WATCH: Gazette Community Conversations, Mental Health: A Crisis in Colorado
11 News partner The Gazette hosted a community conversation concerning mental health on Wednesday.
You can watch it at the top of this article.
Community Conversations are a series of public forums convened on important issues of the day for Colorado Springs. Past conversations have focused on homelessness, affordable housing, marijuana, veterans' health care and political candidates, among others.
Often celebrated as the healthiest state in the country Colorado is actually one of the unhealthiest when it comes to mental health.
-Colorado ranks 48th for the number of children who need mental health care but can't access it.
-449,000 Coloradans aren't getting the mental health care they need.
-448 people a day call, text or message the state's 24/7 mental health crisis hotline
11 News partner The Gazette is assembling a panel of experts on all sides of the Mental Health issue to answer your questions, make their cases and better educate everyone on the best way forward for the mental health crisis facing Colorado.
Deputy John Hammond of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office
Lori Jarvis-Steinwert, Executive Director, National Alliance on Mental Illness/Colorado Springs
Velda Baker, Penrose St Francis Faith Community Nurse
Bob McLaughlin, COO of Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center
Dr. Mark A. Mayfield PhD, LPC, suicide survivor and founder and CEO of Mayfield Counseling Centers
Carolena Guiral Steen, Assistant Superintendent, Cheyenne Mountain School District