Over 57% of Coloradans surveyed cited difficulty in getting an appointment as the primary reason for not getting needed counseling. This situation is often caused or exacerbated by personnel shortages, which don’t seem to be getting better. In fact, the number of behavioral-health job openings in Colorado could rise by 30% between 2023 and 2030, The Denver Post reported.
That’s what Metropolitan State University of Denver plans to address, thanks to a two-year, $800,000 grant from Caring for Denver. The Building Denver’s Mental Health Workforce program, which launched this semester, provides $15,000 stipends to Social Work and Addictions Counseling graduate students on the condition that they commit to working in mental and behavioral health in Denver for a full year postgraduation.
“When you talk about serving a region’s community health, you really have to focus on population and purpose — it’s great to partner with someone who really gets your mission,” said Jo Bailey, Ph.D., associate dean for the University’s College of Health and Human Sciences and principal investigator for the grant, referring to the Caring for Denver partnership.
Celebrate Caring for Denver’s investment in mental health
Join MSU Denver for the Caring for Denver Gift Announcement event March 6, 4:30-6 p.m.
