Blog
GO MUSTANGS
August 16, 2018
Monday was the first day of school for students on the west end of Montrose County. But their teachers, custodians, and bus drivers returned last week for a class of their own—in Youth Mental Health First Aid.
RE-2 Superintendent Mike Epright and all 51 of his employees spent their first day back at work learning how to spot the signs of a mental health disorder and how to respond appropriately. Tri-County Health Network, which provided the training, said the school district may be the first in the state to make such a commitment.
We hope it’s ...
COMING SOON
August 9, 2018
You’ve probably heard about an election coming up in November. It’s been in all the papers.
If you live in one of four Colorado counties, you’ll get to vote for more than candidates. Mental health will be on the ballot too.
Voters in Denver, Larimer, San Miguel, and Summit counties will have a chance to invest in mental health and substance use services, including prevention and treatment. The Denver campaign kicks off tonight.
Half a million Coloradans go without the mental health care they need. That’s why we’ve been working so hard ...
WHAT ARE PARITY RIGHTS?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zkmmQAGnk0
Former U.S. Representative (D-RI) Patrick J. Kennedy explains how the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, also known as the Federal Parity Law, requires insurers to cover illnesses of the brain, such as depression and addiction, no more restrictively than how they cover illnesses of the body, such as diabetes and cancer.
Individuals or family members of those who have been denied coverage for mental health and/or addiction treatment services can visit ParityRegistry.org to learn to file an appeal with a ...
TEEN SUICIDE AND THE STORY BEHIND GOLDEN’S NEW ‘WALL OF HOPE’
https://vimeo.com/280775065
By: Sara Fleming
July 16, 2018
When Golden High School lost three students to suicide in the 2015-2016 school year, the staff at Foothills Art Center longed to do something to help. But they knew it would be a challenge. The problem of youth suicide is a pervasive one without an easy fix.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 12 and 24, according to the Population Reference Bureau. And according to the Centers for Disease Control’s 2017 report on youth suicide, 7.3 ...
BLOG TALK RADIO WITH ANDREW ROMANOFF: CEO AND PRESIDENT OF MENTAL HEALTH COLORADO
July 25, 2018
Listen to the podcast here.
Andrew Romanoff served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009 and as Speaker of the House from 2005 to 2009. He earned bipartisan acclaim as one of the most effective legislative leaders in America.
Andrew authored the Colorado Economic Recovery Act (Referendum C) and Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST), the largest investment in school construction in state history. He also sponsored laws to improve access to mental health care, expand the supply of affordable housing, and protect the victims ...
THE ENVELOPE PLEASE
July 25, 2018
It’s not exactly the Academy Awards, but it is pretty glamorous.
Each year, our Tribute Gala honors outstanding achievements in the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. You still have a few days left to submit a nomination.
The gala is Sept. 22. Please purchase your ticket or sponsor a table now.
Tribute is our most important fundraising event of the year. Even if you can’t attend, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution or donating an auction item.
We’re eager to celebrate our progress, but ...
A FATHER’S QUESTION
July 13, 2018
“Why do we have to go out of state?”
That’s what John asked me this week after trying and failing to get mental health care for his daughter Dani. He finally found residential facilities in Utah and Wisconsin—and then had to fight his insurance company to cover her treatment.
John and Dani are not alone. Each year, half a million Coloradans go without the mental health care they need.
If you’ve been denied or struggled to obtain mental health or substance use services, we want to know. Please share your experience at mentalhealthcolor...
TO IMPROVE MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH, RESEARCH MUST PUT PATIENTS FIRST
By: Elena Rios and Doris Browne
July 7, 2018
As physicians, we care for patients with acute and chronic diseases every day, doing whatever we can to help them achieve the best health outcomes possible and live long, productive lives. But as leaders of the two largest physician organizations dedicated to health advocacy for racial minority populations in the United States, we know that far too many of the patients our members treat will have less access to the care they need, and see poorer outcomes, than non-minorities.
We see these disparities across all ...
GOOD NEWS
July 5, 2018
Did you hear the good news? No, really, have you heard any?
We’re searching for stories to celebrate—specifically, Coloradans who are making a difference in mental health. Nominate an individual for Mental Health Colorado’s Tribute Gala.
Each year, we honor leaders in the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. Past honorees include a therapist in Durango still practicing at 91, a public safety chief in Longmont who forged partnerships between law enforcement and mental health, and a team of students who scaled all ...
CLOSE THE GAP
June 28, 2018
July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Every month ought to be.
Higher rates of poverty, lower rates of coverage, and the persistence of discrimination—among other barriers—often put mental health services out of reach. The result: Coloradans of color are less likely to receive the care they need.
How do we close that gap? We can start by enforcing the laws we’ve got, including requirements for mental health parity and network adequacy.
We can expand and diversify the mental health workforce. We can promote respect.
And we can ...
