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Tag: Mental health

How millions in tax money has failed to deliver a change to Denver’s mental and behavioral health needs
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Colorado Public Radio, Local

How millions in tax money has failed to deliver a change to Denver’s mental and behavioral health needs

By Ben Markus | CPR News The campaign’s premise was simple: For nothing more than a modest sales tax increase, Denver could create a $45 million-a-year stream of grants to nonprofit mental health and drug treatment programs. “This initiative will give us the capacity to get everybody who needs help into a place where they can get the help that they need,” said Dr. Carl Clark, the president and CEO of WellPower, a large Denver community mental health provider.  “It's the type of thing that is a gamechanger.” Voters enthusiastically bought into the concept. And after six years and more than $170 million in tax dollars granted, a year-long review by CPR News found that the game has indeed changed, but perhaps not in the ways supporters and voters envisioned. READ THE FULL ...
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Lakewood looking to expand co-responder teams to handle crisis situations in Colorado
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CBS Colorado, Local

Lakewood looking to expand co-responder teams to handle crisis situations in Colorado

By Karen Morfitt | CBS Colorado In Lakewood, there is a push to get more co-responders on the streets. They are trained mental health professionals who go with police officers to calls offering their expertise when someone in Colorado is in crisis. "Sometimes our patrol agents will call and ask for us," said Susie Newby, one of two co-responders dedicated to the Lakewood Police Department. And every response is different. "With juveniles, Ben has a lot of experience working with them so we prefer him to go on those calls. Susie is really good at de-escalating," her partner, a Lakewood agent, said. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Jobs, programs are cut at two Colorado mental health centers amid Medicaid “unwind”
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State, The Colorado Sun

Jobs, programs are cut at two Colorado mental health centers amid Medicaid “unwind”

By Jennifer Brown | The Colorado Sun Two more community mental health centers are eliminating jobs and cutting programs as Colorado’s safety-net health system staggers from a massive drop in Medicaid rolls.  WellPower, which provides mental health care in Denver regardless of whether patients have insurance, is cutting six positions from its co-responder team that pairs social workers with city park rangers, fire and law officers. It’s also eliminating its virtual therapy program, which connected 579 patients with therapists online last year. And it’s ending its lease of Garfield House, an apartment complex where the mental health center has placed patients who needed housing.  READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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Friday hearing set for suspected gunman in Georgia high school shooting
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National, New York Post

Friday hearing set for suspected gunman in Georgia high school shooting

By Christopher Scarglato, Chris Nesi, Nikki Mascali Roarty and David Propper | New York Post Four people were killed and at least nine others were hospitalized after a shooting at Apalachee High School in northern Georgia Wednesday morning, officials said. Officials confirmed in an afternoon press conference that two students and two teachers were among the deceased. A student at the school, Colt Gray, 14, was identified as the alleged shooter and he surrendered to custody, GBI Director Chris Hosey said. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE NEW YORK POST
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Teen mental health facility gets go-ahead in Castle Rock, as neighbors worry about safety
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CBS Colorado, Local

Teen mental health facility gets go-ahead in Castle Rock, as neighbors worry about safety

By Olivia Young | CBS Colorado One Colorado town is making moves for youth mental health. Twenty percent of teens ages 12 to 17 reported suffering from one major depressive disorder in the last year, according to Sandstone Care. Now, the town council has voted to rezone a former assisted living facility to allow for a mental health treatment center serving teens. The soon-to-be Sandstone Care treatment facility is at 864 Barranca Drive in the Metzler Ranch neighborhood of Castle Rock. However, some nearby residents are worried about the safety concerns they say Sandstone Care will bring. "Great, now we gotta watch out for what's really gonna be happening, like crime and things like that," said Metzler Ranch neighbor Miles Negley. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Colorado rep shares treatment for depression to ‘de-stigmatize mental illness’
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News Nation, State

Colorado rep shares treatment for depression to ‘de-stigmatize mental illness’

By Carie Canterbury | News Nation Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) on Monday opened up about her experience with depression, revealing she is seeking treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and wants to “de-stigmatize” mental illness. Caraveo, in a statement Monday, said she, “like many Americans, struggle with depression,” and the symptoms became “more severe” in recent months. “As a doctor, I always urge my patients to take care of their health first and receive the support that they need,” she said, adding, “I decided to take my own advice and seek treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center.” “I’m sharing this today because I believe we need to de-stigmatize mental illness — in Colorado and across our country. It is my hope that the millions of people who struggl...
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In Larimer County, 75 laid off from mental health center amid rise in uninsured and Medicaid reform 
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Local, The Colorado Sun

In Larimer County, 75 laid off from mental health center amid rise in uninsured and Medicaid reform 

By Jennifer Brown | The Colorado Sun Larimer County’s community mental health center has abruptly laid off 75 employees, causing a gap in care for some of the most vulnerable patients and increasing concerns about how far the fallout will spread after a seismic shift in Medicaid funding.  Connor Grogan had 35 clients at SummitStone Health Partners in Fort Collins when he was told at a mandatory meeting last week that he was among those losing their jobs because of a budget crisis. He had to turn in his phone and laptop on the spot, with no opportunity to say goodbye to his patients.  “It was unethical the way that it was handled,” said Grogan, who had counseled children, families and adults at the center for more than two years. “At the very least, I feel like it is not ...
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Mesa County to partner through $300K grant to improve mental health care access
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Western Slope

Mesa County to partner through $300K grant to improve mental health care access

By The Rocky Mountain Voice Appropriated by Senate Bill 22-196, a $300,000 grant from the State of Colorado has allowed Mesa County Behavioral Health to collaborate with Mind Springs Health to enhance access to mental health care in Western Colorado. The grant focuses on early intervention and prevention in the criminal justice system, a Mesa County press release reads. It targets at-risk adults, aiming to stabilize and support them through improved intervention strategies. “We are grateful for the support of the 196 Grant, which enables us to expand our reach and deepen our impact, providing critical behavioral health services to those in need,” said Lisa Mills, Mesa County's behavioral health director. “Our contract with Mind Springs represents our ongoing commitment to enhancin...
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Giordano: America’s woke education is fueling the mental health crisis
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Commentary, Fox News, National

Giordano: America’s woke education is fueling the mental health crisis

By Nicholas Giordano | FOX News According to a new Gallup poll, "happiness" is plummeting in America, adding to the mounting evidence that the U.S. has a mental health crisis on its hands. It is particularly alarming that these bleak findings include children, teens and young adults – demographics that have traditionally enjoyed relatively carefree lives and positive outlooks as they face a lifetime of promises.  But the data is sobering: suicide ranks as the second leading cause of death among children ages 10-14 and young adults ages 20-34. Furthermore, 55% of young adults under the age of 30 suffer from anxiety, and 47% are depressed and/or hopeless. Sadly, these statistics do not surprise me.  As a college professor, not only h...
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1,400 patients of a Western Slope clinic still struggle to find care a month after its abrupt closure
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The Colorado Sun, Western Slope

1,400 patients of a Western Slope clinic still struggle to find care a month after its abrupt closure

By Tatiana Flowers | Colorado Sun Former clients of a Delta-based clinic that shut down early last month are still looking for mental and physical health care on the rural Western Slope. Sixty people were referred to Axis Health System last month and one former client said she has found better health care options since Integrated Insight Community Care closed last month.  But some of the 1,400 other clients said they fear they’re facing a crisis, because there are too few mental and physical health care providers available in their area who take Medicaid, and can care for people with complex and specialized needs. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE COLORADO SUN
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