What’s Happening in Colorado
* Newly sworn-in Denver Mayor Mike Johnston signed an emergency declaration to address homelessness, promising to get 1,000 people who are currently unhoused access to housing before the end of the calendar year.
This declaration is an administrative action designed to reduce regulatory barriers to quickly stand-up temporary housing options, expedite permitting and construction timelines, and more.
Read Mayor Johnston’s remarks by clicking here.
* Several of Colorado’s Interim Committees have convened to learn from experts and identify policy solutions for the 2024 session.
These include the Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee, Treatment of Persons with Behavioral Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems, and Colorado’s Child Welfare System Interim Study Committee.
Stay up to date with their work here.
* The Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) has released new M forms and patient rights documents. M forms are the documents that professionals fill out when placing someone on an involuntary hold or certification.
The patient rights documents are then given to the individual to advise them of their rights during their involuntary hold. If you have any questions or feedback. Please see a few of the updated documents linked below:
Transportation Rights Advisement
Involuntary Hold Rights Advisement
Certification Rights Advisement
* As described in this KDVR article, and as a result of HB22-1303, the first Mental Health Transitional Living homes will open this September. Coloradans with mental health conditions who may not be able to live independently or don’t quite need inpatient hospitalization will be able to stay as long as they need to get stabilized before the end goal of reintegrating into the community.
The primary goal is to alleviate the waitlist for the mental health hospitals by stepping down the individuals who have been awaiting appropriate community-based resources.
As the homes start to accept referrals from the community, this website (linked) will be updated.
A View from Washington, D.C.
* The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline celebrated its one-year launch. Since then, more than five million calls, chats and texts have been routed to 988, a 66 percent increase from the previous 12 months, before the arrival of the new number.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced the addition of Spanish text and chat services after adding specialized services for LGBTQI+ youth and young adults.
Read the press release by clicking here.
* The National Institutes of Health –supported study revealed that hospital visits among youth in the second year of COVID-19 also increased.
Analyses of insurance claims data for more than 4.1 million children showed an especially notable increase in acute mental health care visits—including emergency department visits—among teen girls.
