A bill that would funnel
millions of dollars into a wide range of services from medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders, to vouchers for mental health care in rural areas, to screening for mood and anxiety issues for some new mothers passed in the Colorado Senate on Tuesday and now heads over the House for consideration.
“Even before the pandemic, we knew that we were not meeting mental health needs and addiction needs throughout the state,” Sen. Faith Winter, a Democrat and one of the sponsors of the Behavioral Health Recovery Act, said Monday. “And we know that the second curve of responding to the pandemic is coming. And that second curve is responding to our mental health needs after we’ve collectively gone through this pandemic and also addressing the addiction crisis we’re seeing in this state.”