Same day mental health care now available across Colorado
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Some 380,000 Coloradans who need mental health care are not getting it, according to a Colorado Health Institute report.
Cost remains the biggest barrier, but one third of Coloradans reported having trouble getting an appointment.
Adam Roberts - president and CEO of Diversus Health - said after re-aligning staff and support systems to manage surges in demand, the Colorado Springs-based facility that serves all patients regardless of their ability to pay, can now provide care on the same day a new client reaches out.
"It's pretty brave when people actually want to come in and get care," said Roberts. "And so we look at it as, we should be ready at any time when a person recognizes they need care."
In as little as two hours after new clients call 719-572-6100 or walk into the Diversus facility in Colorado Springs, trauma-informed specialists will help clients navigate paperwork and provide an intake assessment.
Next, a clinician will review the assessment, provide a diagnosis, and clients leave with a series of next steps in hand.
State rules require that wait times for mental health treatment not exceed seven days. But in rural parts of the state, where mental health professionals are few and far between, wait times can be much longer.
Roberts said about half of their services are provided through telehealth - which allows them to serve clients anywhere with an internet connection, cell signal, or landline
"The telehealth option, the virtual option," said Roberts, "is an effective option to access behavioral health care for many people that have a hard time traveling to a provider."
More than one million Coloradans experience a mental health or substance use disorder each year.
Roberts said he hopes other providers will tap lessons learned at Diversus to offer same-day care for anyone who decides now is the time to get help.
"And I hope that others work towards that," said Roberts, "so that we can improve the mental health of the community that we live in, and the state of Colorado."
