During the early days of mental health care, asylums often restrained people experiencing mental illness with iron chains and shackles around their ankles and wrists. In the early 1950s, when this practice was being called out as brutal by advocates, the National Association of Mental Health, now Mental Health America, spearheaded a nationwide campaign to
collect the chains and shackles from asylums that were beginning to discontinue their use and melt down these inhumane bindings to recast them into a sign of hope: The Mental Health Bell.
“Cast from shackles which bound them, this bell shall ring out hope for the mentally ill and victory over mental illness.” - Inscription on Mental Health Bell, MHA Headquarters, Alexandria, Virginia
On May 3, 1953, The Mental Health Bell rang in Mental Health Week as the first national fundraising drive of Mental Health America with a goal of raising $5,000,000 for adequate care of the nation’s 650,000 “mental patients.” That same year, Mental Health Colorado (MHC) was founded as the Colorado Association for Mental Health and soon after was officially accepted as the 34th Division of Mental Health America.
In the 1950s, MHC worked closely with state leadership and community partners to educate the public about mental health reforms and advocating for legislative action to improve conditions in state mental health institutions. In 1957, fact sheets and MHC’s first legislative newsletter explaining legislation and urging appropriate action were circulated. In 1959, MHC published the first Guide to Mental Health Services in Colorado with a listing of services available throughout the state.
Throughout the 1960s, Mental Health Colorado worked diligently to increase advocacy efforts, convene professionals to inform legislative action, and secure funding for additional supports and services. MHC was instrumental in securing the grounds and facilities for the Fort Logan Mental Health Center, Colorado’s much-needed second state mental hospital. MHC also focused on workforce development to meet understaffing needs by partnering with the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) to provide scholarships for students working in 7 Colorado institutions and by sponsoring a
Careers Day Program inviting high school students to tour the wards at Colorado State Hospital (CSH), Pueblo. Colorado became a pioneer in providing junior-college-level courses, culminating in an Associate of Arts degree, for the training of basic mental health workers.
Reflecting on the evolution of mental health care in Colorado underscores the transformative power of advocacy. Mental Health America's initiative not only began liberating individuals from the chains of discrimination and inhumane treatment but also catalyzed a nationwide movement for compassionate care. Mental Health Colorado's founding exemplifies this commitment, bridging expertise and community leadership to promote mental well-being and drive legislative reform for the health of Coloradans across the lifespan.
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