Goal 3: Identify mental health needs in children ages 3-18 as early as
possible and facilitate access to appropriate mental health services
Anticipated Impact
Successful enhancements in funding for mental health promotion and treatment
services will improve access to these types of services and supports, particularly for
underserved populations, which ultimately can both lead to mitigating more serious
mental health conditions and decrease the suicide rate for youth in the long term.
Additionally, collaborating and coordinating more strategically and effectively with
community partners will result in lower health costs and better outcomes due to
families being able to access appropriate mental health services for their children in a
more effective manner. There will be an increase in the number of children identified as
having a medical home with integrated mental health services in targeted communities.
There will be fewer visits to the CHCO emergency department for mental health
related challenges by children in these targeted communities. More children will receive
consistent access to mental health services.
Strategy 3.1
Lead state and federal policy efforts aimed at improving access to pediatric mental
health promotion, prevention, and treatment services.
Tactic: Pursue innovative financing mechanisms to advance pediatric mental health
promotion, prevention, and treatment services. In partnership with key community
stakeholders, explore funding streams such as tobacco sales tax revenues, marijuana
sales tax revenues, social impact bonds, and enhanced reimbursement from public
and private insurers to fund mental health services and mental health promotion and
prevention programming for Colorado children and families.
Tactic: Pursue policies to advance workforce development for mental health,
including but not limited to loan repayment and funding for additional training slots.
Tactic: Identify other policy priorities as appropriate.
Tactic: Train and mobilize youth, their families, and mental health providers to engage
in and support policies and initiatives aimed at enhancing funding for pediatric
mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment services. Invite participation in
monthly resident/provider legislative advocacy training days as well as Advocacy
Boot Camp, Speak Up for Kids Health event, and other grassroots advocacy training
and programming offerings provided by the Children’s Hospital Colorado government
affairs team.
Tactic: Utilize media, social media, and grassroots communications to build public
will to support policies and initiatives aimed at enhancing funding for pediatric
mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment services. Leverage existing
Children’s Colorado marketing, media and communications resources as well as
relationships with university and community partners, to drive public awareness and
dialogue. Develop toolkits including but not limited to talking points, action alerts,
social media campaigns, and earned media stories.
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