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…

Jean C. Marks 1934 – 2012 Jean C. Marks, Northglenn. Wife of the late Floyd Marks. Mother of Vickie Lutz, Jay David (Joni) Marks, Susan (James) Wachter, Lynda (Eric) Southard and Daniel Marks. Twin sister of Joan Jellison, sister to Cheryl Michand and the late Jerry, Bob and Alfred Coate. Grandmother of Matthew and Michael…

Dr. Barbara Ryan, CEO of Mental Health Partners, has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors of Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC), a non-partisan, nonprofit statewide corporation created to coordinate statewide strategic initiatives to improve health of Coloradans, contain costs and ensure better value. Created in 2008 by Executive Order of…

Our thoughts go out to the victims, families and entire community of Aurora.  An event like this affects the entire community and can have a strong emotional impact.  Normal responses to a difficult situation such as this are: *        Fear, uncertainty, apprehension, anxiety and worry  *        Strong need for information, sometimes need for answers when…