News Clips
Feeling lonely during the pandemic? Mental Health Colorado offers good old-fashioned conversation
By: Anusha Roy
Originally appeared on 9News
Budget cuts could undermine behavioral health progress, especially for at-risk demographics
By: Faith Miller
Originally appeared in the Colorado Springs Independent
Colorado lawmakers and budget staff have a grueling task ahead of them: accounting for a projected $3.3 billion budget shortfall due to the economic downturn occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Draft budget proposals prepared by Joint Budget Committee staff show that no department will emerge unscathed. One area that’s particularly vulnerable is behavioral health care.
The sector, which encompasses treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, has been a priority for both major ...
Gardner’s national 9-8-8 suicide hotline bill passes Senate
May 15, 2020
By: Anusha Roy, Dacia Johnson
Originally appeared on 9News
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), introduced this bipartisan legislation with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Jack Reed (D-RI).
WASHINGTON — A bill that would designate 9-8-8 as a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline unanimously passed the Senate on Wednesday.
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), introduced this bipartisan legislation with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Jack ...
Colorado Crisis Services gets record-breaking number of calls during pandemic
By: Anusha Roy
Originally appeared on 9News
DENVER — The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said the Colorado Crisis Services line had a record-breaking volume on inquiries in February, March and April of this year.
In March, the crisis line received 20,000 calls, texts and chat requests for mental health services, up 47% compared to March 2019. In April, that number dipped a bit to 17,772.
In an email, the state said they do know many community-level risk factors are on the rise. Through April, 60% of the calls were COVID-19 ...
Pandemic poses challenges for youth mental health
By: Faith Miller
Originally appeared in the Colorado Springs Independent
It’s not just missing out on big events — senior prom, championship games and graduation — that makes the COVID-19 pandemic difficult for teens stuck at home, says 18-year-old Kaihosha Hooper, a senior at Doherty High School.“It’s also just the small interactions, as well, that I think a lot of people have been missing,” Hooper says. “It’s really weird just being at home and not being able to see your friends every day or talk to your teachers in person.”
As a member of the ...
Mental Health Needs Growing During Coronavirus Pandemic
By: Jamie Leary
Originally appeared on CBS4
DENVER (CBS4) – Colorado hospitals have been ready for a second wave of critical coronavirus patients for months. While this has been the primary focus of health care needs, there’s another surge the industry is concerned about: mental health.
“We’ve been hearing a lot of speculation that this current coronavirus pandemic might be followed by a second wave, which is a mental health pandemic associated with prolonged isolation as well as with the various impacts on our economy that this is having,” said ...
COVID-19’s toll on mental health: Aspen and state experts discuss pandemic’s effect on our collective psyche
May 3, 2020
By: Andre Salvail
Originally appeared in the Aspen Daily News
Mental health professionals from Denver to Glenwood Springs to Aspen say there was a slowdown in the demand for therapy just after the onset of the COVID-19 crisis seven weeks ago.
But, they also point out, demand began rising in April, and even busier times may lie just around the corner for counselors as local governments lift stay-at-home restrictions, more businesses reopen and individuals attempt to navigate their way through the uncertain landscape of a “new normal” way of life ...
‘Prolonged Uncertainty’ Continues For Coloradans As Mental Health Awareness Month Kicks Off During Coronavirus Pandemic
May 1, 2020
By: Mekialaya White
Originally appeared in CBS Denver
DENVER (CBS4) – It’s been nearly two months since the first confirmed case of coronavirus in Colorado, and the current crisis is affecting daily life in profound ways. It’s taking its toll on mental health, and state leaders want to illuminate the topic so Coloradans know they’re not alone in their fight.
On Friday at noon, Attorney General Phil Weiser, Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera, Mental Health Colorado President & CEO Vincent Atchity, state Rep. Lois Landgraf and state Sen. Pete ...
Colorado Edition: Through A Screen
By: KUNC
On Colorado Edition: why nursing homes are so susceptible to COVID-19. Plus, we’ll get tips for maintaining mental health during challenging times. We’ll also look at how online learning works for English as a second language students, why museums are making collections available virtually, and we'll get some advice about how to start watching Alfred Hitchcock films.
LISTEN HERE
Mental Health Colorado Expands its Focus on Criminal Justice
Originally appeared in the Pagosa Daily Post
Apr 17, 2020 | Education/Health
Jails and prisons have become the largest mental health facilities in the U.S. It’s a painful intersection that The Equitas Project has worked to disentangle since its founding by the David and Laura Merage Foundation in 2013. As of April 16, The Equitas Project is part of Mental Health Colorado, the state’s leading advocate for mental health, under the leadership of President and CEO Vincent Atchity.
Through their foundation, David and Laura Merage launched The Equitas ...
