Colorado Leaders Call For Action to Address Urgent Statewide Mental Health Needs

In a statement called Colorado Course Corrections, The Equitas Project has called for an urgent and immediate shift in awareness, and rebalancing of effort and investment across multiple stakeholders who share accountability for the health and safety of all Coloradans.

The statement was signed by legal and mental health professionals from across the state including ColoradoSPH's Jenn Leiferman, director the Population Mental Health and Wellbeing program and associate professor of community and behavioral health.

The list of priorities for Colorado Course Corrections 2019 features:

• Investing in early childhood mental health awareness and support in schools
• Implementing a world-class addiction, pain management, and mental health treatment system
• Increasing access to medication assisted treatment programs for addiction
• Expanding the use of psychiatric advance directives
• Redirecting people toward health care and minimizing arrests
• Ending the use of jails for drug and alcohol detox

The list of other organizations who joined ColoradoSPH in signing includes:

Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council

Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Housing

Colorado Mental Wellness Network

Denver District Attorney’s Office

Denver FIRST

Disability Law Colorado

Drug Policy Alliance

Healthier Colorado

Jefferson Center for Mental Health

Mental Health Center of Denver

Mental Health Colorado

Mind Springs Health

Office of the Colorado State Public Defender

Second Chance Center

Southeast Health Group

Read the entire statement on the The Equitas Project website.