By Aubrey Boggs, CMWN Intern While the name “Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act” makes for a positive and promising sounding bill, many individuals have had serious complaints concerning aspects of the bill. From leniency around HIPAA regulations to
Colorado Wants to Jail You for Being Sick
By Kate Fitch, CMWN Volunteer Colorado Senate Bill 16-169 has officially been passed by both houses and sent to Governor Hickenlooper for signing, which is as appalling as it is disheartening. This bill, otherwise known as “Emergency 72-hour Mental Health
What is a self-directed life?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the definition of recovery is “a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.” Most people can
HB16-1063 has been signed by Gov. John Hickenlooper
Here is the quick and dirty of this new bill, in case you hate legalese. The bill is an addition to the Colorado Mental Health Practice Act (CRS 12-43-218) Disclosure of confidential communications. This part of the act does two
Why the Media is Holding us Back!
by Amanda Kearney-Smith The media is everywhere – online, t.v., magazine articles, newspaper, social media, etc. So you really can’t ignore it! Unfortunately the media often gets it wrong when it comes to mental health. And even more unfortunate is
May is Mental Health (Not Illness) Month
by Amanda Kearney-Smith May is mental health awareness month, a whole month dedicated to raising awareness and breaking down stigma. So why do I keep seeing headlines like this….. “How to Get the Mentally Ill Out of Jail and Off the
U.N.I.T.E to End Stigma Week Five: Embrace Treatment
By Amanda Kearney-Smith This is week five of our blog campaign on stigma. So far we’ve reviewed the U, N, I, & T of U.N.I.T.E. this week we elaborate on the final letter “E” which stands for “embrace”. U.N.I.T.E =
U.N.I.T.E to End Stigma Week Four: Talk About It
This is week four of our stigma posts – we are discussing the acronym U.N.I.T.E¹ a campaign to end stigma that started in Canada. UNITE = Understand, Nurture, Include Others, Talk, Embrace We’ve gone through the U, N, & I this