Tag: mental health
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Loneliness loses when someone pulls up a chair
There’s a quiet epidemic hurling through Colorado, and it’s not one that makes the news. Until something tragic happens. Daily it shows up in the emergency rooms and the therapist’s offices. We see it at empty dinner tables all over the state. It’s loneliness. U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy placed a spotlight on America’s problem…
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COLUMN: Confronting the homeless issue in Colorado Springs
It’s snowing in Colorado Springs. Time to talk about homelessness. Homelessness is one of those topics where ideology gets loud. But lived experience whispers truths we aren’t ready to hear. Back in 2018, I promoted Housing First – Everybody In. I cheered the models from L.A. and Connecticut. Like many, I thought if you just…
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Fountain thief in 2024 officer-involved shooting avoids prison time
The Walgreens thief injured after being shot by Fountain police in September 2024 was sentenced to probation Monday. The case for Brenden Burningham, 32, started on Sept. 14, 2024, when Fountain police officers responded to a robbery at the Walgreens along 7910 Fountain Mesa Road. The man had threatened employees and was armed with a…
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New mental health initiatives in Colorado Springs filling system gaps
Several local organizations have started new boots-on-the-ground programs in Colorado Springs to meet mental health demands and fill gaps in addressing clinician shortages, providing LGBTQ+ care for traumatized youth, expanding adult addiction recovery and preventing suicide among all ages. Safe Passage Marking its fourth anniversary of locating multiple independent services in one building that specialize…
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Rising suicide rates prompt coordinated response in Routt and Moffat counties
Routt and Moffat counties have been going through a difficult period. Over the past few years, residents have lost neighbors, coworkers and longtime community members to suicide, losses that hit hard in places where people often know one another by first name. Last year, 10 people in Routt County and nine in Moffat County died…
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Colorado justices ponder ‘gotcha’ for defendant after messy process impacted mental health evidence
Some members of the Colorado Supreme Court were uncomfortable last week with letting a defendant’s murder conviction stand after a series of missteps resulted in a trial judge blocking jurors from hearing an expert’s assessment of the defendant’s mental health. Although the details were complicated, the legal issue was more streamlined: State law requires defendants…
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Parental rights group seeks to repeal competency law
A group of parental rights advocates and Republican lawmakers is urging the Colorado legislature to repeal a 2024 law that made changes to the state’s competency procedures. Established over the summer, the group called We The Parents includes members of the Colorado Parental Advocacy Network and legislators from the more conservative wing of the Republican…
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Veteran suicide declines after years of focused prevention in El Paso County
Those who are in crisis or facing suicidal thoughts are encouraged to call the 988 crisis hotline. Former Marine Corps Sgt. Heath Miller was facing prison for theft when he decided to get clean. Like many others, his introduction to opioids started with a prescription. He received oxycodone while in the Marines to treat an…
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YMHC impact at Ortega Middle School
For 12-year-old students navigating middle school in rural Colorado, challenges extend far beyond homework and social dynamics. Many face unstable housing, language barriers, and limited access to mental health resources. For them, the Youth Mental Health Corps (YMHC) can be a lifeline. Berkeley Wall, a second-year YMHC member at Ortega Middle School in Alamosa, has…
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Budget cuts threaten Youth Mental Health Corps for rural students
In rural Colorado, a single school counselor can face impossible odds. With limited staff, students in crisis are at high risk of slipping through the cracks, and having their emotional, social, and academic needs unmet. At Moffat Schools in the San Luis Valley, school counselor Sarah DeLeon knows those challenges firsthand. “School counselors can be…