Under this section are Healthcare, Reproductive Rights, and Opioid Crisis
Healthcare
ACTIONS:
State Senator, District 16, Chris Kolker (term ending Jan. 2029, kolkerforcolorado.com)
SB24-034 Increase Access to School-Based Health Care expands the grant program to include school-linked health care service models, including telehealth services and mobile health units. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) to identity services provided at a school-based health center or through a school-linked health care service. Governor Polis signed: 06/05/2024
HB24-1096 School Psych Compact This bill intends to address the shortage of school psychologists by allowing them to work across state lines more easily. I am committed to making sure students have access to the mental health support they need, no matter where they live. Governor Polis signed: 04/29/2024
SB23-174 Access to Certain Behavioral Health Services requires select mental health services to be covered for Medicaid members under 21 years of age. Governor Polis signed: 05/20/23
SB22-147 Behavioral Health-care Services for Children supports primary care providers in identifying and treating mild to moderate behavioral health conditions in children in primary care practices or school-based health centers. I wrote this bill in response to the Covid-19 pandemic which increased rates of psychological distress among young people, including symptoms of anxiety, depression, suicide, and other behavioral and mental health disorders. Governor Polis signed: 05/17/22
HB22-1214 Behavioral Health Crisis Response System requires all behavioral health entities, crisis walk-in centers, acute treatment units, mobile crisis programs, respite services, and crisis stabilization units to be adequately prepared and staffed to care for an individual brought to the facility, including youth of any age and people with a disability. A crisis walk-in center shall prioritize treating individuals with substance abuse disorders in the least restrictive environment without the use of law enforcement. Governor Polis signed: 04/27/2022
SB22-079 Dementia Training Requirements CDPHE DHCPF Rules for direct-care staff that provide services to clients living with dementia. An estimated 76,000 Coloradans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and that number is predicted to rise by 21% in 2025. As dementia progresses, individuals living with the disease increasingly rely on direct-care staff to help them with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and eating, among others, and are dependent on staff for their health, safety, and welfare. Direct-care staff must take continuing education on dementia diseases and related disabilities every two years, which must include best practices in the treatment and care of people with dementia diseases. Governor Polis signed: 05/31/2022
SB22-156 Medicaid Prior Authorization and Recovery of Payment came about because many independent mental health providers serving the most vulnerable told me they would not be able to treat patients on Medicaid because they were experiencing repeated difficulty in continuing outpatient psychotherapy services for their clients due to prior authorization approval processes by Medicaid managed care entities. They were also burdened with recoupments from their managed care entity for services already provided and paid for by the entity due to no fault of the provider, but rather the fault of the entity. Requiring prior authorization for outpatient psychotherapy services, and retroactively recovering payments to a provider if a patient was initially determined to be eligible for the medical benefit after 12 months is now prohibited. Governor Polis signed: 05/06/2022
HB22-1243 School Security and School Behavioral Health Services Funding for school districts, charter schools, and boards of cooperative services, to improve security within public schools and provide behavioral health care to students. The money comes from the federal government American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). Governor Polis signed: 05/19/2022
Colorado Attorney General, Phil Weiser (term ending Jan. 2027, coag.gov)
Youth mental health is a top priority for the Attorney General’s Office, particularly given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic, and the rise of social media use. The Colorado Department of Law continues to push for increased investment and statewide collaboration on behalf of Colorado youth.
Partnerships with youth mental health programs
We recognize the importance of community efforts to address youth mental health and suicide prevention. Since 2018, the Department of Law has provided almost $1 million for Sources of Strength via a partnership with the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention. Sources of Strength aims to prevent suicide by increasing help-seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults.
Additionally, in April of 2021 we created the Healthy Young/Strong Colorado Fund. This fund focuses on improving young Coloradans’ mental health and addressing behavioral health challenges through alternatives to the criminal justice system. The fund is a partnership with Rocky Mountain Health Plans and has allocated a total of $5 million to support youth programs throughout the state.
Combating the harms of vaping on youth health
Colorado sued Juul Labs, Inc. in 2020 after an investigation by the Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Section disclosed that the company targeted young Coloradans with reckless and deceptive marketing tactics that encouraged vaping and resulted in harmful behavior that damaged the physical and mental health of our youth. Colorado will receive $31.7 million as part of a national settlement we helped secure with Juul.
With these settlement funds, we will be able to help Colorado teens, including supporting vaping cessation programs and prevention efforts that include mental health programs in Colorado.
Addressing the concerns of social media effects on mental health
In response to rising concerns about the negative impacts of social media platforms on Colorado’s youth, the Department of Law is co-leading an ongoing bipartisan nationwide investigation of Meta and TikTok for their impact on youth’s mental and physical wellbeing. We are collaborating with 51 attorneys general to examine whether these companies violated state consumer protection laws and put the public at risk.
Safe2Tell
The Department of Law operates Safe2Tell Colorado, a successful violence intervention and prevention program for students to anonymously report threats to their own, and others’, safety. First created to help prevent school violence, Safe2Tell now supports youth to raise a broad range of concerns, including those related to mental health. In recent years, teen suicide is consistently the number one category of tip reported to the program.
Much work remains to be done. Together, we are creating a road map for collaboration between parents, caregivers, and communities to support Colorado’s youth.
POSITIONS:
State House of Representatives, District 37 (HD37), Chad Clifford (term ending Jan. 2027,, chadforcolorado.com)
I believe that healthcare is a fundamental right for all humans. Everyone deserves to be well and make informed choices about how they deal with their health. This means everyone: women, trans, men, people who want to have babies, people who don't, people who want lifesaving measures if their bodies stop working, and people who choose to responsibly end their lives with the aid of medicine.
Fighting with insurance companies is a universal truth for most Americans. We're required by law to maintain health coverage, but in many cases it just doesn't work. I'm not aware of anyone who has used our medical systems that have described their experience as easy to navigate and manage. Restrictive plans, confusing coverages, open enrollment periods that force you to choose quickly, lack of options or portability - these issues impact every class of people. It's insane to me that we pay the insurance industry billions in administrative costs per year and they somehow made things so complicated that we may never escape it.
I'm interested in supporting a workable universal healthcare option for all Coloradans. I'm also firmly in the fight to protect abortion rights, gender affirming care, and people's right to work out their healthcare with their doctors vs. politicians or insurance companies.
Reproductive Rights
ACTIONS:
U.S. Representative, District 6, Jason Crow (term ending Jan. 2027, jasoncrowforcongress.com)
Rep. Crow has been a longtime advocate for reproductive healthcare and has been a proud original co-sponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) in the 116th and 117th Congresses. The following bill would have codified equal access to abortion care in the United States.
H.R. 3755 Women's Health Protection Act passed the House on 9/24/21; failed by filibuster in the Senate on 2/28/22
Will establish the federal statutory right for health care providers to provide abortion care, and the federal statutory right for patients to receive it, free from unnecessary state bans and restrictions intended to impede or block this access.
Ensures that patients can access abortion care and health care providers can provide it without burdensome restrictions that single out abortion care as compared with other medical procedures with similar risks.
Is landmark legislation that guarantees the right to access abortion care, free from political interference, no matter where someone lives.
The U. S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade by a 6-3 vote on 6/24/22.
Protecting Reproductive Freedoms: Abortion is health care. I’m a proud member of the Pro-Choice Caucus and have worked to codify abortion rights into law, expand protections, and protect the right to choose. This November, 2024, Colorado voters can cement abortion rights in our Constitution — and I’ll be fighting right alongside you.
County Commissioner, District 1, Carrie Warren-Gully (term ending Jan. 2029, carrie4commissioner.com)
I am proudly, a pro-choice candidate and leader. I believe strongly in reproductive justice for all which includes access to reproductive health care in safe and affirming environments. As our newly launched Public Health Department is now operational, our amazing team of dedicated public health professionals hit the ground running. In the first year of operation, they helped keep our families sage as they managed an outbreak of meningitis and measles. And they continue to provide STD testing and contraceptive services to the Arapahoe County community and assess needs as we move forward.
Opioid Crisis
ACTIONS:
Arapahoe County Coroner Kelly Lear, MD (term ending Jan. 2027, coroner@arapahoeco.gov)
My staff and I are on several prevention-oriented committees (predominantly around suicide prevention and overdose awareness) and we submit detailed specific case-related data to public health programs, including the National Violent Death Reporting System.
2019: Total overdose deaths: 112 (with fentanyl* 44)
2020: Total overdose deaths: 154 (with fentanyl 71)
2021: Total overdose deaths: 188 (with fentanyl 105)
2022: Total overdose deaths: 181 (with fentanyl 129)
2023: Total overdose deaths: 188 (with fentanyl 139)
* The fentanyl numbers can also include multiple drugs.
County Commissioner, District 1, Carrie Warren-Gully (term ending Jan. 2029 carrie4commissioner.com)
As you know, Colorado was part of a group of states that received a settlement with many of the large opioid companies. Arapahoe County will be the regional representative to receive the money and work with our city partners and mental health experts to utilize the dollars in the most strategic way. We are in the process of creating our legal structure and in the next few months will start our education with the working group.
POSITIONS:
State Senator District 16, Chris Kolker (term ending Jan. 2029, kolkerforcolorado.com)
I am a staunch advocate for increasing behavioral health services. We must continue to stay focused on treatment of substance abuse and resist calls to criminalize those individuals who unknowingly are in possession of these small amounts.