34 results for tag: #denver

The Intersection of Mental Health and Independent Publishing

June 3, 2024 By: David Dahl "There is no over-stating the value of independent book publishing to the health of individuals, families, and communities in America and in all the human settlements around the planet that value their own and each other’s humanity and wish to thrive and prosper.Folks aren’t working in independent book publishing if they don’t already feel some strong sense of mission affinity. So that’s good. What they’re doing is vital to the principles that we like about the founding of America. In terms of believing that the first amendment is the first amendment for a good reason and believing that when you give people ...

Legislation aims to enhance eating disorder treatment standards statewide

May 29, 2024 By: The Sopris Sun Over the last two years, EDF and Mental Health Colorado (MHC), a Denver-based mental health advocacy nonprofit organization, have worked together to advocate for more comprehensive and humane legislation for those affected by eating disorders. Vincent Atchity, MHC president and CEO, said a stripped-down version of a similar bill (SB 23-176) passed in 2023. It prohibits insurance companies and treatment facilities from using a person’s BMI, or body mass index, to determine whether to cover eating disorder treatment and prohibits the sale of some diet pills to minors. However, treatment plan regulation ...

Your complete guide to Mental Health Awareness Night and our matchup with Minnesota United

May 23, 2024 By: Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are hosting Mental Health Awareness Night this weekend, where we will provide fans with mental health resources from around the community and celebrate those who help to reduce the stigma around mental health every day. Join us on Saturday as we kick off the night with a Block Party, host a drive for mental health-related donation items and finish with a matchup against Minnesota United FC... Fans will also have the opportunity to bid on player- worn New Day Kits, featuring the special numbers designed by Pat Milbery, through an auction benefitting Mental Health Colorado. Visit their table ...

Free mental health resources in May

May 22, 2024 By: Special to the Herald Times “At Mental Health Colorado, we work to create healthier minds across the lifespan and advocate for every Coloradan who experiences a mental health or substance use condition. The unfortunate reality is that while many Coloradans are living with health needs, they don’t always get connected with the support and resources they need to heal. We are proud to partner with the State of Colorado to raise awareness of mental health in our state and help more Coloradans access the services they need to lead happier, healthier lives,” said Vincent Atchity, President and CEO of Mental Health Colorado. ...

Reform of Colorado courts’ competency system on chopping block at statehouse, supporters say

April 19, 2024 By: Shelly Bradbury Criminal prosecutions are paused while defendants go through treatment designed to restore them to competency. If a person is restored, the prosecution can proceed; if a person can’t recover, the criminal charges must be dismissed. “Right now the highest cost of what is happening around competency is paid in human suffering,” said Lauren Snyder, vice president of government affairs at Mental Health Colorado. “That to me should be a priority for our state in making sure we are not letting people languish in jail who are there just because they have a mental health condition.” The state has poured ...

“I don’t think she was a lost cause”: How one Colorado overdose victim fell through the cracks

April 14, 2024 By: Meg Wingerter People who have both a mental illness and a substance-use disorder often struggle to get treatment that addresses all their needs, because most providers still primarily focus on one or the other, said Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado. Mental health facilities often won’t admit people in active addiction, he said. The Denver area needs more “housing first” options, which get people off the street even if they aren’t ready to stop using drugs immediately, said Atchity, of Mental Health Colorado. Offering wraparound services where people live increases the odds they’ll agree ...

Colorado legislators push obesity prevention bill, governor’s approval is uncertain

April 12, 2024 By: Marissa Ventrelli Erin Harrop of Mental Health Colorado echoed Chastain's concerns with the pharmaceutical industry profiting from weight loss medications whose long-term effects have not yet been fully studied. She said the longest trial of GLP-1 medications on obese individuals lasted only two years. "Like the opioid epidemic, the pharmaceutical industry stands to make huge profits before the long-term studies are even completed as desperate patients and well-meaning providers seek solutions," she said. Read the full article in Colorado Politics

Colorado legislators set aside $7.2 million to fund longer psychiatric hospital stays

March 29, 2024 By: Seth Klamman Once the money’s appropriated, a waiver expanding hospital stays would need to be approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But other states have already taken similar steps, meaning approval is likely. Much of the money set aside in the state’s budget — $5 million — is federal. “By prioritizing funding for these Coloradans to be able to get the care they need rather than be prematurely discharged, we are saving state resources in the long run and creating healthier communities,” Vincent Atchity, the president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado, said in a statement. “Pol...

400 people with mental illness are sitting in Colorado jails. Some state lawmakers want to divert them to treatment instead.

March 27, 2024 By: Jennifer Brown About 30 people testified in favor of the bill, including Denver District Attorney Beth McCann and Maureen Cain, policy director for the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender. Cain said the waitlist is “the most significant injustice” witnessed in courtrooms across the state, according to a survey of public defenders. “These poor people will keep coming back and we can’t wait any longer,” she said. At the news conference, where supporters of the bill carried “Care Not Cuffs” signs, Mental Health Colorado CEO Vincent Atchity said the legislation would create “real meaningful change....

Colorado’s Youth Mental Health Crisis

March 23, 2024 By: Lexi Miller As schools are stretched to their capacity, it is increasingly important that the state find ways to support mental health funding. Mauser explained the issue: “One call is more mental health counselors in schools, which is probably true. In my mind, here is a cautionary note: Counselors are important, but they won’t be doing hourly sessions with a student who needs that kind of support. They can evaluate the importance of mental health if they need it. It is up to the parent to find that support.” Mental Health Coloradois working on legislation to help access support that is out of network, so individuals ...