Mental Health First Aid Courses During May is Mental Health Month
As we get closer to May, a month dedicated to raising national awareness about mental health, we are reminded of the importance of prioritizing mental wellness and supporting each other in times of need. This year, Mental Health First Aid Colorado will be observing Mental Health Awareness Month by supporting a community initiative to promote…
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The Budget Realities of Colorado’s Community Mental Health Centers
By Kara Johnson-Hufford Here are two things we know about the state of mental health in Colorado: The number of individuals who need services and supports for all sorts of mental health conditions is increasing and the amount of funding the state has to invest in services and supports is not keeping pace. It’s an…
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Immediate action required to protect safety net behavioral health system
By Kara Johnson-Hufford We’ve all seen and heard a lot about the challenges we face as a state around our mental health and substance use disorder treatment systems. An increasing number of people in need of services and supports, a declining number of people working in the system and funding for all of this that…
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Colorado’s behavioral health reform can’t leave the most seriously mentally ill behind
By Kara Johnson-Hufford Recently, the mayors of Colorado’s three largest cities made a public plea for help in three newspapers. Their point was simple: If we leave people with serious mentally illness (SMI) to fend for themselves in our communities and on our streets, we are endangering them and hurting our communities. The mayors of…
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Investing in a system that fills gaps across the state
By Kara Johnson-Hufford, CBHC CEO There is no doubt that Colorado invests significant state dollars in community mental health centers and clinics across Colorado with about $500 million flowing to the 17 centers that blanket the state. It’s important to understand what Colorado’s return on that investment is in lives saved, quality of life improved…
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Crisis care is at the heart of community mental health centers’ service
By Kara Johnson-Hufford, CBHC CEO Individuals with serious, persistent mental illness need a variety of care, supports and wrap around services to successfully manage their often-multiple challenges. Community mental health centers were built for just this purpose. The initial community mental health center system was built to take care of the most seriously mentally ill…
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Community roots in service run deep for mental health centers across Colorado
By Kara Johnson-Hufford, CBHC CEO In Greeley, teachers self-administered a survey in 1913 that revealed the need for a mental health center for their students. When the center opened, a child psychiatrist provided services one day a month. Now known as North Range Behavioral Health, the center has been continuously providing services and expanding well…
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September is Suicide Prevention Month
CBHC is committed to ending the stigma around reaching out for help when individuals are feeling down or depressed, anxious, suicidal, experiencing a substance use issue, or any other behavioral health issue. We want YOU to know that there is help, and while it may feel frightening to reach out in the moment, it is…
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tMHFA Set to Expand in Colorado
It is no secret that the mental health of teenagers has been steadily declining. According to a 2022 survey of teens age 12- 17 conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), only 48% of teens say they talk to their parents about mental health while only 22% speak to their friends about it.…
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Meet CBHC’s New CEO, Kara Johnson-Hufford
The Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council would like to introduce you to our new CEO, Kara Johnson-Hufford. A few words from Kara Johnson-Hufford I’m thrilled and honored to be taking the reins at CBHC. Doyle’s are big shoes to fill, and I’m eager to begin the work. The video that accompanies this gives you a bit…
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