How we reached a mental health crisis
The number of kids showing up in emergency departments in Colorado more than doubled in a recent five-year span, from 2,002 in 2016 to 5,168 in 2021.
A similar number of kids went to emergency departments between 2021 to 2022, meaning that while the number was leveling off, it began to flatten at a highly elevated level of need.
The state is short on resources, short on beds, and too often, families don’t know where to turn in a moment of crisis.
Yet a look at history shows we’ve made the same mistakes over and over again when it comes to addressing mental health.
In Crisis? Help is Available Now.
Mental Health Colorado is an advocacy organization. We do not provide crisis services, clinical care, or direct mental health support. The organization’s contact information is for non-crisis inquiries and is monitored during business hours only.