Colorado Springs suicide survivor launches statewide county-by-county resource directory
When 27-year-old Amber Kosloske of Colorado Springs attempted suicide a few years ago, she didn’t have the time or capacity to try to find resources that could help her.
“When people are in high crisis, they’re panicking, and in that space they need something that’s easy to access,” she said.
Now, as a licensed professional counselor and the owner of Convenient Colorado Counseling, a private practice that provides 100% telehealth counseling with specialization in suicide and self-harm prevention and related issues, Kosloske said she realized there wasn’t one place people across the state could easily locate online local agencies, organizations and other materials that provide immediate and ongoing assistance.
On Tuesday, Kosloske debuted an online suicide resources webpage at https://convenientcoloradocounseling.com/colorado-suicide-resources/.
The suicide resource directory enables users to select their county and find a detailed list of state and local crisis services, inpatient centers, suicide-specific treatment and care, and other mental health resources.
“Sometimes there’s a disconnect between outpatient and inpatient providers, and I hope this directory will bridge that and further provide continuity of care and referrals between the two,” Kosloske said.
“We have so many amazing resources in Colorado that we don’t always know about each other as providers, so silos happen — not for lack of wanting to know about each other — and we need to build awareness.”
For years, Colorado has ranked poorly, in the top 10 in the nation, for its high number of deaths by suicide, which is the state’s eighth leading cause of death.
“The more limelight we can shine, the more it’s going to help,” Kosloske said. “Keeping the conversations going is so important. That’s what’s going to help our numbers go down.”
Kosloske said she’s also working on a new podcast series to keep dialogue going.
Editor’s note: This article has been changed to reflect Amber Kosloske’s correct age.
Colorado’s legislatively driven “I Matter” initiative, which provides up to six free therapy sessions for youth, has seen 5,655 youth statewide since launching in the fall of 2021, the Behavioral Health Administration announced last week.
State lawmakers directed $15 million to fund the temporary program through June 30 of this year, over concerns that teens’ mental health was were being adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A bill proposed as the new legislative session began in January seeks to offer the program’s mental health assessment — the first step to access therapy — in schools to help identify struggles students are facing and connect them with the program.
Under its current model, students ages 18 and younger use a screening tool on the program’s website and are matched with licensed mental health professionals for either virtual or in-person counseling sessions. Participating therapists are reimbursed for their services.
Youth ages 12 and over can sign up without parental permission. Those ages 11 and under need parental approval.
Nearly 44% of the participating adolescents used at least four sessions, and 83% showed up to the sessions, according to the Behavioral Health Administration. Students have come from 59 of Colorado’s 64 counties, the agency reported.
Amber Kosloske, a licensed professional counselor in Colorado Springs, has launched an online directory of suicide resources by county statewide.