Courtesy of Greater Latrobe School District
Students take part in a Fall 2018 Aevidum Club training session in the Center for Student Creativity at Greater Latrobe Senior High. Aevidum works to empower students to shatter the silence surrounding depression and suicide while inspiring a culture of advocacy and care.
Tribune-Review file
Phil Koch, who served as executive director of the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, is now vice president of policy and community impact with The Pittsburgh Foundation.
Courtesy of Pressley Ridge
Courtesy of Allegheny County Department of Human Services
Patricia L. Valentine, retired executive deputy director for integrated program services with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services
Colorado spends more than a billion dollars a year on mental health and substance use care, but many of those who need help have a hard time navigating the system.
A bipartisan bill that Governor Jared Polis signed into law on April 22 lays the groundwork for a new government entity to manage the state’s myriad programs in one central place and streamline care. In September, Colorado’s Behavioral Health Task Force unanimously recommended the state establish such an agency as one of several strategies for reforming the state’s behavioral health-care system.
This new entity, the Behavioral Health Administration, won’t appear right away. But House Bill 21-1097 sponsored by Representatives Mary Young (a Democrat from Greeley) and Rod Pelton (a Republican from Cheyenne Wells), along with Senators Rhonda Fields (a Democrat from Aurora) and Bob Gardner (a Republican from Colorado Springs) directs the Colorado Department of Human Services to establish the BHA by July 2022. The BH
Colorado lawmakers want to help kids cope with COVID pandemic with unprecedented new plan
With the state starting to slowly return to normal, Colorado lawmakers are looking for ways to help youth cope with a traumatic past year. House Bill 1258 would establish a temporary youth mental health services program to help kids learn to cope with the stress.
and last updated 2021-04-26 09:52:47-04
DENVER â Being a teenager is tough. There is a pressure to do well in school or sports, a pressure to fit in with your peers, a pressure to figure out your future all while experiencing puberty.
Colorado bill would give children free mental health screenings, therapy sessions
KOAA
and last updated 2021-04-21 22:18:06-04
SOUTHERN COLORADO â After a difficult school year for children across Colorado, state lawmakers are working to provide free mental health screenings and therapy to help them rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
House Bill 21-1258 would require the state to create a temporary youth mental health services program in the office of behavioral health within the department of human services by May 31. The program would allow up to three free mental health sessions for every Coloradan age 18 and younger and providers would be reimbursed through the program.
Young has served in the Legislature since 2019 and represents House District 50, which includes Greeley, Evans and Garden City. She is a member of the House Health and Human Services Committee and serves as Vice Chair of the House Education Committee. In this Q&A, she talks with State of Reform about her ambitious legislation and why Colorado needs mental health reform.
Eli Kirshbaum: What have you seen from your perspective in the Education Committee pertaining to health policy, if anything? Is there any notable crossover between education and health policy that you’ve noticed?
Rep. Mary Young: “Well, it depends on what committee it’s assigned to … I know that you’re going to ask me about the Behavioral Health Administration .. that’s a very good example of a very comprehensive bill that includes addressing behavioral health needs, both mental health and substance abuse, and overall prevention and wellness that intersects with the world of school. So I think th