1046 results for author: Mental Health Colorado

Perspective: Countering Colorado’s opioid crisis

February 9, 2025 By: Wendy Buxton-Andrade The opioid crisis remains one of the most pressing issues facing our nation and Colorado. While we are making significant progress in confronting and mitigating the problem, opioid trafficking and addiction continues to impact families and communities in every corner of our state. The problem has its roots in overprescription of medical opioids decades ago. People seeking relief from pain — whether from a medical condition, injury or surgery — would be prescribed opioids to manage that pain, and some would become addicted. Eventually they would seek more potent forms, and over time the problem ...

Colorado Suicide Prevention Advocacy Day Event to Be Held at Colorado State Capitol on March 12

February 20, 2025 By: Tricia Stortz On March 12, advocates, mental health professionals, and community members will gather at the Colorado State Capitol Building, in Denver, for an event held in conjunction with Colorado Suicide Prevention Advocacy Day. Hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Colorado Chapter, Mental Health Colorado, the Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado, and NAMI Colorado, the event aims to drive policy discussions and strengthen mental health initiatives statewide.The event provides a platform for advocates and the public to engage directly with state legislators. Participants will share ...

Colorado needs HB 1002 to ensure fair access to mental health care

February 26, 2025 By: Vincent Atchity House Bill 25-1002 is a critical step toward ensuring that mental health care is treated with the same urgency, transparency and fairness as physical health care. By establishing a clear, standardized definition of “medical necessity” in alignment with evidence-based clinical standards, this bill will help ensure that Coloradans receive the care they need and are already paying for. Too many Colorado families are being denied essential mental health care based on arbitrary or opaque insurance standards. A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found that nearly 20% of all medical necessity denials ...

Mental health tips for election stress

November 6, 2024 By: Vincent Atchity “If you’re feeling anxiety or dread waiting for election results, chances are you are not alone,” said Vincent Atchity, president of Mental Health Colorado. “Take a moment to reach out to a family member, friend or neighbor. No matter what side of the aisle you are on or the outcome of the election, we all must come together to support each other’s mental health.” Don’t isolate yourself. Reach out to members of the community and check in on those who may also be feeling anxious about the election results. Go off the grid at least for a while. If possible, disconnect from smart phones and ...

Colorado Ballot Measure Aims to Remove Ban on Gay Marriage From State Constitution

October 30, 2024 By: Hannah Metzger This isn't the first time Colorado has asked voters to remove problematic language from the state constitution. In 2018, voters approved a ballot measure to abolish slavery in the state by removing constitutional language that banned slavery and servitude "except as a punishment." The campaign in favor of Amendment J, Freedom to Marry Colorado, raised over $760,000 as of Monday, October 28, according to state campaign finance records. No formal committee was established to oppose the measure. Some big names backing the effort include Governor Jared Polis, both of Colorado's U.S. senators, all of the ...

Larimer County’s mental health center lays off 75 people, blames rise in uninsured and Medicaid reform

August 8, 2024 By: Jennifer Brown It’s hardly surprising that safety-net mental health centers are feeling the loss of Medicaid coverage for 600,000 Coloradans in the span of about a year, said Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado. “It’s an earthquake that takes a segment out of a highway,” he said. “It’s a crisis for sure.” Atchity, who advocated for payment reform and more transparency in public spending on community mental health centers, said it’s likely there is “some seismic shifting that occurs when a system is flipping itself as much as this.” But it’s unclear this early on in the ...

Motel Owners Sue Greenwood Village Over Ordinance That Limits Homeless Motel Stays

August 5, 2024 By: Bennito L Kelty In March 2020, John Jackson, the Greenwood Village city manager, sent Bharucha a letter warning that she was violating the ordinance because her motel isn't a medical facility, according to the lawsuit. Jackson also called on then-Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to cancel the partnership with CCH, "and the partnership was canceled," the lawsuit notes. A month later, Bharucha formed a new partnership with SAFER, an initiative supported by Mental Health Colorado, to offer 23 rooms at her motel for two years as a temporary shelter for people suffering from mental health problems or drug addiction. Greenwood ...

Climate change is exacerbating Colorado’s mental health crisis. We need leaders who will tackle it head-on.

July 31, 2024 By: Vincent Atchity Of course, a central part of the solution to eco-anxiety lies in desperately needed policy change. That means bolstering environmental protections at the federal, state and local level. The best treatment for eco-anxiety is collective action around climate and commitment from those in power to prioritize this issue before it’s too late. We can’t wait, however, for policy changes to come about before helping Coloradans who experience eco-anxiety. We must acknowledge and validate these feelings among our friends and neighbors, and mental health providers must be prepared to help clients navigate these ...

Bridges of Colorado: Formerly homeless, jailed vet headed home with new coping skills

July 21, 2024 By: Mary Shinn Mental Health Colorado President and CEO Vincent Atchity said his organization supported the new program that will help people leave the justice system and focus on their mental well-being. He expects it will help those facing charges such as trespassing, public nuisance and other lower-level crimes, and free up the court system for those who have committed more egregious crimes. “There's a significant chunk of the population with the lower charges, that can just be steered away from the pursuit of prosecution,” he said. Ultimately, Mental Health Colorado would like to see far more mental health ...

Colorado leaders launch website this week to help improve the state’s mental health system

July 3, 2024 By: Tatiana Flowers The Behavioral Health Administration will host public conversations in the coming months to help people learn to use the tool. Those dates will be published on the Behavioral Health Administration’s calendar soon. “It’s important for a public system to have this kind of visibility to show how it’s improving access for people,” Atchity said. “And for our purposes, as advocates, it’s handy — if we can trust this to be thorough and comprehensive.” Mental Health Colorado leaders recently released Know Your Rights information for Coloradans who need mental health and substance use services....