The Open Forum 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 Post’s insightful coverage of Safe2Tell and the Crisis Point series. I think it’s 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