Tag: mental health
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10th Circuit upholds violations, sanctions against Colorado Springs mental health hospital
The Denver-based federal appeals court agreed earlier this month that the government properly cited and penalized a Colorado Springs psychiatric hospital for failing to protect its staff from known risks posed by patients. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspected Cedar Springs Hospital in 2019. OSHA then issued a citation alleging that Cedar Springs violated…
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Colorado Supreme Court reverses Jeffco judge’s order for fender-bender plaintiff to undergo mental evaluation
The Colorado Supreme Court concluded on Monday that a Jefferson County judge improperly ordered a plaintiff in a personal injury case to sit for a mental health examination after the defendant’s experts suggested her injuries were actually psychological. The justices sided with plaintiff Spring Charlson, whose attorneys warned against allowing defense attorneys to delve into…
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Loss of grants leaves lingering effects
A recent report from the director of academic services for the Woodland Park School District highlighted the lingering effects of the loss of mental health-related state grant funding for students as well as staff. “The teachers are tired and seeing more behavioral events in classes,” said Karen Hamlow, speaking Dec. 17 during an informal school…
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Loneliness loses when someone pulls up a chair
There’s a quiet epidemic hurling through Colorado, and it’s not one that makes the news. Until something tragic happens. Daily it shows up in the emergency rooms and the therapist’s offices. We see it at empty dinner tables all over the state. It’s loneliness. U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy placed a spotlight on America’s problem…
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COLUMN: Confronting the homeless issue in Colorado Springs
It’s snowing in Colorado Springs. Time to talk about homelessness. Homelessness is one of those topics where ideology gets loud. But lived experience whispers truths we aren’t ready to hear. Back in 2018, I promoted Housing First – Everybody In. I cheered the models from L.A. and Connecticut. Like many, I thought if you just…
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Fountain thief in 2024 officer-involved shooting avoids prison time
The Walgreens thief injured after being shot by Fountain police in September 2024 was sentenced to probation Monday. The case for Brenden Burningham, 32, started on Sept. 14, 2024, when Fountain police officers responded to a robbery at the Walgreens along 7910 Fountain Mesa Road. The man had threatened employees and was armed with a…
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New mental health initiatives in Colorado Springs filling system gaps
Several local organizations have started new boots-on-the-ground programs in Colorado Springs to meet mental health demands and fill gaps in addressing clinician shortages, providing LGBTQ+ care for traumatized youth, expanding adult addiction recovery and preventing suicide among all ages. Safe Passage Marking its fourth anniversary of locating multiple independent services in one building that specialize…
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Rising suicide rates prompt coordinated response in Routt and Moffat counties
Routt and Moffat counties have been going through a difficult period. Over the past few years, residents have lost neighbors, coworkers and longtime community members to suicide, losses that hit hard in places where people often know one another by first name. Last year, 10 people in Routt County and nine in Moffat County died…
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Colorado justices ponder ‘gotcha’ for defendant after messy process impacted mental health evidence
Some members of the Colorado Supreme Court were uncomfortable last week with letting a defendant’s murder conviction stand after a series of missteps resulted in a trial judge blocking jurors from hearing an expert’s assessment of the defendant’s mental health. Although the details were complicated, the legal issue was more streamlined: State law requires defendants…
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Parental rights group seeks to repeal competency law
A group of parental rights advocates and Republican lawmakers is urging the Colorado legislature to repeal a 2024 law that made changes to the state’s competency procedures. Established over the summer, the group called We The Parents includes members of the Colorado Parental Advocacy Network and legislators from the more conservative wing of the Republican…