Vincent Atchity, president and CEO of Mental Health Colorado, said the organization is focused on improving circumstances for individuals who have unmet health needs—especially members of vulnerable populations—and their risk of experiencing homelessness, harmful substance use, overdose death, or possible involvement with the criminal justice system.
“We don’t do a good job as a community of creating conditions for human thriving that are equitable. We are ready to judge people and throw them away, based on what we don’t fully understand to be their unmet health needs. We have a campaign, Care Not Cuffs, and it’s trying to reorient our community approach to people with unmet health needs and put a spotlight on local heroes that are doing the right kind of thing. Whether they are first responders, prosecutors trying to divert people away from incarceration, judges who are doing a good job of keeping people in the community, healthcare providers, teachers, or peers.”