache becomes a satisfying reminder of his dedication to self-improvement and the pursuit of a stronger, healthier version of himself.
With an optimistic spirit and a genuine desire for positive change, Jessie dreams of playing a role in fostering cultural transformation and bridging the gap between the powerful and the vulnerable. Drawing from his own lived experiences and acquiring new skills along the way, he aspires to make a meaningful impact on the world around him. With a touch of idealism and a belief in the collective power of compassion and understanding, Jessie embarks on a journey to contribute his part in creating a more inclusive and equitable society.
Megan Robins
Program Manager
Megan Robins started her career in 2007 when she moved to Mozambique and got thrown headfirst into the complexities and nuances of life and public health. Since then, she has continued pursuing a wide array of experiences (from clinical work in a sexual health clinic to deworming cows on a Brazilian farm to arranging medical care for ICE detainees) that push and challenge her to expand her understanding, curiosity, and compassion. Megan’s desire to use these experiences and her privilege as a force for change caused her to conceptualize and start building out the WORTH program in 2018. Using her natural tenacity, Megan strives to create authentic opportunities for those who have experienced incarceration to find wellness and use their voice and power to benefit themselves and the community. By helping others find their place, Megan aims to break down societal barriers and create a more inclusive and equitable society where people are healthy and respected, independent of their history with the criminal legal system.
Paul Christine, MD, PhD
Faculty Strategist
Paul is an internal medicine and addiction medicine physician at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Denver Health. Paul practices clinically at the Sam Sandos Westside Family Health Center at Denver Health where he provides integrated primary care and addiction care. He also serves as an addiction medicine consultant at Denver Health’s hospital where he sees patients with substance use disorders who are hospitalized. He firmly believes in partnering with people to meet their goals and employs a harm reduction philosophy in his clinical work. Paul has witnessed the power of peer support models in a variety of settings and is excited to partner with the WORTH program to further this important work.
Outside of his clinical work, Paul does health services and policy research with the goal of improving the availability, quality, and equity of care for individuals with substance use disorders, including those exiting incarceration.
Prior to joining the University of Colorado and Denver Health, Paul spent several years in Boston where he worked in a low-barrier addiction clinic at Boston Medical Center, provided clinical services at a harm reduction housing program, and volunteered with the city’s largest harm reduction/syringe service program.
Outside of work, Paul is widely considered the least interesting person in his family. He enjoys spending time with his brilliant wife, his son, and his hyperactive dog Bernie.