1041 results for author: Mental Health Colorado

Coloradans living with mental illness say comments after El Paso, Dayton mass shootings further stigmatize

By: Jessica Seaman August 8, 2019 Once again, as the nation reels in the aftermath of back-to-back mass shootings, mental health is a focus of discussion, with President Donald Trump on Wednesday saying of the perpetrators: “These are people that are really mentally ill, mentally disturbed.” “It’s a mental problem,” Trump said — echoing comments by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and others — before flying to Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, cities where gunmen killed 31 people and injured dozens more in two separate shooting sprees over the weekend. But Coloradans living with mental illnesses say such comments further stigmatize them, ...

Coloradans living with mental illness say comments after El Paso, Dayton mass shootings further stigmatize

By: Jessica Seaman August 8, 2019 Once again, as the nation reels in the aftermath of back-to-back mass shootings, mental health is a focus of discussion, with President Donald Trump on Wednesday saying of the perpetrators: “These are people that are really mentally ill, mentally disturbed.” “It’s a mental problem,” Trump said — echoing comments by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and others — before flying to Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, cities where gunmen killed 31 people and injured dozens more in two separate shooting sprees over the weekend. But Coloradans living with mental illnesses say such comments further stigmatize them, ...

Colorado counties with highest suicide rates are most opposed to ‘red flag’ law

By: Rob Low August 6, 2019 DENVER -- Supporters of Colorado's "red flag" law say the measure is more likely to prevent suicides than mass shootings, even though it's the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio that led President Donald Trump to embrace red flag laws as a way to reduce gun violence. In Colorado, more than half of the state's 64 counties have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries opposed to the the red flag law. Many of those counties have the state's highest gun suicide rates, according to statistics provided to FOX31 by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment. According to the Centers ...

TODAY: LANDMARK LEGISLATIVE STRIDES

After 65 years of leading the fight for the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, Mental Health Colorado has recently achieved the most significant accomplishments in our history. From the Capitol to the classroom, Mental Health Colorado’s advocacy efforts have paid off—securing nearly $10 million in 2018 and $20 million in 2019 for critical mental health and substance use care. We led the fight for mental health parity—holding insurers accountable to the law that says they must treat mental health equal to physical health. House Bill 19-1269 strengthens parity laws, modernizes language, and shifts our system ...

Colorado’s New Psychiatric Advance Directive Process Goes Into Effect Aug. 2, 2019

July 31, 2019 Effective Aug. 2, 2019, Colorado law pertaining to behavioral health-related advance directives is changing. Under current law, an adult may establish advance medical orders for scope of treatment, allowing an adult to establish directives for the administration of medical treatment in the event the adult later lacks decisional capacity to provide informed consent to, withdraw from, or refuse medical treatment. However, Colorado House Bill 19-1044 will create a new “behavioral health order form” so that an adult may communicate his or her behavioral health history, decisions, and preferences (also referred to as a psychiatric ...

Federal bills Mental Health Colorado is following We partner with Mental Health America to advocate for congressional bills on mental health and substance use. We contact U.S. Senators and Representatives, visit with their office, and follow rules written by national departments such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.   2023 Legislation TBA   Legislation Followed in Previous Years H.R. 1364 - Parity Enforcement Act of 2021 introduced by Rep. Donald Norcross [D-NJ-1] provides authority for the Department of Labor to enforce the parity requirements for group health plans with respect to the coverage of mental health and ...

Mental Health Colorado names new president, CEO

Staff Report July 29, 2019 A new president and chief executive officer has been selected to lead Mental Health Colorado, an advocacy organization for mental health and substance use. Vincent Atchity will provide strategic leadership to help Mental Health Colorado achieve its mission of promoting mental wellness, ending stigma, and ensuring equitable access to mental health and substance use services, according to a news release. Atchity served as executive director of The Equitas Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to disentangle mental health and criminal justice by activating leaders, influencing policy, and spurring ...

Mental Health Colorado gets new CEO

By: Sentinel Staff July 27, 2019 Mental Health Colorado selected Vincent Atchity as the nonprofit's new president and CEO, the organization announced Thursday. Atchity previously served as executive director of the Equitas Project, a nonprofit that worked with the mental health and criminal justice systems. Mental Health Colorado started in 1953 and works to advance treatment for mental health services across the state. "Every Coloradan has a role to play in supporting improved mental health," Atchity said in a press release. "There can be no passive waiting for someone somewhere else to do something. I look forward ...

Atchity replaces Romanoff as the head of Mental Health Colorado

July 25, 2019 Mental Health Colorado has a new leader, now that Andrew Romanoff is running for U.S. Senate. The non-partisan advocacy nonprofit named Vincent Atchity its permanent president and CEO Thursday. Nancy VanDeMark led the 65-year-old organization on an interim basis since Romanoff, the former speaker of the Colorado House, stepped down late last year after four years. VanDeMark is the former director of the Office of Behavioral Health at the Colorado Department of Human Services. Atchity has been the executive director of The Equitas Project, which works on mental health issues and policies involving criminal justice. In its ...

Mental Health Colorado names Vincent Atchity President and CEO

MEDIA CONTACT: Aubree Hughes, 405-615-3845 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2019 Mental Health Colorado names Vincent Atchity President and CEO DENVER—Mental Health Colorado announced today that Vincent Atchity has been named the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization’s president and CEO. Atchity will provide strategic leadership to help Mental Health Colorado achieve its mission of promoting mental wellness, ending stigma, and ensuring equitable access to mental health and substance use services. Atchity served as the Executive Director of The Equitas Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to disentangle mental health and ...