Program: Mending Colorado’s Mental Health
Andrew Romanoff, President of Mental Health Colorado
Rotarian in Aurora
Colorado has one of the states with highest suicide rates in the country—over 1000/year.
The obstacles in addressing mental illness:
- How do we define mental illness? One out of four in the population has experienced some form of mental illness; the problem is that many are not officially diagnosed with mental illness. The rate of diagnosis is probably why the numbers seem to have grown recently. Adolescence is when symptoms are most likely to appear. Addressing the problem is not being done even when a diagnosis is made. There are 8-10 years from the first appearance of symptoms to treatment. Nearly ½ million people are untreated in Colorado.
- Pre-existing conditions may not be covered
- Cost: the number one reason
- Insurance doesn’t cover the plan or providers are not availble (the ACA does cover mental health services)
- Stigma: worried if others find out or embarrassed about “personal” information being shared
- Denial by the person with the symptoms
Mental Illness is a huge expense, with depression being the biggest cost.
Homeless adults are frequently suffering from mental illness.
Most of the treatment for mental illness in Colorado is “done” in prisons, a very expensive and ineffective means for treatment.
Americans with severe mental illness are living 25 years less than the general popoulation: suicide (8% of students have committed suicide; 17% have considered suicide).
Opportunities:
- Colorado Crisis Services 844-493-8255. A mental health professional is available for (text 38255) persons in crisis or for families.
- Mental Health First aid Colorado: training to be familiar with symptoms and appropriate responses. mhfaco.org. Jefferson Mental Health offers the 8 hour training course.
- Mentalhealthcolorado.org. There is a site for identifying symptoms---a screening on-line that also includes potential assistance.
- Mental health professionals need to be on-site at all the schools in the State.
- Can we re-name “mental illness” to de-stigmatize?
- Join the “Brain-Wave”---to be advocates for mental health to get funding for programs and services: go to mentalhealthcolorado.org/take-action
Guests: Lenore McCall, Gail Sharp
Announcements/Business:
- Gail’s business, Tallgrass, since 1999 sends boxes of personal care items for soldiers who are overseas. Last year, Tallgrass sent over 200 boxes, each with individual boxes for the soldiers, both men and women. Gail also provides Christmas cards so that we can write personal cards to a soldier. The box to collect items will be at our Rotary meetings for the whole month of October. The boxes cost $17.50/box---so donations are appreciated; make checks to Tallgrass.
- Last week’s RYLA report included 5 of the 7 students. The students all mentioned that they can not judge others by appearance or first impressions.
- Evergreen Rotarian Wayne Lundhagen passed away; .
- Carol Carper’s husband passed away Saturday.
- This Saturday is the District W.A.S.H. symposium; more information on the website.
- October 11, 5:30-7pm Mt. Evans is having the stake-holder gathering at DW diner—it will be informational for the community. Go to mountevans.org for more information and register.