Colorado leaders call for action to address urgent statewide mental health needs
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In a statement called Colorado Course Corrections, The Equitas Project has called for an urgent and immediate shift in awareness, and rebalancing of effort and investment across multiple stakeholders who share accountability for the health and safety of all Coloradans.
The statement was signed by legal and mental health professionals from across the state including ColoradoSPH's Jenn Leiferman, director the Population Mental Health and Wellbeing program and associate professor of community and behavioral health.
The list of priorities for Colorado Course Corrections 2019 features:
- Investing in early childhood mental health awareness and support in schools
- Implementing a world-class addiction, pain management, and mental health treatment system
- Increasing access to medication assisted treatment programs for addiction
- Expanding the use of psychiatric advance directives
- Redirecting people toward health care and minimizing arrests
- Ending the use of jails for drug and alcohol detox