Mental Health, Mental Health Directory

Mental Health Help in Colorado

Boulder, colorado, Colorado Springs, mental health, Wheat Ridge

Mental Health Help in Colorado

This article will provide some background about mental health help in several locations in Colorado, including Wheat Ridge, Boulder, and Colorado Springs. It will also offer LGBTQ+ and mental health facts and resources.

At LGBTQ AND ALL, we want to ensure that our audience has no barriers to care. That’s why we created our Mental Health resources database. If you are looking for mental health assistance in Colorado, our database at LGBTQ AND ALL has suggestions for therapists, psychologists, and their clinics and practices in the area.

Now, let’s learn more about these three cities in Colorado.

Wheat Ridge

Top Features

Wheat Ridge is primarily a residential city near the western part of Denver, featuring various retail centers and more than 20 parks. Wheat Ridge contains an expansive community with cultural and shopping centers.

This city is also home to over 20 parks, equestrian trails, and open public space for those who enjoy the outdoors. Bikers and walkers can cruise along the Wheat Ridge Greenbelt trail system. Bird watchers have also been known to frequent Prospect Park, including an RV park and campground.

Facts

Here are some fun facts about Wheat Ridge:
It is the largest producer of carnations in the world, earning the city the nickname “Carnation City.”
This city is less than 15 minutes from Denver’s downtown core.
During the Gold rush in 1859, Wheat Ridge was a rest stop for miners going to mountain gold camps.
This city got its name from the golden ridges of wheat noticed by passing travelers.
Significant crops include apples, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, currants, plums, blackberries, Pascal celery, and other vegetables.
Former Olympic athlete Babe Didrikson lived in Wheat Ridge at 32nd and Eaton.

History/Data

Wheat Ridge was only incorporated as a city in 1970, with a pioneer history dating back to the early farmers and miners of the 1840s. The community’s most impressive historical structure is the James H. Baugh homestead. This location is the former home of a Denver resident who followed the mining rush to Colorado.

The 2021 population of Wheat Ridge was recorded at 32,722 residents.

LGBTQ+ Facts

Since Wheat Ridge is so close to Denver, there is a thriving LGBTQ+ community. Denver is such a laid-back and welcoming place with a flourishing nightlife; this city has become known as the true LGBTQ+ center of the West. Also, many hotels and restaurants are friendly towards LGBTQ+ visitors.

As the largest city within 600 miles, people from the LGBTQ+ community from all over the country come to Denver to check out their gay nightlife, welcoming gaybourhoods, LGBTQ+-friendly hotels, and annual events.

The Cherry Creek, Capitol Hill, and RiNo neighborhoods are all very popular for the queer community for shopping and nightlife. RiNo (River North) Art District was even selected as one of the Top 5 Emerging Gay Neighborhoods in America by Passport Magazine.

Also, every year, Denver puts on PrideFests or the Colorado Gay Rodeo.

Mental Health in Wheat Ridge

Colorado adults have the third-highest prevalence of mental illness across the nation. This report collected data from 2017 and 2018 and discovered Colorado has the nation’s highest percentage of adults struggling with substance abuse disorder. In addition, Colorado has the third-highest percentage of adults contemplating suicide.

In 2018, Colorado’s suicide rate hit about 22 per 100,000 in 2018 compared to a national average of 14 per 100,000 people. The national rankings for young people are also troubling.

Boulder

Top Features of Boulder, Colorado

Boulder is a city found at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the north section of Colorado. To the West, you can find the trail-lined Flatirons that overlook the city.

Downtown, you can visit Pearl Street Mall, which has art galleries, cafes, restaurants, and boutiques. The University of Colorado Boulder campus is another popular attraction, with the Fiske Planetarium and the Museum of Natural History, that feature zoology and anthropology exhibits.

Facts

Here are some fun facts about Boulder:

Bicycling is so prevalent in Boulder that sometimes the city plows the Boulder Creek bike path before plowing the streets.
Baseline Road is a popular east-west route to cartographers, as it marks the 40th parallel on world maps.
Boulder’s Third Flatiron is 1,400 feet high, even slightly taller than the Empire State Building.
Boulder was declared the Happiest City in the U.S. by National Geographic. In addition, according to a Gallup study, the city has a repeated rating as the United States’ best city for wellbeing.

History/Data

The first settlement in Boulder was established at Red Rocks. This area is now known as The Peoples’ Crossing and used to be called “Settlers Park”) by gold-seekers in 1858. One of the settlers, named A.A. Brookfield, organized the Boulder City Town Company in 1859, which is when Boulder City started to thrive.

In 2019, it was reported that the population of Boulder was 106,392 residents.

LGBTQ+ Facts

The City of Boulder is passionate about celebrating and ensuring that all LGBTQ+ members in its community receive fair treatment and are accepted and felt included.

In 2005, Boulder was recognized in the book 50 Fabulous Gay-friendly Places to Live. Boulder continues to be an LGBTQ+-friendly place to live and visit, and city leaders believe diversity is an asset. As a result, the city of Boulder continually strives to develop policies, programs, and services that serve and embrace the LGBTQ+ communities.

Mental Health in Boulder

Here is some background about mental health in Boulder:

Even though Boulder was ranked as a happy city and is known as one of the best cities for wellbeing, many people still struggle with their mental health. Children and young adults can be at risk, too. For example:

For children ages, 1 to 14, 20% of parents reported behavioral or mental health problems. In addition, 12% of parents said that children older than two years old had received mental health treatment or counseling over the past year.
12% of parents said their child had developmental and behavioral problems and needed counseling. Finally, for providers screening for developmental, communication, and behavior issues came in at 35%.
Regarding bullying, 45% occurred on school property, 22% over electronics, and 17% experienced bullying due to perceived sexual orientation.
23% of kids in the 7th and 8th grades reported feeling sad or hopeless in the past two weeks. In addition, 5% attempted suicide, and 17% seriously considered suicide.

If you know someone struggling with mental health or behavioral issues in Boulder, feel free to navigate through our resources at LGBTQ and All. We have an extensive list of psychologists and therapists in the Boulder area and can link you to someone who will be the right fit for your situation.

Colorado Springs

Top Features for Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs is a city in Colorado located at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains. It can be found near Pikes Peak, a landmark in Pike National Forest.

This area is a nature lover’s paradise, with hiking trails and a cog railway that leads to a 14,114-ft. Summit. Also another attraction that draws people to Colorado Springs is the Garden of the Gods park, which features red-sandstone formations and epic mountain views.

Facts

Here are some fun facts about Colorado Springs:

Seven presidents have delivered their commencement addresses to the Air Force Academy. These presidents include John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, George H.W. Bush Sr., Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
The city is located within El Paso County.
You can find the United States Olympic Training Center and the Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs.
Colorado Springs is found one mile above sea level.
It was ranked as the fifth-best place to live in the country.
Royal Gorge Park has one of the highest suspension bridges in the entire world.
In the 1890s, Gold was discovered on Colorado Springs’ Pikes Peak, which attracted 50,000 people to the area. After this, Colorado Springs earned a new nickname: “the city of millionaires.”
After her trip up Pikes Peak in 1893, Katherine Lee Bates created the poem “America the Beautiful,” which led to the lyrics to the anthem of the same name.
There are over 300 days of sunshine in Colorado Springs every year.

History/Data

Although Native people had lived in the area now known as Colorado Springs for hundreds of years, the city was officially founded by Civil War General William Jackson Palmer in 1871.

Before it was founded, Colorado Springs was part of the American frontier. In addition, in 1858, Old Colorado City was built during the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush and was the Colorado Territory capital. When General William Jackson Palmer founded it, it became a resort town.

In 2019, it was reported that the population of Colorado Springs was 464,871 residents.

LGBTQ+ Facts

Colorado Springs prides itself on all the LGBTQIA+-owned businesses and resources it has in its community. Here are some of the most well-known:

LGBTQIA+-OWNED BUSINESSES

LGBTQIA+ RESOURCES/EVENTS

Unfortunately, a horrible tragedy occurred in Colorado Springs from November 19 to 20, 2022. There was a mass shooting at Club Q, an LGBTQ+ nightclub. During this incident, five people were killed, and 25 others were injured, with 19 of them by gunfire.

Mental Health in Colorado Springs

In 2018, Mental Health America discovered that one in eight Colorado residents is suffering from clinical depression.

Even though Colorado’s prevalence of mental illness is among the worst in the United States, the state overall is doing well in accessing mental health care. In addition, another report from Mental Health America ranked Colorado 17th for mental health access overall and 8th for the number of people with mental illness who also have insurance coverage.

If you live in Colorado Springs and need access to mental health care for a child or youth you know, check out all our offerings on LGBTQ and ALL. Not only do we have articles, research, tools, and other resources for mental health, we have a whole database of mental health providers in the Colorado Springs region that can work with you.

Takeaway

Many people across Colorado are seeking mental health care. At LGBTQ AND ALL, we want to provide accessible mental health options for everyone in the United States and worldwide. For a convenient access guide to care, you can check out our mental health resources database. In addition, this link has suggestions for therapists and clinics in the area.

If you are a healthcare provider looking to add your name to the database, please visit https://www.lgbtqandall.com/add-your-business/. We provide convenient options, like your first month free and then an affordable price of $19.99/monthly after your trial.

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About Author

Billie Olsen

Billie Olsen (she/they) is a lifestyle writer, disability justice advocate, and cozy femme located in Kelowna, BC, Canada. Their works have appeared in Metro News, Discorder, Sophomore Magazine, the Post-Feminist Post, DINE Magazine, and NerdReader.

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