Blog
Statement: Arapahoe Student Suicide
October 25, 2019
Media contact: Flora Welsh, 502.727.4329
Mental Health Colorado issued the following statement today:
These are heartbreaking times for our community. Colorado lost a student to suicide this past week. Mental Health Colorado shares in our community’s collective sorrow, worry, and insistence on meaningful progress in understanding and prevention.
What we can do
Adults can support students impacted by these events. It’s important to provide reassurance, answer questions honestly, encourage kids to express their emotions, and be a little less ...
Thank you!
Oct. 1, 2019
"If my parents didn't have the resources to help me when insurance couldn't, I would have died a long time ago. And that happens every day..."
Katie spent 10 years in and out of addiction starting at age 14. She was ashamed of herself on account of her depression. She felt like a burden on her family. This led to self-harm and, ultimately, a suicide attempt.
Katie never thought she would be where she is today—in graduate school at one of the top universities in the country. We recognized her at our 37th annual Tribute gala on Saturday night. ...
Resilience
Sept. 9, 2019
“Every one of us is broken in some way or another.”
Vic Vela came to this realization throughout his long journey through addiction.
As a Colorado Public Radio host, Vic is a familiar voice to Coloradans. He’s also a voice of resilience, hope, and recovery.
We’re honoring Vic at our annual Tribute gala this month. For 37 years, Tribute has brought together leaders in the community to celebrate our state’s progress in mental health.
We’re not ready to declare victory—not when nearly half a million Coloradans go without care. ...
Where to begin?
August 28, 2019
Dear Friends of Mental Health Colorado,
My name is Vincent Atchity, and I’m honored to serve as Mental Health Colorado’s president and CEO. I look forward to working with our dedicated staff, board of directors, and community partners to help Mental Health Colorado achieve its mission of promoting mental wellness, ending stigma, and ensuring equitable access to mental health and substance use services.
As I transition into my new role, I’m especially grateful for the support of Nancy VanDeMark, who served as interim president and CEO. Under ...
An exciting announcement
July 25, 2019
Friends of Mental Health Colorado:
I am pleased to share the news that Vincent Atchity has been named Mental Health Colorado’s president & CEO. Atchity will provide strategic leadership to help Mental Health Colorado achieve its mission of promoting mental wellness, ending stigma, and ensuring equitable access to mental health and substance use services.
As an accomplished, collaborative leader in public health, Atchity’s multi-industry expertise will leverage a statewide network of partners in advocacy, health care, government, ...
The depth of your identity
July 9, 2019
Research shows that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color receive lower quality mental health treatment, have less access to care, and face greater exposure to health stressors because of social, economic, and environmental inequities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender youth report twice the prevalence of bullying. And last year, nearly half of all lesbian, gay, or bisexual youth in Colorado seriously considered suicide—more than triple the rate among heterosexual students.
As we gear up for the 2020 legislative session, we’re ...
Take it from Evan
June 13, 2019
Evan Silverman was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age. One conclusion he has come to throughout his recovery journey is that there is no blueprint for living with mental illness.
Understanding your options for mental health and substance use treatment can make that process easier. That’s why we partnered with the Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Behavioral Health to create the Mental Wellness and Addiction Recovery Guide, a free resource for Coloradans considering recovery.
If you’ve sought treatment for yourself or ...
One for the books
May 24, 2019
The 2019 Colorado legislative session was historic for individuals, families, and communities affected by mental health and substance use. Our agenda bills will add $20 million in spending for mental health and substance use services and supports statewide.
As you’ll see in our 2019 Legislative Report and Scorecard, Colorado achieved significant policy wins that will:
Increase the availability of mental health services for children and adolescents
Strengthen and enforce laws requiring insurance companies to provide equal coverage for ...
Mental Health Colorado’s Legislative Report Card
https://youtu.be/6vAP-6Fnidc
Nancy VanDeMark, Mental Health Colorado’s president and CEO, along with key Mental Health Colorado legislative staffers, review the Colorado State Legislature’s successes and failures in enacting key legislation essential to meeting Colorado’s mental health and substance use treatment needs.
Collective sorrow, insistence on meaningful change
April 19, 2019
These are heartbreaking times for our state. Just as we reflect on a school tragedy from 20 years ago and honor the memory of all its victims, we are reminded in the present day of ongoing challenges by yet another threat to our safety. Our sorrow and our dread continue.
In this latest instance, we’re thankful to our first responders, school officials and understanding parents and guardians who acted quickly to secure the safety of our students, teachers and school administrators. In light of these recent and past events, Mental Health Colorado ...
