In The News
 

November 7, 2023 | State of Reform

'Colorado Addiction Experts Prioritize Care for Individuals Leaving Carceral Settings'
by Shane Ersland

“Like many other states, Colorado has seen concerning trends due to fentanyl and other opioids. The state’s age-adjusted opioid overdose death rate rose from eight per 100,000 individuals in 2011 to 21.7 per 100,000 individuals in 2021. Last year in Denver, 453 people died of an opioid overdose, with more than half of those deaths resulting from fentanyl use. 

‘People are dying at a very high rate, and publicly in Denver,’ Raville said. ‘(It had) the most public overdoses (from June through September) we’ve ever had.’ 

Prioritizing the criminalization of those who are addicted to substances exacerbates the issue, Atchity said. 

‘We’ve got five percent of the world’s human population, and 25 percent of the world’s incarcerated population. That’s a higher rate of incarceration than any other country. We readily arrest and incarcerate some people more than others based on some substances.’” 

Click here for legislative updates - statewide and national.

Advocacy & Volunteer Opportunities

2024 Legislative Kickoff Webinar:

Join Mental Health Colorado for our first webinar of 2024! On Thursday, January 18, at 12:00 PM, our team will walk through changing political dynamics in play, our legislative priorities, and upcoming advocacy opportunities to get involved. You won’t want to miss it!

REGISTER HERE.

Survey Opportunity on Interacting with the Criminal Justice System:

Mental Health Colorado is interested in learning more about the experiences of individuals with a mental health and/or substance use condition interacting with the criminal justice system.

CLICK HERE.

Survey Opportunity for Youth:

Mental Health Colorado is also interested in learning from youth about any experiences accessing publicly funded mental health services such as the iMatter Program or the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

EMAIL banshus@mentalhealthcolorado.org.

Survey Opportunity - Prioritizing Workplace Well-Being for Colorado Businesses:

With support from the Colorado Community Health Alliance, Mental Health Colorado invites you to participate in a brief survey to help us shape the future of workplace well-being. Please take 5-7 minutes to complete this survey to help us develop a workplace well-being toolkit.

CLICK HERE.

Upcoming Events
 

We are so excited about our partnership with our state’s professional lacrosse & hockey teams, The Colorado Mammoth and the Colorado Avalanche! Get your tickets now to these special games and prepare for a rowdy good time of entertainment that supports mental health advocacy and the well-being of Coloradans everywhere.

  

1. Click here for Colorado Mammoth tickets

2. Click here for Colorado Avalanche tickets

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CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Mental Health Colorado has teamed up with Healing Advocacy Fund Colorado to offer a free webinar series on natural psychedelic medicines in the winter and spring of 2024. 

This 4-part digital series will equip you with the information you need to understand the new laws, explain the research-backed therapeutic potential of natural medicines like psilocybin mushrooms to your patients and clients, and answer questions. 

You’re invited to join us for our first session on January 25, 2024, from 12:00 - 1:30pmMT, where you’ll hear from subject matter experts and learn about: 

An overview of the research on psilocybin and why it can be a safe and effective tool for addressing hard-to-treat mental health conditions; 

Mechanisms of action and therapeutic protocols to support patient outcomes and maximize safety; 

Details of the laws around natural psychedelics relevant to practitioners and an update on the rulemaking process and timelines; 

How the new law impacts providers and what’s possible within your existing services, including business opportunities.