Mental health resources
Re: “Crisis point: Is Safe2Tell working?” Sept. 27 news story
As a parent, consumer, and someone working in behavioral health, I appreciate The Denver Postap insightful coverage of Safe2Tell and the Crisis Point series. I think itap important to note some additional resources that are available to help prevent mental health crises and support teens and families in need. Colorado has 17 Community Mental Health Centers that are a critical part of our safety net system. They offer a comprehensive array of services, including early childhood intervention services, community crisis response, and prevention, education and individual and family counseling services within schools. Additionally, many CMHCs are partnering with law enforcement to offer programs such as co-responder models and crisis intervention training that help engage people in treatment rather than the criminal justice system.
Mental Health First Aid Colorado provides training for community members to help identify and appropriately respond to signs of mental health distress. Teen MHFA is now being piloted in Colorado, an innovative peer to peer program that empowers young people to support each other in times of need.
Yet many of these services and supports do not have sustainable funding as insurance payment models are tied to billable, “medically necessary” services rather than flexible models that respond to evolving community needs and address social determinants of health. Colorado would do well to increase investment in these kinds of critical programs and shore up its fragile behavioral health safety net.
Mindy Klowden, Denver
A crowd worth covering
When we have 50 people having a peaceful protest, or setting off fireworks, burning businesses and creating general havoc, we see media coverage.
When we have an estimated 50,000 people gathering in our nations capital — meeting along the National Mall to pray for our nation, its leaders and the hope that we come together to resolve this crisis of conflict within our society — we see not one word in our local newspaper. Certainly it is a religious-based subject and, therefor, controversial to cover.
There were several prominent members of our society that participated in this event including Vice President Mike Pence.
The goal to heal our society and stop all the divisiveness is one that is worthy of
conversation. My local newspaper should support this ideal and at least cover the story to help in moving this conversation forward.
I was disappointed that there was a choice made not to cover the prayer march story at all.
Steven Smith, Denver
Bipartisan assault on the Court
Itap taken decades, but the Democrats and Republicans of Congress have finally worked together to finish something they started.
They’ve managed to fully politicize the Supreme Court, the one branch of government that is intended to be apolitical. Now they can revert to old form and point fingers at each other.
Mark J. Stevens, Aurora
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