Douglas County approves over $1M for suicide prevention

BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Amid numbers that show suicide deaths have steadily risen in Colorado in the past two decades, Douglas County’s elected leaders approved more than $1 million in funding for prevention and mental health support over the next three years.

e money will spread across a erse array of approaches. Organizations that will receive the funding include the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Arapahoe/Douglas Counties; You Are Not Alone Mom 2 Mom, a peer support system for mothers; and e Aspen E ect, a group that connects young people with horses for what’s known as “equine therapy.”

But the discussion about approving the funding became overtaken by a debate over whether Castle Rock Pride — a nonpro t that aims to build a supportive community in Douglas County for LGBTQ+ residents — should receive part of the money.