Make Your Voice Heard
This is the text I received from a colleague with the Centennial Mental Health Center that serves northeast Colorado. “Suicide prevention is alive and well at the Colorado Capitol.” She recently testified in regards to HB-1007 which would require higher education institutions to print the information for Colorado Crisis Services and 988 on the back of all student IDs. One of many bills that will address behavioral health and suicide in Colorado.
Advocacy is a major part of prevention efforts and it is imperative that we get, and stay involved regularly, with suicide prevention policy decisions. It is also important to keep in mind that there are different levels of advocacy that are out there to participate in.
Here’s how YOU can take action today regarding suicide prevention:
Join the SpeakUp ReachOut team at the Colorado State Advocacy Day - March 1, 2023
Thank Senator Dylan Roberts for sponsoring Higher Education Crisis And Suicide Prevention in the Senate.
Recently the American Foundation for Suicide prevetion released their 2023-2024 public policy priorities. I encourage you to learn more about the four pillars they will be addressing at the national level, including federal funding, 988, disproportionately impacted populations and Project 2025. You can make your voice heard at the national level by using the new Action Policy Center.
In Colorado, it is true, behavioral health and suicide prevention are getting a lot of attention from the legislature. Here are a few of the bills that are being considered by our legislators now:
HB23-1003 School Mental Health Assessment: The bill creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program administered by the Department of Public Health and Environment.
HB23-1007: Higher Education Crisis And Suicide Prevention: The bill requires public and private higher education institutions to print Colorado and national crisis and suicide prevention contact information on student identification cards. (Note: sponsored by our Senator, Dylan Roberts)
HB23-1009: Secondary School Student Substance Use: The bill creates the secondary school student substance use committee in the Department of Education to develop a practice, or identify or modify an existing practice, for secondary schools to implement that identifies students who need substance use treatment, offers a brief intervention, and refers the student to substance use treatment resources.
HB23-1070: Mental Health Professionals Practice Requirements: Concerning the practice hours required to obtain licensure as a mental health professional.
HB23-1071: Licensed Psychologist Prescriptive Authority: Concerning the authority of a licensed psychologist to prescribe psychotropic medication for the treatment of mental health disorders.
HB23-1088: Veterans Mental Health Session Reimbursement Program: Concerning a program to provide mental health services for Veterans who have exhausted federal Veterans Administration mental health benefits.
HB23-1130: Drug Coverage For Serious Mental Illness: Concerning requirements for prescription drug coverage for serious mental illness.
HB23-1153: Pathways To Behavioral Health Care: Concerning a feasibility study to determine pathways to behavioral health care for people with serious mental illness.
SB23-004: Employment Of School Mental Health Professionals: Concerning employment of certain school mental health professionals.
SB23-014: Disordered Eating Prevention: Concerning establishing the Office of Disordered Eating Prevention in the Department of Public Health and Environment.
The Behavioral Health Administration also has lots of opportunity for you to share your voice of lived experience with behavioral health and suicide. This office was created to address the “broken” system and we need everyone to fix it. Register today for a provider convening or a community town hall meeting.
If you want to learn more about suicide prevention policy or advocacy efforts in Eagle County, please contact SpeakUp ReachOut at info@speakupreachout.org.