SIGNED! Critical Mental Health Initiatives to Support Coloradans in Need & Address Opioid Crisis Become Law

New laws would create an official statewide mental health crisis hotline, help reduce the over-prescription of opioids, and expand access to mental health & substance use disorder services

DENVER, CO – Today, the governor signed a slate of priority mental health legislation into law that will expand access to behavioral health services to help Coloradans in need. 

SB21-154, sponsored by Senator Chris Kolker, would establish the 988 hotline, which will be used as an essential resource for people facing suicide ideation. Last year, Congress passed legislation to designate "988" as the national suicide prevention lifeline. This bill will align Colorado with the nationally designated three-digit response number.

“As far back as I can remember, I have struggled with depression and the suicide ideation that comes with it, and I have over 39 years found ways to cope on my own until I finally was able to seek professional help as an adult,” said Senator Chris Kolker (D-Centennial). “By establishing this mental health and suicide prevention hotline, countless Coloradans will be able to get the help and resources they need and deserve, before it’s too late.”

This will improve quality and access to behavioral health crisis services – especially for underserved populations – as well as reduce stigma surrounding suicide, mental health, and substance use conditions by providing intervention and crisis services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

HB21-1276, sponsored by Senator Brittany Pettersen, requires a health benefit plan to provide coverage for non-pharmacological treatment as an alternative to opioids. It also seeks to limit the supply of benzodiazepines, sedatives commonly prescribed for anxiety and as a sleep aid. Further, the legislation aims to improve education around prescribing benzodiazepines and the potential harm of inappropriately limiting prescriptions to chronic pain patients. 

“The culture of over-prescribing opioids has created a public health crisis that has resulted in widespread exposure to highly addictive narcotics for far too many Coloradans,” said Senator Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood). “If we truly want to prevent substance use disorders in our state, we need to limit over-prescribing while covering alternative treatments so patients are able to treat their pain without taking an addictive pill. And that’s exactly what this law seeks to do.” 

SB21-137, also sponsored by Senator Brittany Pettersen, would expand access to mental health and substance use disorder services for Coloradans. The pandemic has exacerbated many issues, but particularly behavioral health problems, as both our minds and bodies have been significantly burdened over the last year.

Overdose deaths and suicides have skyrocketed because of the lack of access to services and a disconnection to people. This bill seeks to rectify these issues by creating various behavioral health grant programs to help local governments and rural municipalities address substance use disorder, maternal and child health, and other behavioral health prevention and treatment programs around the state.