Suicide rates appear to be significantly higher in a number of Colorado counties over recent months; another indicator of the severe stress that has accompanied the economic downturn,  This article in the Denver Post, by Carlos Illescas, cites this unfortunate trend and mentions programs such as the one offered by Jefferson Center for Mental Health as valuable resources for helping individuals and families impacted by the economy. 

Click here to read the article.

North Range Behavioral Health licensed pyschologist Maureen Puff, PhD, writes an important article to assist people managing stress, which can be particularly exacerbated by the current economic downturn.  She highlights some helpful coping techniques and reminds folks to seek out a behavioral health specialist if necessary. 

Click here to read the entire article. 

This article from the Canon City Daily Record by Debbie Bell details the alarming number of Coloradans in need of mental health services that are going untreated and the consequences of this situation.  Suicide, lost workforce productivity, homelessness, expensive hospital visits and incarceration are rising as these individuals go untreated which results in huge economic and human costs.  The article points out that treatment through Colorado’s Community Mental Health Centers is an effective and valuable resource for providing mental health care at the local level– West Central Mental Health Center is highlighted

Click here to read more. 

This article in El Semanario, written by Cristina Fresquez, highlights a wonderful collaboration program anchored by the Youth Services team at Servicios de la Raza.  

"The program offers remarkable opportunities for youth who have dropped out of school and want to return to secondary or post-secondary school; who are seeking assistance with preparing for and finding stable work; who are in school or are employed, but need assistance to progress; and who need assistance with basic skills remediation."

Click here to read the entire article. 

North Range Behavioral Health and the Colorado Spirit Team from North Range are working hard to support the victims of last year’s tornado that ripped through Windsor, CO.  They are working to foster emotional and mental healing in tandem with the physical rebuilding taking place in this community.  Click on the links below to read more.

Weathering The Storm -The Tribune

Kids’ Fears Float Away -The Tribune

This article by Robyn G. Mayer, written in the weekly issue of El Semanario, is the first in a four part series highlighting the remarkable work done by Servicios de la Raza across a broad spectrum of services. 

Read why Servicios has been recognized as a pillar of their community for the past 37 years, offering mental health services and more.  Click Here

This Denver Post editorial was written by CBHC Executive Director George DelGrosso in response to U.S. Senator Michael Bennet’s advocacy for increased school-based health services for Colorado youth.  It emphasizes that while increasing access to physical healthcare services in schools can be an important means to increasing access to care for many children, there is also a need for mental healthcare to be included in this arena, in order to better fill existing gaps in diagnosis and service delivery to children. 

Click here to read the editorial.    

Suicide Education and Support Services (SESS) has merged with North Range Behavioral Health, effective May 1.  SESS provides education and support for suicide prevention and post-intervention efforts to residents of Weld County, and has referred individuals to North Range Behavioral Health for further assistance and treatment services for a number of years. 

To read more about the merger, click here. 

FRONTLINE Presents
THE RELEASED

As communities across the country face the largest exodus of prisoners in history, the issue has never been more pressing. This year alone, over 700,000 people will leave prison, more than half of them mentally ill. Typically, these offenders leave prison with a bus ticket, $75 in cash, and two weeks’ worth of medication. Studies show that within 18 months, nearly two-thirds of mentally ill offenders—often poor and cut off from friends and family—are re-arrested.

In 2007, Lynn Moore, armed with bottles and bricks, broke into a house looking for Osama bin Laden. A paranoid schizophrenic with a history of drug and alcohol abuse, he was arrested more than 20 times and sent to prison for the fourth time. After serving eight months, Moore was released without supervision. FRONTLINE follows him from his first day of freedom to a homeless shelter in Canton, Ohio. “I don’t think people understand how hard it is to transition from prison life back to everyday life,” says Scott Schnyders, program director at Refuge of Hope, the shelter that housed Moore.

Click here to watch the entire episode online:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/released/view/

This Article by Loretta Sword of the Pueblo Chieftan details the remarkable success of the Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center Treatment Alternatives and Collaboration Program.  The program provides comprehensive mental health and substance-abuse treatment for people involved in the criminal justice system for crimes related to their illnesses.  The program is being hailed by judges, law enforcement representatives, and the offenders receiving treatment as an opportunity for reintegration and reduction of recidivism for the program’s participants. 

Click here to read the entire article.