DA60F7BAF410A05887258787007F0496 Hearing Summary

Vincent Atchity, Ph.D., Subpanel Chair, President and CEO, Mental Health Colorado. provided an overview of the working group recommendations about criminal justice. These recommendations may be found at: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/committees/2017/final_bhttf_subpanel_criminal_justice_pillar_preliminary_draft_recommendations.pdf.



 

Lorez Meinhold, subpanel member and Executive Director,Caring for Denver and Kaleidoscope Collaborative Center, testified in support of the criminal justice recommendation #1: crisis response and diversion (pre-arrest), including co-responder, community, and mobile crisis response.

Committee members asked questions about the recommendation and co-responder programs. 

Jamie Fitzsimons, Sheriff, Summit County, testified in support of criminal justice recommendation #2: crisis intervention training.

He answered questions raised by the committee. 

Meghan Baker, JD, MSW, subpanel member and Facilities Team Leader, Disability Law Colorado, and Lauren Snyder, Mental Health Colorado, presented recommendation #3: competency backlog and post-arrest diversion.   Committee members commented on the recommendation. 

Lisa Raville, Executive Director, Harm Reduction Center, presented recommendation #4: harm reduction; and recommendation #5: naloxone bulk purchase.  

Allyson Gottsman, Program Manager, School of Medicine/Practice Innovation Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, presented recommendation # 6: medication assisted treatment in jails, community corrections, and Department of Corrections (DOC).

Terri Hurst, Policy Coordinator, Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, presented recommendation #7: Medicaid: jails, community corrections, and DOC; and #8: Audit/Sunset of behavioral health line items.