Simone Aiken (D)
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Do you support school policies and funding that increase the availability of mental health services in schools and early childhood settings?
- Yes
Do you support additional funding for follow-up care for individuals after a suicide attempt or overdose?
- Yes: but there are things I won’t cut to free up those funds. And TABOR exists.
Do you support extreme risk protection orders?
- Yes: I live in the county where Deputy Parrish was shot by a mentally ill man who the police knew owned an arsenal but could do nothing about until he started shooting.
Do you support strengthening laws and transparency requirements compelling insurance companies to provide coverage for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders that is equal to the coverage provided for a physical illness?
- Yes: Substance abuse yes. Unreservedly. Mental health has some nuance as I don’t want to encourage over medicating – esp of children.
Do you support strengthening requirements that insurance companies have enough mental health and substance use professionals to guarantee their members have a choice of provider?
- No: We have 8 counties in Colorado with no dentists at all. You can’t fix provider shortages by passing rules on insurance companies. The root problem here is a provider shortage.
Do you support requirements that hospitals and other providers report information on treatment availability to help individuals, hospitals and law enforcement locate available treatment for people in crisis?
- Yes
Do you support providing state funds to expand capacity for mental health and substance use treatment in underserved areas of the state?
- Yes: But there are things I won’t cut to do it. And TABOR still exists.
Do you support additional state investments in affordable housing with supportive services for people with mental health or substance use disorders?
- Yes: If the money can be found.
