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December 16, 2021
DENVER, COLORADO
A publication of
VOLUME 95 | ISSUE 4
‘She’s done so much’: Longtime DPS leader Bailey dies ‘You would always learn something from her’
Planned Parenthood rolling out mental health screening statewide
BY LINDSEY FORD ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS
Denver has lost a woman described as “a pillar in the community.” Sharon Bailey’s passing has many remembering her as a beloved, cherished advocate and long-time educator for Denver Public Schools. Bailey -- the DPS ombudsperson and a former school board member -- died Dec. 3 at her home. She was 68 years old. She is survived by her husband, John, their three adult sons, and five grandchildren. “I’ve been a teacher in DPS for over 20 years, and there isn’t anybody who doesn’t know Dr. Bailey,” Priscilla Shaw Rahn said. “She’s been so incredibly involved in working with teachers and students and just making education and the quality so much better than what it’s been. She’s been a former school board member and has worked in Denver Public Schools in the central office and just mentoring educators. She’s done so much research and listening to educators
BY ROBERT TANN RTANN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Sharon Bailey posed for a portrait in 2018.
of color and finding solutions.” Shaw Rahn said she first met Bailey to talk one-on-one about her research on a project called Black Excellence Resolution, which outlined the issues Black students faced in DPS and ways for the
Rubin, 53, of Evanston, Illinois, has worked with Emmy and Tony Award winners and has written for television; new media, such as The Motley Fool and National Lampoon; and theater, with plays produced at Steppenwolf in Chicago and off-Broadway in New York City. He has taught dramatic writing at Loyola University in Chicago and
A mental health screening program that has been piloted at the Planned Parenthood Littleton Health Center this past year is set to be expanded to locations across Colorado after the health provider said it found success in identifying patients with depression. The organization partnered with Colorado Access, a nonprofit that contracts with the state government to provide health care plans through Medicaid, to screen thousands of patients for mental health concerns, something that can oftentimes be overlooked in patients seeking primary care. “There’s some stigma around mental health,” said Rob Bremer, vice president of network strategy for Colorado Access. “But if your provider is asking about it, it begins to normalize that conversation.” While it is not uncommon for healthcare providers to ask questions about a patient’s mental health, it’s less likely that providers will do so in a routine fashion, Bremer said. He likened the program, which he called a behavioral health screening, to the standard practices of a doctor’s appointment. “You would be concerned if you went into a primary care provider
SEE TRUTH, P10
SEE HOPE, P16
PHOTO BY KEVIN J. BEATY / DENVERITE
district to change to help those students succeed. “I just shared my experiences as an educator of color. And she was very warm, and very open, and non-judgmental.” SEE BAILEY, P17
Writing is about ‘the truth of who you are’ Author’s workshop wraps up Denver’s JAAMM fest BY BRUCE GOLDBERG SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Is writer’s block preventing you from moving forward with that book proposal? Term paper? Grocery list?
‘I’m hoping it saves lives’
Author Daniel Joshua Rubin wants to help writers rediscover their creativity and writing chops via an intensive workshop for authors of all levels. The workshop takes place virtually at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 21. It will close out the 2021 Neustadt Jewish Arts, Author, Movies and Music (JAAMM) Festival held by Denver’s Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center.
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 11
SANTA PAINTINGS
Inspiration comes from the foothills of the Rockies
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