News Clips
HEALTH AND BUSINESS LEADERS HOLD SYMPOSIUM OVER OPIOID ABUSE
By: Andy Koen
May 24, 2018
A coalition to confront opioid addiction in the Pikes Peak region is growing. Health professionals met with business leaders Thursday talk about the addiction crisis and how they can join the fight.
The Opioid Crisis Symposium held at the Pinery at the Hill was put together by the Community Health Partnership, Pyxant Labs and the Colorado Springs Business Journal.
The conversation covered everything from issues related to identifying and helping employees who might be struggling with substance abuse to training staff to give ...
MENTAL HEALTH COLORADO WORKS TO PUT TOOLKIT IN EVERY SCHOOL
By: Katie Pelton
May 24, 2018
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) -- More than 200,000 kids in Colorado experience mental health issues every year. Now one non-profit is working to put tool-kits in every school to help kids.
The group 'Mental Health Colorado' told us the tool-kits will provide several resources for schools. It will help educators recognize early warning signs of mental health issues.
"The truth is a lot of kids aren't getting the advantages they need and so they are struggling and suffering and in some cases even dying as a result," said Andrew ...
COLORADANS DESERVE BETTER MENTAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS
By Andrew Romanoff – President and CEO, Mental Health Colorado
May 23, 2018
Put six Republicans and three Democrats on the same stage, and you might not expect them to agree on anything. When it comes to improving mental health care, however, you can find common ground.
Nine candidates shared a stage this spring at Mental Health Colorado’s first-ever gubernatorial forum. The consensus, we ought to make it harder for people who pose a danger to themselves or others to get guns, and easier for them to get ...
TOOLKIT REACHES CHILDREN AND SCHOOLS IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH GUIDANCE
By Dr. Sarah Davidon – Research Director, Mental Health Colorado
May 23, 2018
Children are more likely to access mental health services if they are provided in school rather than in the community. While evidence supports this, significant barriers prevent many students from receiving the services they need.
In fact, even schools and districts with the best-laid plans to support mental health will find their school psychologists, social workers and counselors struggling to provide school-wide services. Funding, resources and time are just some ...
RECOVERY WEEK: MAN CONNECTS HIS ADDICTION TO TRAUMA
By: TaRhonda Thomas
May 23, 2018
All this week, on 9NEWS at 6 a.m. we will be featuring stories of people who have beaten addiction and are in the process of recovery.
Ray Vigil drank heavily for years but never realized he was drinking to numb the pain of an abusive childhood and other traumas until he hit rock bottom and began seeing a therapist.
As the smell of essential oils fills Ray Vigil’s apartment, Native American music plays softly in the background while he looks at notecards of positive affirmations and rests his hand ...
STATEWIDE DRIVE UNDERWAY TO PUT MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES INTO EVERY COLORADO SCHOOL
May 21, 2018
DENVER — Children are more likely to seek help if mental health support is available at school. To that end, Mental Health Colorado has created a School Toolkit — essentially, the A,B,C's for getting students access to mental health care.
The toolkit is a guide for schools, districts and interested parents — anyone who wants kids to get the mental health attention they deserve. This includes help with implementing mental health screenings, suicide prevention, wellness plans that could include school counselors and more.
"The first signs of mental ...
STARTING WITH KIDS: A TOOLKIT FOR STRENGTHENING MENTAL HEALTH
By: Andrew Romanoff
May 20, 2018
"It all started when I was eight."
That's when Brianna realized her absent father hadn't read any of the letters she had sent him. He mailed them back and called her a mistake.
Brianna tried to run away from home, hurt herself both mentally and physically, and tried to kill herself more than once. She was bullied at school and sexually assaulted twice.
Then she got professional help.
On May 1, Brianna stood in front of a row of television cameras at the state capitol to kick off Mental Health Month. Now 14, ...
ESTES PARK SCHOOLS TO PILOT MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM
By: Claire Woodcock
May 16, 2018
Mental Health Colorado is piloting a new program that will assist the Estes Park School District in providing students access to emotional care. The nonprofit whose reach is statewide, has developed a new program, called the School Toolkit. It will serves as a guide to support schools and communities.
The guide includes help with implementing mental health screenings, suicide prevention, wellness plans that could include school counselors and more. By providing access to these resources to school districts statew...
STATEWIDE DRIVE TO PUT MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES INTO COLORADO SCHOOLS
May 15, 2018
Children are more likely to seek help if mental health support is available at school. Mental Health Colorado has created a School Toolkit, essentially the ABCs for getting students the mental health care every child deserves.
The toolkit is a guide for schools, districts, interested parents — anyone who wants kids to get the mental health attention they deserve. This includes everything from help with implementing mental health screenings, suicide prevention, wellness plans that could include school counselors and more.
“The first signs of mental ...
COLORADO SCHOOLS REACT TO TEXAS SHOOTING; MENTAL HEALTH SCHOOL TOOLKIT LAUNCHED
May 18, 2018
By: Joe St. George
DENVER --- It seems so common - another school shooting - this time in Santa Fe, Texas.
Like previous shootings, Colorado schools have been forced to react.
The Cherry Creek School District sent a letter to parents saying principals will be meeting with their school safety teams before Monday -- paying close attention to upcoming events like graduation.
Denver Public Schools earlier Friday requested extra patrols - a standard protocol following mass shootings fearing a possible copy cat scenario.
Cherry Creek School ...