Almost five years ago, Children’s Hospital Colorado declared a “state of emergency” in youth mental health.
Hospital leaders at the time said the crisis was obvious, considering how most of its emergency department visits were for mental health crises or suicide attempts.
According to Colorado Hospital Mental Health Chief Ron-Li Liaw, the public health emergency in general remains, but a huge opportunity for change is on the horizon.
“I wish I could say the crisis is resolved, (but) it continues to be a problem. We saw a real spike in mental health crisis presentations in February… (all) our emergency departments are full. They’re like a little inpatient mental health unit because those kids are really struggling and can’t go home,” said Liaw.
“The reason I feel really hopeful and that there is light at the end of this tunnel is that we have this amazing statewide opportunity to pick a new governor in November. And we have some really amazing candidates, both parties and independents, who have a track record of really caring about the well-being of children and mental health.”
To capitalize on that prospect, a coalition led in part by the hospital, Mind Our Future Colorado, held a roundtable Thursday with about 30 major behavioral health stakeholders in the Grand Valley.
The hour-and-a-half conversation sought to capture the state of youth mental health in western Colorado, where suicide rates have historically trended above the state and
If you or someone you know is struggling, call the Colorado Crisis Line at 988. Mesa County…
nation That perspective informs the coalition’s ongoing efforts to instill Colorado’s next governor with priorities and practical solutions.
The roundtable at Colorado Mesa University, 1455 N. 12th St., included an array of organizations, such as Mesa and Delta counties’ public health and human services departments, Rocky Mountain Health Plans, Intermountain Health and the 21st Judicial District’s Lighthouse program.
Attendees, such as Family Health Western Behavioral Health Director Alex Hulst, said the conversation was an exciting opportunity to share and learn about local, innovative approaches to behavioral health, while also ensuring that the voices and disparities of the Western Slope are considered.
“I’m really excited to listen and learn from what other participants have to say, but also advocate for more than just individual child care…
Jennifer Daniels, Director of Behavioral Health at Western Family Health, smiles while listening to a roundtable on youth mental health in the Western Slope, organized by Mind Our Future Colorado, a new statewide coalition of more than 50 health, childhood, business, and consumer groups and community advocates, at Colorado Mesa University on March 26, 2026.
said. Hulst added that he hopes to see Colorado’s next governor encourage education and training in youth-specific behavioral health, because “finding people who are qualified and skilled in working with children is really rare here.”
Innovation and collaboration were common themes among the roundtable participants, such as Angelina Salazar, chief executive officer for the Western Healthcare Alliance.
Salazar said a variety of impactful initiatives have taken place in Colorado, within the walls of smaller organizations that simply lack the capacity to scale statewide or the opportunity to inform policymakers.
“Solvista Health, as an example, is a behavioral health organization (that) partners with Heart of the Rockies Medical Center in Salida,” Salazar said. “Solvista has space on the hospital campus, so when a patient shows up in that emergency department (having a crisis), Solvista is there … working together to get the right care at the right time for that patient.”
Colorado Healthier Executive Director Josh Ewing, who leads Mind Our Future with Children’s Hospital, added that insights from the regional roundtable will be used to inform “policy handbooks…
Colorado Healthier Executive Director Josh Ewing spoke while facilitating a roundtable on youth mental health in the Western Slope, organized by Mind Our Future Colorado, a new statewide coalition of more than 50 health, childhood, business, and consumer groups and community advocates, at Colorado Mesa University on March 26, 2026.
In the meantime, Ewing said Mind Our Future will be actively campaigning for a commitment from the gubernatorial candidate on youth mental health.
A milestone in the mission will be the governor’s forum dedicated to the mental health of youth, which is currently scheduled for May 28, at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, 2001 Colorado Blvd.
“We’ll have the top two candidates for both parties in attendance, hopefully engaging in thoughtful dialogue,” Ewing said. “90% of Coloradans agree that this should be a priority for the next governor, so we want to make sure this is a nonpartisan effort and that whoever is elected next governor sees it as a priority.”Individuals interested in learning more about the coalition or offering their own insights can visit mindourfuturecolorado.com for additional information and tentative opportunities for similar engagement events.
#local #event #seeks #inform #governors #approach #youth #mental #health