News Clips
By law, mental health benefits are supposed to be as good as medical coverage. In practice, that’s not happening.
By: Jennifer Brown
March 27, 2019
Like most dads, John Cooke would have done anything to save his daughter.
He was lucky he had the money. To make her well, to make his teenager want to live and stop planning her suicide, Cooke and his wife would end up paying $150,000.
With each denial from the family’s insurance company, the Cookes wrote another check. When the company deemed it no longer “medically necessary” for their teenager to stay in a residential treatment center in Wisconsin, or another center in Utah, the Cookes paid out of pocket until the doctors ...
How Daughter’s Suicide Attempt Inspires Victor Mitchell’s Support of Red-Flag Bill
By: Michael Roberts
March 26, 2019
Red-flag legislation, which would create a framework for temporarily taking guns away from those considered a danger to themselves and others, is making its way through the Colorado legislature. It's already been approved by the state House of Representatives, and while a Senate vote expected yesterday, March 25, was delayed, the bill is scheduled for more floor work in the chamber beginning at 9 a.m. today.
Democrats are expected to continue supporting the idea, while Republicans have been reacting with scorn. But one ...
Columbine survivors offer support after two teen suicides in Parkland
By Alex Rose
March 24, 2019
DENVER -- The tragedy even more heartbreaking after two survivors of the Parkland Florida school shooting took their lives within days of each other, the latest happening Saturday night.
“Things like this happen, people rush to the community and they’re there but then as time goes by they slowly go away, but they need help. They don’t have resources,” said Missy Mendo with the Rebels Project.
Mendo was a Freshman at Columbine when the shooting happened nearly 20 years ago.
“Every event is just heartbreaking,” ...
Unmasked: A Masquerade Party Benefiting Mental Health Colorado – 6/22
By: Adam Wilson
March 21, 2019
Who: Mental Health Colorado
What: Unmasked
When: Saturday, June 22nd from 6p – 9p
Where: The Haven in the Pines
FOX31 and Colorado’s Own Channel 2 are proud to again support the Unmasked masquerade party benefiting Mental Health Colorado. Join anchor Deborah Takahara as she emcees this elegant evening supporting a great cause.
By attending Unmasked you will be assisting Mental Health Colorado in their mission of prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. The evening will feature ...
Victor Mitchell: Extreme risk bill is thoughtful, balanced
March 15, 2019
As a one-time state lawmaker who had an A-plus NRA rating and a former Republican candidate for governor, I'm strongly supportive of HB-1177 — a bill that would provide extreme risk protection orders to temporarily remove firearms for those in the midst of a crisis.
My perspective on this issue is personal. Our family was in constant fear of losing our eldest daughter to suicide nearly a decade ago. She was just a child of 17 years at the time. Today, she's healthy and successful.
Our family took action and removed all the firearms in our home. ...
GUEST COLUMN: Zero Suicide is more than a hope
By: Jonathan Gordon
March 14, 2019
I’ll start out with a question: How many of you who are reading this know someone who has attempted or died by suicide? I suspect there was a lot of head nodding, some anguish, some tears, much grief, constant worry and whole lot of questioning why this happened.
Why did 1,175 Coloradans die from suicide in 2017? A simple question with many complicated answers.
The gut-wrenching statistic in our state is that suicide is the leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds, and we have one of the highest suicide rates in the ...
House Majority Leader Garnett says red flag bill protects due process
By: Andy Koen
March 11, 2019
DENVER – House Majority Leader Rep. Alec Garnett is defending the red flag bill he co-sponsored as multiple sheriffs and boards of county commissioners from Southern Colorado have come out in opposition to the legislation.
House Bill 1177 creates Extreme Risk Protection Orders which use the state court system to temporarily take away guns from someone believed to be a risk to themselves and others.
El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder, Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper, and Custer County Sheriff Shannon Byerly have all ...
Youth screened regularly for vision, hearing. What about mental health?
By: Mary Shinn
March 10, 2019
Universal mental health screenings in Colorado schools could be one way to address the growing problem of youth suicide.
The basic tests could function like vision and hearing screenings to alert parents and teachers to a mental health problem that needs to be referred to a specialist, said Sarah Davidon, research director for Mental Health Colorado, a nonprofit advocacy group. Davidon suggested the screenings last week to state senators and representatives working on education legislation.
“Mental health disorders among ...
Spotlight on mental health in GJ, county
By: Joe Vaccarelli
March 10, 2019
Mental Health Colorado interim President and CEO Nancy VanDeMark has lofty goals for this legislative session and hopes to see several programs better funded this year.
Concerned about the escalating suicide rate in the state, particularly in Mesa County, Mental Health Colorado is pushing for more funding for programs such as Zero Suicide and an effort to bring more health professionals into schools.
"The ratio is far below national recommendations," VanDeMark said of the number of ...
Counties Declare Second Amendment Sanctuary Status As Legislature Debates Red Flag Bill
By: Abigail Beckman
March 7, 2019
A growing number of Colorado counties have declared themselves as Second Amendment sanctuaries in response to a so-called red flag bill making its way through the state Legislature. Custer, Fremont, Montezuma, Otero and Weld counties have said they would not enforce the legislation should it become law. Teller County has also denounced the measure, although commissioners there did not claim a "sanctuary" title.
House Bill 19-1177 would allow law enforcement to temporarily remove ...
