News Clips
COLORADO LAWMAKERS PONDER BILL TO TAKE AWAY GUNS FROM PEOPLE WHO POSE THREATS
By: Joe St. George
April 19, 2018
DENVER -- Colorado lawmakers are debating behind the scenes whether to introduce and pass into law a "Red Flag" gun warning bill just days before the session wraps up.
The proposal, similar to what other states have passed, would allow law enforcement and family members the option of going before a judge to temporarily remove guns from individuals who pose threats.
"People who are in the midst of a psychotic episode, it's a bad combination to have guns available," Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said.
McCann, along ...
HELPING PEOPLE IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
April 20, 2018
Story originally appeared on Denver7.
DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF: ‘RED FLAG BILL’ COULD HAVE SAVED DEPUTY PARRISH’S LIFE
Bill would allow law enforcement to seize weapons
By: Jaclyn Allen
April 23, 2018
DENVER -- Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock calls himself "a Second Amendment Guy."
"I think everyone should have guns. If you want them you can have them," said Spurlock. "Except for two groups of people. If you're a criminal out committing crimes, I don't think you should have guns. But also if you're in a mental health crisis, we should be able to both protect you from yourself and the community."
...
BILL WOULD PROVIDE TREATMENT AND HOUSING TO PEOPLE WITH SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS
By: Noel Brennan, 9News
Under the bill, the Office of Behavioral Health would be tasked to come up with a plan for expanding access to transitional services for individuals experiencing a mental health emergency.
KUSA – Judith Wilson holds onto the memories of her son before the cycle began.
“This is one of my favorites,” Wilson said, flipping through photos of her son, Forrest. “He was born with a full head of auburn hair.”
Forrest is now 23.
“From [the age of] five until now, he’s been dealing with the ...
THE LAGGING STATE OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE
By: Jamie Siebrase
Annette and Paul’s daughter ran a thriving business and owned real estate in their hometown of Pueblo. Then she turned 33, and things changed dramatically.
“She talked about being a spirit medium,” Annette says. Paranoia began. Mysterious entities stole clothes, moved belongings and spoke to Annette’s daughter through earbuds.
“We knew something was wrong, but we felt like deer in the headlights,” Paul says. He couldn’t reason with his daughter, and since she was an adult, he couldn’t force her to get help.
The couple, who ...
BILL AIMS TO PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH HELP, ACCOUNTABILITY
By: J. Adrian Stanley, The Colorado Independent
Those seeking mental health care in Colorado should have a lot working in their favor. Laws require insurance carriers to provide an adequate number of providers and supply equal coverage for mental and physical health care. And in Colorado, state rules dictate that a person seeking non-emergency mental health care is required to be provided care within seven days.
Yet, a December 2017 report from Milliman Research found that Coloradans go out of network for mental health care around seven times as often as they do for ...
PENDING LEGISLATION WOULD ENSURE CHILDREN CAN ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT
By: Jena Hausmann, Andrew Romanoff
What would you do if you had to give up your child in order to access mental health services? For some Coloradans, this is a reality.
Colorado ranked 48th in the country for overall youth mental health, according to Mental Health America’s 2018 “The State of Mental Health in America” report. This same report estimates that more than 13 percent of Colorado teens ages 12-17 have had at least one major depressive episode in the last year. Suicide remains the leading cause of death for Coloradans aged 10-24, according to the ...
COLORADO’S GOVERNOR, DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS WANT TO ALLOW JUDGES TO SEIZE GUNS FROM PEOPLE IN CRISIS. NOW THEY NEED GOP SUPPORT.
“Red flag” bills have passed in several states, including Florida, where the legislature is GOP-controlled
By: Jesse Paul and John Frank, The Denver Post
A series of recent fatal shootings in Colorado and nationwide is leading Gov. John Hickenlooper and state Democratic lawmakers to push for a “red flag law” that would allow judges to temporarily seize guns from people they consider to be a threat. The late effort is part of a nationwide discussion about the intersection of mental health and the Second Amendment after the February massacre at a South Florida ...
DENVER BALLOT INITIATIVE AIMS TO FINANCE MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS
By: John Daley, CPR News
A ballot initiative in Denver could bring in tens of millions of dollars a year to help those with mental health and substance disorder issues.
State lawmaker Leslie Herod, a Denver Democrat, is spearheading the "Caring 4 Denver" campaign. She says the proposal makes financial sense because if it’s passed by voters it could fund a variety of mental health programs. The proposal calls for a one-quarter of 1 percent sales tax -- that's 25 cents on a $100 purchase.
"We know that if people who suffer from a mental health ...
COLORADO BILL WOULD HELP PEOPLE NAVIGATE INSURANCE SYSTEM
By: Jaclyn Allen, Denver7
Story originally aired on Denver7.
