May is Mental Health Awareness Month

The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) estimates that about 1 million Coloradans struggle with mental, behavioral, and emotional health issues. But, nobody needs to face these struggles alone. The State of Colorado offers many ways to help, and the month of May has been officially designated Mental Health Awareness Month in Colorado. (Read the Proclamation here).

CDHS has put together a helpful website for Mental Health Awareness Month. On the site, you’ll find videos, links, resources, and information for specific populations. And if you or a family member needs help but isn’t sure where to turn, the State of Colorado offers Colorado Crisis Services, available 24-7. Other helpful State programs that address specific populations include Man Therapy, focused on men’s mental health; the Colorado School Safety Resource Center, with information on children’s mental and behavioral health; and the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Rural Mental Health resource. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can also play a role in mental health, and CDHS offers the Mindsource Brain Injury Network as a resource on this topic.

Researchers looking for statistics, data, and mental health laws in Colorado can also find a wide variety of resources at the State Publications Library. Some recent publications include:

• Adult Protective Services in Colorado (Colorado Legislative Council Staff, 2020)
• Emergency Mental Health Holds (Colorado Legislative Council Staff, 2018)
• Expansion of Telehealth Services in Response to COVID-19 (Colorado Legislative Council Staff, 2020)
• Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health video series (Colorado Department of Human Services, 2018)
• Mental Health Medication in the Criminal Justice System (Colorado Legislative Council Staff, 2019)
• Pregnancy-related Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Guidance (Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, 2017)
• Older Adult Suicide in Colorado, 2013-2017 (Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, 2020)
• Suicide in Colorado, 2014-2018 (Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, 2020)
• Use of Mental Health Treatment Among Those Who Had a Criminal Legal Problem Associated with Their Suicide, 2004-2015 (Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, 2019)
• The Value of Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic Response (Colorado Office of eHealth Innovation, 2020)

In addition, the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) offers interactive data on their website, such as their health maps, suicide data dashboard, Colorado Public Health Indicators, the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, the Colorado Health Information Dataset, and more.