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Interviews are recorded on the Zoom platform and edited for time and content. For more information about the podcast process, email inquiries to info@ocbn.online. Podcasts are hosted on the Vimeo platform as well as on the YouTube Channel and Bluesky.
This program is a panel discussion about the current state of Medicaid in Colorado and what the impact on the program will be now that the bill has become law. Although it was recorded prior to the final passage of the bill, the information is still accurate and relevant, and it is important to let your elected officials know your thoughts on these extreme funding cuts. Colorado is typical of the rest of the country as 20% (1 in 5) of the residents are covered statewide, with 35% of rural residents being covered by Medicaid. Our panel of experts are Edie Sonn, Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council - Polly Anderson, Colorado Community Health Network - Kelly Erb Zager, Colorado Rural Health Center.
As defined by the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development, "A System of Care is a spectrum of effective, community-based services and supports for children and youth with or at risk for mental health or other challenges and their families, that is organized into a coordinated network, builds meaningful partnerships with families and youth, and addresses their cultural and linguistic needs, in order to help them to function better at home, in school, in the community, and throughout life." This presentation is by the Colorado Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, an organization that advocates for families of children with mental health issues.
Mental Health Colorado was founded in 1953 as an advocate for every Coloradan who experiences a mental health or substance use condition each year. They engage policymakers, providers, the public, and the press to promote mental well-being, ensure equitable access to mental health and substance use care, and end discrimination. Their efforts range from the Capitol to the classroom. For more information visit www.mentalhealthcolorado.org.
Colorado State Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet was first elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 2016. Her legislative work primarily focuses on foster youth, children's mental health, and health care access. The Senator ran for office because of her personal experiences with mental health issues with her young son. As a children's mental health advocate, she created iMatter, a program that allows any school-aged child to obtain six free sessions of therapy.
Established in 1967, the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council is a membership organization for non-profit behavioral healthcare providers. Their overarching mission is to support community resilience, guide behavioral health innovation, and enhance individual wellbeing. Key behavioral health efforts include advocacy, training, support of legislative initiatives, and improved access to mental health services for all. For more information about the different programs at the CBHC and to learn how you can be involved in behavioral health advocacy, visit www.cbhc.org.
Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition started at the advent of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and is Colorado’s premier disability rights advocacy organization. They advocate for those with all types of disabilities to live full, equitable lives with equal access to any civic, professional, and/or personal opportunities that are available to people without disabilities. For more information about the CCDC visit www.ccdconline.org.
Founded in 1994, Rocky Mountain Equality promotes a vision of LGBTQ+ people, families, and communities living authentically in an inclusive, equitable, and compassionate world. They work collaboratively to create connection and provide advocacy, education, research, cultural events, and responsive programs and services that ensure LGBTQ+ people, families, and communities thrive. For more information about Rocky Mountain Equality, visit www.rmequality.org.
Colorado Mad Moms was founded in August of 2024. They are a grassroots organization of parents, family members, and caretakers of persons living with a Serious Mental or Brain Illness and their allies. Their vision is that children living with serious mental illness be treated with dignity and respect and that they receive person-centered, equitable, compassionate, and evidence-based care, and support. Visit www.comadmoms.org for more information about the organization and how to get involved.
CHOW (Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness) was founded in 2018 by Denver pie maker John Hinman and food writer Alexandra Palmerton. After Alexandra interviewed John for an article on mental health challenges in the hospitality industry, the overwhelming response made it clear—people needed a space to share their stories. Seeing this need, John created CHOW as a protected, supportive community for those navigating pain, recovery, and mental well-being. On this podcast is the Chief Growth Officer, Jasmin Parks-Papadopoulos, to talk about the work that CHOW does for the food, beverage and hospitality industry.
The Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) is the state administration responsible for ensuring all people in Colorado have access to quality mental health and substance use disorder services, regardless of where they live, or ability to pay. As required by Colorado law, the BHA was to create a performance monitoring system to track capacity and performance of all behavioral health providers, including those that contract with managed care entities or behavioral health administrative services organizations, and inform of needed changes to the behavioral health system in the state. For more information about the BHA or to access the Performance Hub visit: https://bha.colorado.gov/.
The Colorado Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health is a family focused advocacy group to offer support for those dealing with a child’s mental health issues. They offer a vast array of resources as well as educational materials and emotional support. They have a broad network of collaborators to include other mental health advocacy organizations, local and state agencies, and providers. For more information about the organization visit www.cofederation.org.
Fandoms are united as a community because of the power of story. Mixing story and community has helped fandoms across the world feed thousands of hungry children, donate countless books, build schools, register voters, disrupt online hate speech, and save lives by coordinating natural disaster response and providing mental health crisis support. A donation to the Random Acts non-profit is made with each book purchase to promote random acts of kindness.
The Undergraduate Pre-Health Program (UPP) is a year-long program that works with under-represented undergraduate students, preparing them to enter and thrive within their chosen professional school and healthcare field. The Undergraduate Pre-Health Program is committed to helping increase the number of individuals within healthcare and research professions who have overcome challenges in their lives and prepares participants to enter their chosen professional or graduate school. UPP operates as part of the Office of Access and Engagement. For more information visit www.cuanschutz.edu/offices/access-engagement.
The CU Alzheimer's and Cognition Center offers clinical care and clinical research through a collaboration between the University of Colorado and the UC Health System. The Center uses a team approach, known as coordinated care, with laboratory research scientists and neurology clinicians all working collaboratively on the science and treatments of neurodegenerative diseases. Dr Holden is the director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at the CU Alzheimer's & Cognition Center that treats dementia patients. Visit https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/alzheimer/clinic.for more information about the clinic.
The University of Colorado School of Medicine in partnership with UC Health has created the Adult Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Clinic as a compliment to the work with children at Children's Hospital Colorado. The clinic offers coordinated health care for adults with developmental disabilities and support for their families. For more information visit https://www.cumedicine.us/specialties/neurodevelopmental-disabilities-neurology .
The University of Colorado Neuro-Behavior and Memory Disorders Clinics, part of the University of Colorado Alzheimer's and Cognition Center, strives to provide the best diagnosis and treatment for memory problems and dementia in adults with Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and other neurological problems.
For more information visit https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/alzheimer.
The Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research is regarded as one of the best places to conduct research for women and considers the distinct but linked concepts of sex (biological) and gender (social) differences. They mentor and fund the next generation of researchers, supporting their cutting-edge research on issues that pose a threat to women’s health – cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and the intersection of mental health and physical health in those diseases. Visit https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/center-for-womens-health-research for more information.
Posterior Cortical Atrophy or PCA is a condition of the brain that progressively worsens over time and affects areas in the brain that process visual information. Symptoms vary with the person, but the most common presentation at onset is simply having difficulty seeing despite a healthy eye examination. The Brain & Vision lab specializes in assessing and treating patients with visual problems related to neurological diseases. Visit https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/neurology/patient-info/neuro-ophthalmology for more information.
Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation funds the brightest US researchers to change what’s possible for cerebral palsy. They are the foremost organization in the world that solely focuses on cerebral palsy research. CP is the most common lifelong physical disability in the world and it is one of the most underfunded. They find, fund, and support the researchers who positively reshape what it’s like to live with CP. For more information visit https://cparf.org/.
The mission of the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) is to promote the mental health and well being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Since its founding, NAAPIMHA strives to raise awareness of the role of mental health in an individual’s health and well-being, especially in Asian American Pacific Islander communities throughout the country. For more information visit https://www.naapimha.org/.
The Colorado Resilience Collaborative (CRC) was awarded a grant by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships. A DHS review at the program's conclusion included the grant design, implementation, accomplishments, challenges, and relevant recommendations for future programming in Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention. For a PDF of the complete report click HERE. The CRC was housed at the University of Denver, Graduate School of Professional Psychology and ran from 2017 through 2023. This presentation is what was given to groups and organizations throughout Colorado to educate and inform about how the violent radicalization of people happens and ways to help people overcome this condition.
Project CARE is a research study on emotions and caregivers' health for dementia family caregivers. The purpose of this research study is to understand the factors that influence compliance with social distancing recommendations during the pandemic. In addition, this study aims to understand how negative emotions along with social distancing requirements influence family caregivers' confidence in their ability to provide high-quality care for their relatives with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on the work being done at Rice University Biobehavioral Mechanisms Explaining Disparities (BMED) Lab, visit https://bmed.rice.edu/.
The Wellness Court was established in 2016 with the goal to increase public safety, reduce recidivism, and lower the costs of incarceration by holding defendants in the Municipal Court whose criminal behavior is affected by mental illness accountable, and assisting them to achieve long term stability, self-sufficiency, and become law-abiding community members. For more information about the Aurora, CO Municipal Courts, visit https://auroragov.org.
The Center for Trauma & Resilience provides an immediate response to a crime victim’s call for help. Formally known as the Denver Center for Crime Victims, they offer services that include 24-hour hotlines, referrals, assistance with emergency services, victim advocacy, crisis counseling, case management, and community outreach and education. Visit https://traumahealth.org/ for more information.
Memory loss that disrupts daily life may be a symptom of Alzheimer's or other dementias. Alzheimer's is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. There are 10 warning signs and symptoms of dementia that are covered in this presentation. For more information about the services offered by the Alzheimer's Association visit https://alz.org.
The Alzheimer’s Association offers peer or professionally led groups for caregivers, individuals living with Alzheimer's and others dealing with the disease. There are specialized support groups for the variety of needs specific to particular types of dementia and/or caregiving issues. For more information about the services offered by the Alzheimer's Association visit https://alz.org.
Mental Health for Older Adults at Aurora Mental Health & Recovery. The Aurora Mental Health & Recovery (formally Aurora Mental Health Center) is a non-profit community mental health center serving the City of Aurora. They provide a continuum of prevention, treatment intervention and wrap around recovery support services for children, families and older adults to over 25,000 individuals annually. For more information visit https://www.auroramhr.org/.
Produced for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) back in 2008, this documentary program has interviews with hospice doctors, caregivers, advocates, as well as a hospice patient to explain how hospice works and treats people at the end of their lives. The NHPCO is now part of the National Alliance for Care at Home. For more information about the organizations, as well as for counseling and to be informed of the available resources, visit https://allianceforcareathome.org/.
This series explains how Medicare works and the Parts A, B, C, and D components. Also explains the difference between Medigap plans and Advantage plans that help cover all or most costs that Medicare doesn't. For more information about Medicare visit www.medicare.gov.
This program explains all the issues that make it necessary to have advance directives in place. It is important to make your choices known for when you are no longer able to handle your affairs or make your own healthcare decisions.