Most of a $22 million infusion into Colorado's stressed mental health system — a response by the governor to the Aurora movie theater massacre — is stranded in the courts as the state and disappointed bidders wrestle for the money.
The impasse is frustrating those seeking and providing mental health services in the state, as money approved for expenditure sits idle.
"We desperately need these resources in mental health," said Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver. "What I hear constantly from people is that there aren't enough places to go for immediate help. They often end up calling the police."
After the Aurora shooting in July 2012 that left 12 dead and 70 injured, Gov. John Hickenlooper pointed to systemic failures in the Colorado mental health system and began developing strategies with the Department of Human Services to prevent future violence and to improve care.
Pieces of his plan have moved forward, but the roughly $18 million centerpiece — a network of walk-in crisis centers and mobile-response teams across the state — is stymied by litigation.
In October, the state awarded grants to Crisis Access LLC to create up to 13 crisis centers, open around the clock and around the state. But, a few weeks later, the state canceled the awards, saying that a review of the bidding process found it was "fatally flawed."
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25504728/mental-health-resources-limbo-dispute-over-grant-awards
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