News Clips
April 18, 2024
Tennessee Should Not Fall for Tough-On-Crime Rhetoric, But Rather Embrace Bail Reform
Welcome back to bail reform, Tennessee – sort of. Let’s hope your experiences are less fraught than those of some other states, although your initial return to the topic raises some concerns about th…
April 14, 2024
“I Don’t Think She Was a Lost Cause”: How One Colorado Overdose Victim Fell Through the Cracks
People who have both a mental illness and a substance-use disorder often struggle to get treatment that addresses all their needs, because most providers still primarily focus on one or the other, sa…
April 12, 2024
Colorado legislators push obesity prevention bill, governor’s approval is uncertain
Erin Harrop of Mental Health Colorado echoed Chastain’s concerns with the pharmaceutical industry profiting from weight loss medications whose long-term effects have not yet been fully studied. She s…
March 29, 2024
Colorado legislators set aside $7.2 million to fund longer psychiatric hospital stays
Once the money’s appropriated, a waiver expanding hospital stays would need to be approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But other states have already taken similar steps…
March 27, 2024
400 people with mental illness are sitting in Colorado jails. Some state lawmakers want to divert them to treatment instead.
About 30 people testified in favor of the bill, including Denver District Attorney Beth McCann and Maureen Cain, policy director for the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender.
Cain said the wa…
March 23, 2024
Colorado’s Youth Mental Health Crisis
As schools are stretched to their capacity, it is increasingly important that the state find ways to support mental health funding. Mauser explained the issue: “One call is more mental health counsel…
March 22, 2024
Stakeholders highlight importance of patient, facilitator safety in preparation of psilocybin distribution in Colorado
Patient and facilitator safety will be top of mind for Colorado mental health professionals when the state begins to distribute psilocybin next year. Stakeholders considered ways to address that last…
March 18, 2024
Coloradans with Medicaid and serious mental illness could soon receive better care at certain facilities
The IMD policy was passed during the deinstitutionalization movement and the goal was to get people out of asylums and back into their communities while also increasing availability of publicly funde…
March 18, 2024
Colorado eating disorder patients say they’ve been subjected to nude weigh-ins, forced to eat non-vegan foods
While Colorado is a national hub for eating disorder treatment, the state does not regulate centers’ treatment plans or clinical practices. The clinics are regulated only by the Colorado Department o…
March 13, 2024
Oregon psilocybin facilitators share their experiences with professionals preparing for rollout of mushroom distribution in Colorado
The meeting was the third part of an ongoing webinar series hosted by Mental Health Colorado and the Healing Advocacy Fund to discuss the impact of psilocybin legalization in the state. Nearly 1.3 mi…
March 13, 2024
Some of the 1,400 patients of a Western Slope clinic are still struggling to find care a month after its abrupt closure
Mental health experts said they understand state leaders needed to shut down the clinic to ensure patient safety. But the national behavioral health crisis is making it difficult for some former Inte…
February 29, 2024
Bill aims to improve regulations at Colorado eating disorder care centers
“We are grateful to Colorado legislators for prioritizing compassionate, culturally-competent and gender-affirming care for all patients seeking treatment for an eating disorder, one of the most prev…
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