Revamping Mental Health in Colorado

Listen Now

State lawmakers are back in session, and one of the issues they’ll tackle is Gov. John Hickenlooper’s plan to improve mental health care in Colorado. That $18 million package is a reaction to the Aurora theater shooting, and comes on the heels of Sandy Hook. If the legislature funds the plan, the money will pay for a number of initiatives, from adding more beds for psychiatric patients, to creating round-the-clock crisis centers. CPR’s Elaine Grant spoke with the man responsible for making this happen. Reggie Bicha is executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services.

[Photo of CO Mental Health Inst.: Glen Asakawa, Denver Post]