It gives us great pleasure to announce the honorees of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare’s Awards of Excellence for the state of Colorado.   Welcome Back Awards: Lifetime Achievement First Prize: Major General (ARMY Ret.) Mark Graham and Carol Graham, Colorado Springs, CO Reintegration Awards: Achievement Second Prize: Carol Jean Garner, Director of…

Legislation Recognizing Behavioral Health’s Central Role in Community Health & Safety Washington, DC (Feb. 7, 2013) — Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich) introduced the Excellence in Mental Health Act today. This legislation would support the nation’s community mental health and addictions system by establishing national standards and oversight for Federally Qualified Community Behavioral Health Centers (FQCBHCs).…

National Council for Behavioral Health Partners with myStrength Washington DC, Feb 4, 2013—The National Council for Behavioral Health (National Council) is preparing mental health and addictions treatment organizations to meet the significant increase in demand for services by leveraging innovative online treatment technologies. The National Council has forged a partnership with myStrength, Inc., a digital…

A few hours ago, President Obama unveiled a plan for a mix of executive and legislative action designed to curb gun violence. A major component of the President’s plan calls for improving U.S. mental health services. CBHC is thrilled to note that one of the tools specifically listed in the President’s plan is Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).

By Michael Booth The Denver Post Colorado must reform laws and insurance benefits to give patients and families access to mental illness treatment equal to what as they usually get for medical treatment, panelists at an informal “hearing” said Thursday night. The mental health community has waited more than four years since passage of a…

An intensive family- and community-based treatment program in Weld County for high-risk juveniles, Multisystemic Therapy (MST), has recently been recognized for outstanding service. Nominated for the annual “Whatever It Takes” award by the international MST Institute for its success with troubled youth, the North Range Behavioral Health MST program represents one of 500-plus programs in 34 states and 14 countries. David Bernstein, Director of The Center for Effective Interventions, who co-nominated the team for this award with their MST consultant Angelia Watson, says, “The North Range Behavioral Health MST Team consistently meets and then surpasses its goals; they are extraordinary professionals who passionately believe in MST and the importance of implementing the model with fidelity.”

CBHC member, AspenPointe, was recently named the recipient of a major grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to fund its work to integrate care with Peak Vista Community Health Centers. “We have partnered with Peak Vista doing Integrated Behavioral/Physical health care for the past seven years, which has resulted in many…

A recent article in Mental Health Weekly highlights a new report released by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare about the effectiveness of serving veterans’ behavioral health needs in the community.

The report examines the cost of veterans’ unmet mental health needs and finds major benefits in investing more dollars for providers who deliver proper evidence-based care.

70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives. That’s 223.4 million people. Feelings of intense fear, horror, helplessness, and hopelessness can paralyze trauma survivors when seeking treatment. And extreme stress can overwhelm a person’s ability to cope.

But trauma survivors have rights too. This “Recovery Bill of Rights for Trauma Survivors,” created by Thomas V. Maguire, Ph.D., outlines the rights a trauma survivor inherently has, and should expect to exercise, throughout treatment. It describes expectations everyone coping with trauma should have for treatment, personal communication, dependency in therapy, and personal boundaries.

Click Read More to see the new Bill of Rights Infographic for Trauma Survivors, courtesy of the National Council for Community Behavioral Health.

AspenPointe Health Services,  Aurora Mental Health Center, and Jefferson Center for Mental Health have all been announced as winners of Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration (PBHCI) program grants. These coveted grants are awarded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and receive support from the federal Center for Integrated Health Solutions…