6 results for tag: #substanceuse
Larimer County’s mental health center lays off 75 people, blames rise in uninsured and Medicaid reform
August 8, 2024
By: Jennifer Brown
It’s hardly surprising that safety-net mental health centers are feeling the loss of Medicaid coverage for 600,000 Coloradans in the span of about a year, said Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado.
“It’s an earthquake that takes a segment out of a highway,” he said. “It’s a crisis for sure.”
Atchity, who advocated for payment reform and more transparency in public spending on community mental health centers, said it’s likely there is “some seismic shifting that occurs when a system is flipping itself as much as this.”
But it’s unclear this early on in the ...
Motel Owners Sue Greenwood Village Over Ordinance That Limits Homeless Motel Stays
August 5, 2024
By: Bennito L Kelty
In March 2020, John Jackson, the Greenwood Village city manager, sent Bharucha a letter warning that she was violating the ordinance because her motel isn't a medical facility, according to the lawsuit. Jackson also called on then-Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to cancel the partnership with CCH, "and the partnership was canceled," the lawsuit notes.
A month later, Bharucha formed a new partnership with SAFER, an initiative supported by Mental Health Colorado, to offer 23 rooms at her motel for two years as a temporary shelter for people suffering from mental health problems or drug addiction.
Greenwood ...
Climate change is exacerbating Colorado’s mental health crisis. We need leaders who will tackle it head-on.
July 31, 2024
By: Vincent Atchity
Of course, a central part of the solution to eco-anxiety lies in desperately needed policy change. That means bolstering environmental protections at the federal, state and local level. The best treatment for eco-anxiety is collective action around climate and commitment from those in power to prioritize this issue before it’s too late.
We can’t wait, however, for policy changes to come about before helping Coloradans who experience eco-anxiety. We must acknowledge and validate these feelings among our friends and neighbors, and mental health providers must be prepared to help clients navigate these ...
Bridges of Colorado: Formerly homeless, jailed vet headed home with new coping skills
July 21, 2024
By: Mary Shinn
Mental Health Colorado President and CEO Vincent Atchity said his organization supported the new program that will help people leave the justice system and focus on their mental well-being.
He expects it will help those facing charges such as trespassing, public nuisance and other lower-level crimes, and free up the court system for those who have committed more egregious crimes.
“There's a significant chunk of the population with the lower charges, that can just be steered away from the pursuit of prosecution,” he said.
Ultimately, Mental Health Colorado would like to see far more mental health ...
Colorado leaders launch website this week to help improve the state’s mental health system
July 3, 2024
By: Tatiana Flowers
The Behavioral Health Administration will host public conversations in the coming months to help people learn to use the tool. Those dates will be published on the Behavioral Health Administration’s calendar soon.
“It’s important for a public system to have this kind of visibility to show how it’s improving access for people,” Atchity said. “And for our purposes, as advocates, it’s handy — if we can trust this to be thorough and comprehensive.”
Mental Health Colorado leaders recently released Know Your Rights information for Coloradans who need mental health and substance use services....
Colorado addiction experts prioritize care for individuals leaving carceral settings
November 7, 2023
By: Shane Ersland
Helping Coloradans who struggle with addiction, particularly for individuals transitioning out of a carceral setting, will require greater availability of adequate treatment services in the state, according to health leaders.
Harm Reduction Action Center Executive Director Lisa Raville and Mental Health Colorado President and CEO Vincent Atchity discussed the state’s addiction-related challenges at the 2023 Colorado State of Reform Health Policy Conference last month.
“At Mental Health Colorado, we acknowledge that humans have used a wide variety of substances, ranging from caffeine and tea to things ...