News Clips
How to talk to your children about the country’s political climate
By: Jasmine Arenas
Originally appeared in KRDO
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Wednesday’s drastic events at the U.S. Capitol were undoubtedly difficult enough for the nation to watch unfold, but how do you help your child understand after seeing from their own perspective?
A OnePoll survey says one in three parents are disheartened by the state of the country and even sadder about having to explain it to their child.
“I tried to explain what is going on and it is a difficult conversation because they do not understand the whole dynamics," said one parent ...
Colorado Mental Health Institute Pueblo working on gentler approach to patient care
By: Tracy Harmon
Originally appeared in The Pueblo Chieftain
In what officials are describing as a “long overdue change,” law enforcement officers will take a step back from dealing with mental health patients in crisis at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo when a new plan is implemented in February.
Instead of uniformed correctional officers, clinical safety specialists will work to de-escalate incidents in a non-confrontational approach to “help create a more therapeutic environment for patients while narrowing the scope of police presence to ...
Corrections officer title will change to ‘clinical safety specialist’ at Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo
Article originally appeared on KKTV 11 News
PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) - A change in title and duties are expected for corrections officers at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo.
In a letter sent out to employees at the Pueblo location Wednesday morning and obtained by 11 News, the title of corrections officer will be changed to Clinical Safety Specialist (CSS). The change is expected to impact about 45 staff members.
In the letter sent by Robert Werthwein, the Director for the Office of Behavioral Health, the policy describing the specific role and management of ...
On Edge: Heightened anxiety, depression are testing Colorado’s already-frayed safety nets
By: Tina Griego and Susan Greene
Originally posted in The Colorado Sun
As coronavirus makes another virulent run through Colorado, a silent epidemic of mental health challenges is feeding on the anxiety and isolation of the pandemic.
On Denver’s west side, an elderly man had been managing his solitude just fine until the pandemic hit, taking with it what social life he had and leaving in its place a loneliness he had not felt for years. Not far from his house, a young woman fights panic attacks after COVID-19 killed her grandfather and landed her in the hospital. ...
“ON EDGE”: CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH IN A TIME OF CRISIS
Article originally found in Ask Valley Voice
Ark Valley Voice is one of nearly 100 news organizations across the state that make up the nonprofit Colorado News Collaborative (COLab). Starting Sunday, December 6, we launch a multi-part statewide series on growing mental health challenges amid the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis, civil rights unrest, climate change, and political upheaval. You can find our stories, and the conversations that provoke the tough questions at www.arkvalleyvoice.com
The series, called “On Edge,” seeks to ...
First COVID took his friends, then it took his health
By: Tina Griego
Article originally appeared in The Denver Post
Eddie Kemm found the pool table early in the pandemic, not long after the governor’s order shut down the bars — including Kemm’s favorite pool hall. When the halls went dark, so, too, did a significant part of the social life of an 81-year-old man who lives alone. It was like an amputation. He was, he says, miserable.
In ordinary circumstances, Kemm would not have made a purchase impractical for a man living on $1,200 a month. But then the stimulus check arrived and, even if it hadn’t, the ...
Mental health services still available despite return to remote learning
By: Bob Wooley
Article originally published in the Golder Transcript
Jeffco says school counselors and psychologists will help students virtually as the pandemic continues.
A Stober elementary student does remote-learning from his home in Lakewood.
The return to remote learning in the Jeffco Public School District comes with hurdles for some families that go beyond math, science and reading — for students with mental health challenges, all the disruption and distance caused by most classrooms going remote are all the more intense.
The school ...
As coronavirus cases continue to surge, prioritize your mental health
By: Flora Welsh
Originally posted by The Pagosa Springs Sun
The colder months are here, driving many of us indoors. The stress of one of the most contentious elections in our nation’s history has left us feeling divided and frustrated. And coronavirus numbers are surging, affecting everyone’s mental health.
According to a recent report from Mental Health America, our mental health needs are growing and our harmful substance use is on the rise.
As the days get darker, many of us experience seasonal depression, even in the best of times. This year, it ...
Colorado Edition: What Say You?
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Originally appeared on KUNC
Today on Colorado Edition: We get a look at how ballot signatures are verified in Colorado. We’ll also check in on the race for the state’s third congressional district and we’ll learn more about one of the state ballot questions, Proposition 117. We’ll also hear what local candidates for district attorney and the state board of education are thinking about mental health issues and solutions.
How Your Ballot Signature Is Verified
As the election nears and misinformation about voter fraud ...
Colorado nonprofits anxious about crucial fall fundraising period amid pandemic, recession and political uncertainty
Originally appeared in the Denver Post
October 12, 2020
Colorado nonprofits anxious about crucial fall fundraising period amid pandemic, recession and political uncertainty
The 38th Annual Tribute Gala should have been the nonprofit organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year. But moving to a virtual event and simply suggesting people donate left Atchity and other staffers uncertain about their future budget.
Read the full article.
