News Clips
BIPARTISAN BILL PAVES WAY FOR COLO. RED FLAG GUN LAW
By: Sam Brasch, Colorado Public Radio
April 30, 2018
Colorado moved one step closer Monday to adopting so-called red flag gun legislation. The "gun restraining order" law aims to keep firearms out of the hands of people who may be a risk to themselves or others
Red flag gun laws entered the spotlight again following the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School when Florida passed its own version.
Representative Alec Garnett, a Denver Democrat, is sponsoring the legislation. The bill not only has bipartisan backing, Garnett said, but also ...
COMMUNITY FORUM TACKLES TOPIC OF YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
By: Alex DeWind
April 30, 2018
Two years ago, Kirstie June was admitted to Children’s Hospital Colorado for an eating disorder. The now senior at Chaparral High School in Parker was on the dance team. Revealing uniforms, paired with a pressure to maintain a certain body type, left her comparing herself to her teammates.
June lost so much weight that her heart rate became alarmingly low. She stayed in inpatient treatment at the hospital for five weeks.
Today, with help from a program at school called Sources of Strength and the support of her loved ones, June is ...
COLO. LAWMAKERS UNVEIL ‘RED FLAG’ BILL TO KEEP GUNS OUT OF HANDS OF PEOPLE IN MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
By: Blair Miller
April 30, 2018
DENVER – With less than two weeks left in Colorado’s legislative session, lawmakers will try and pass a “red flag bill” aiming to temporarily keep weapons and ammunition out of the hands of people in the middle of mental health crises.
The measure, House Bill 1436, will be named after Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Zackari Parrish, who was shot and killed while on duty on New Year’s Eve. The man accused of killing him and wounding several other deputies and officers had mental health issues and weapons – ...
MENTAL HEALTH COLORADO TALKS ABOUT THE NEWLY INTRODUCED ‘RED FLAG’ LAW
May 1, 2018
Originally appeared on 9news.
WATCH NOW: MENTAL HEALTH AND YOUTH COMMUNITY FORUM
April 26, 2018
Watch the full talk here. (Talk starts at 1:30)
Check out a Time to Talk community conversation about mental health and youth: Andrew Romanoff, CEO of Mental Health Colorado, talked about the importance of early intervention. Kristen Torres, a CSU sophomore and Douglas County graduate, and Kirstie June, a senior at Chaparral High School, shared their personal mental health struggles and how they've overcome them.
Hosted by Colorado Community Media on April 26 at Lone Tree Library in partnership with Douglas County Libraries and the Douglas ...
COLORADO LAWMAKERS PONDER BILL TO TAKE AWAY GUNS FROM PEOPLE WHO POSE THREATS
By: Joe St. George
April 19, 2018
DENVER -- Colorado lawmakers are debating behind the scenes whether to introduce and pass into law a "Red Flag" gun warning bill just days before the session wraps up.
The proposal, similar to what other states have passed, would allow law enforcement and family members the option of going before a judge to temporarily remove guns from individuals who pose threats.
"People who are in the midst of a psychotic episode, it's a bad combination to have guns available," Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said.
McCann, along ...
HELPING PEOPLE IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
April 20, 2018
Story originally appeared on Denver7.
DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF: ‘RED FLAG BILL’ COULD HAVE SAVED DEPUTY PARRISH’S LIFE
Bill would allow law enforcement to seize weapons
By: Jaclyn Allen
April 23, 2018
DENVER -- Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock calls himself "a Second Amendment Guy."
"I think everyone should have guns. If you want them you can have them," said Spurlock. "Except for two groups of people. If you're a criminal out committing crimes, I don't think you should have guns. But also if you're in a mental health crisis, we should be able to both protect you from yourself and the community."
...
BILL WOULD PROVIDE TREATMENT AND HOUSING TO PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS
By: Noel Brennan, 9News
Under the bill, the Office of Behavioral Health would be tasked to come up with a plan for expanding access to transitional services for individuals experiencing a mental health emergency.
KUSA – Judith Wilson holds onto the memories of her son before the cycle began.
“This is one of my favorites,” Wilson said, flipping through photos of her son, Forrest. “He was born with a full head of auburn hair.”
Forrest is now 23.
“From [the age of] five until now, he’s been dealing with the ...
THE LAGGING STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE
By: Jamie Siebrase
Annette and Paul’s daughter ran a thriving business and owned real estate in their hometown of Pueblo. Then she turned 33, and things changed dramatically.
“She talked about being a spirit medium,” Annette says. Paranoia began. Mysterious entities stole clothes, moved belongings and spoke to Annette’s daughter through earbuds.
“We knew something was wrong, but we felt like deer in the headlights,” Paul says. He couldn’t reason with his daughter, and since she was an adult, he couldn’t force her to get help.
The couple, who ...
