News Clips
BACK TO SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
By: Alasyn Zimmerman
August 15, 2018
COLORADO- ‘This is an anxious time of year for a lot of kids and a lot of their parents too,’ said Andrew Romanoff, CEO & President of Mental Health Colorado.
The start of the school year can bring up a lot of stress for many families.
Between health exams, school supply shopping, and getting kids acclimated to a new classroom- one thing that often falls to the wayside: mental health screenings.
Mental Health Colorado, a non-profit organization based in Denver and led by Romanoff is hoping to inspire action in ...
TIPS FOR DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS DURING BACK TO SCHOOL TIME
August 16, 2018
Going back to school can be a stressful time for students. Here are some resources from Mental Health Colorado.
Originally appeared on 9News.
BOCC PLACES MEASURE ON BALLOT TO ADDRESS KEY COMMUNITY CHALLENGES
August 1, 2018
SUMMIT COUNTY – The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to place a measure on the ballot to support wildfire mitigation, mental health, recycling, public facilities and affordable preschool. If approved by Summit County voters in November, the measure would raise about $8.8 million per year through a 4.7 mill property tax – a cost of about $2.83 per month per $100,000 of residential property value.
"There are several significant challenges that the Summit County community is facing, and we just don't have the ...
SUGGESTIONS OFFERED TO SUMMIT COUNTY ON HOW TO FIX ITS MENTAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
By: Deepan Dutta
July 26, 2018
Half a million Coloradans with a mental health disorder do not get any treatment. Colorado has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation and Summit County is on track to break its own record rate. What can be done about it? Where does the county even start?
Building Hope, a nonprofit focused on improving mental health care access and suicide prevention resources, has been examining Summit's mental health system for two years, looking for gaps and cracks through which we are losing people ...
DOUGLAS COUNTY DEPUTY’S SHOOTING DEATH PROPELS EFFORT TO CHANGE COLORADO LAWS ON MENTALLY ILL AND GUN OWNERSHIP
By: Noelle Phillips | The Denver Post
July 26, 2018
The New Year’s Eve shooting death of a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy has reignited the debate over the mentally ill and gun ownership in Colorado after two reports released last week laid out a step-by-step account of the killer’s mental state and the arsenal he kept in his apartment.
Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock and 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler, who is the Republican candidate for state attorney general, said they want to renew efforts to create a “red ...
MOUNTAIN WEST COULD BENEFIT FROM A NATION-WIDE THREE-DIGIT SUICIDE HOTLINE
By: Ali Budner
July 25, 2018
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
The House just passed a bill to create a 9-1-1 type service nationwide for suicide prevention. This change could be especially important for our region, which has some of the highest suicide rates in the country.
Utah Congressman Chris Stewart sponsored the legislation. He said there is a national ten-digit hotline and other various ten-digit numbers people can call from state to state already, but it can be diffic...
COLORADO FAMILY FIGHTS INSURANCE COMPANY TO GET MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR THEIR SON
By: Jaclyn Allen
July 20, 2018
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. -- A Greenwood Village couple says they fought their insurance company to get mental health treatment for their teenage son, and it was finally approved -- a month after he died. Two years later, they are fighting with mental health advocates to change public policy in what they call "a matter of life and death."
Karen and Jeffrey Galinkin remember their son Zac as a highly intelligent, musical child, who also struggled with mental health issues such as depressive psychosis for years.
"Here you go, ...
MORE CONTROVERSY OVER PUSH FOR RED FLAG LAWS
By: Shaul Turner
July 16, 2018
DENVER -- Gun violence involving those with mental health issues sits at the center of the debate over what can be done to keep it from happening.
Former lawmaker Andrew Romanoff, now CEO of Mental Health Colorado is fighting to keep guns out of the hands of those struggling with mental health issues and to make sure they receive the treatment they need.
Romanoff said a red flag bill, named in honor of fallen Douglas County sheriff's deputy Zackari Parrish, had the potential to save lives by allowing the courts to temporar...
WOMAN WANTS CLIMB TO HIGHLIGHT MENTAL HEALTH
By: Nick Puckett
July 9, 2018
A local woman is setting out to summit Mount Kilimanjaro at age 65 in an effort to raise awareness for mental health.
Claire Averill, of Highlands Ranch, will begin her eight-day trip up the highest point in Africa on July 12. She said the climb will be an intense struggle for her to bring to light the lifetime of struggle people with a mental illness suffer. Averill said this would all be new to her.
“I wanted to do something that I felt would be a struggle for me because of what those go through that are afflicted with any mental ...
MINORITIES FACE HIGHER RATES OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, LOWER TREATMENT RATES
By: Nicole Brady
July 9, 2018
DENVER — This month, Mental Health Colorado is shining the spotlight on minority communities, who deal with mental health issues at a higher rate than white populations.
Mental Health Colorado CEO Andrew Romanoff says there are a number of reasons for the disparity, including racism and discrimination, poverty, and a lack of mental health professionals of color.
"The therapy relationship depends on finding a mental health care professional who can speak your language, who can understand your culture, who can relate to you." ...
