HEALTH

this summer.

Even with the $2 million grant, the adolescent crisis stabilization unit in Lakewood will struggle, Kuenzler said.

e unit lost $2.5 million last year, and when accounting for the grant and the costs of increasing capacity, the unit will lose between $1 million and $2 million, she said. Plus, the funding from the American Rescue Plan Act is one-time money.

“We are still struggling to gure out the sustainable funding model,” she said, noting that a 24/7 crisis center has to stay open whether it has two kids or all 16 beds are full on a given day. “We’re hoping there will be more state-level funding over time.

“It would pay o in so many lives saved and so much money saved in

Gov. Jared Polis in June, will launch a statewide e ort to test the water quality in mobile home parks that fall through the cracks of existing testing mechanisms. If testing reveals an issue, the park operator will need to complete a remediation plan and provide safe water for residents.

“It feels very empowering,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs, and one of the bill’s cosponsors. “We’re nally listening to our communities and supporting working families.” e legislation — co-sponsored by Rep. Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, and Sens. Lisa Cutter, DJe erson County, and Kevin Priola, D-Henderson — also addresses concerns that go beyond federally the long run.” e stabilization unit in 2015 became part of Colorado Crisis Services, a statewide network of walk-in crisis centers, mobile units and a hotline. e system was created in response to the 2012 mass shooting at an Aurora movie theater. People can access the services regardless of their ability to pay.

New Vistas is a not-for-pro t residential facility for children and teens that has operated under a subsidiary of the Je erson Center called Je erson Hills. e mental health center is now absorbing the subsidiary and trying to create a seamless system so kids could easily transition between the crisis stabilization unit and the therapy programs o ered at the mental health center.

Expansion of services, particularly for young people, has never been needed more, Kuenzler said.

In 2021, 53 young people ages 1518 and 19 people ages 10-14 died by mandated testing for contaminants, including the water’s color, odor and taste.

It will be enforced by the Water Quality Control Division inside the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the state attorney general.

On top of the testing requirements, the legislation also creates a $3.6 million grant program to help park owners, nonpro t entities and local governments address water quality issues.

Water quality issues will be added to the database created by the Mobile Home Park Oversight Program, which tracks complaints against park owners.

Velasco, who grew up in mobile home parks in Colorado’s high suicide in Colorado, according to the Je erson Center. e crisis stabilization unit is seeing younger patients, including a “dramatic increase” in the number of children ages 5-11. e proportion of kids ages 5-11 was once 1020%. Now, it’s 40-60%.

And children and teens referred to the unit have more acute issues than in the past, including more dangerous suicide attempts, Kuenzler said.

“ ese are really young kiddos,” country, notes that this bill is just the beginning. e bill marks the fth year in a row that the state legislature approved a bill concerning mobile home parks and residents. Previous legislation sought to make it easier for residents to purchase the land on which their homes sit, allowed the attorney general to enforce provisions of the Mobile Home Park Act and limited the number of times park owners could increase rent per year. is Denver Post story via e Associated Press’ Storyshare, of which Colorado Community Media is a member. she said. “We need to do a lot more to invest early and often and with the right resources for behavioral health. is story is from e Colorado Sun, a journalist-owned news outlet based in Denver and covering the state. For more, and to support e Colorado Sun, visit coloradosun.com. e Colorado Sun is a partner in the Colorado News Conservancy, owner of Colorado Community Media.

“We want to make sure there is clean water everywhere,” she said.