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In the NoCo

Mental health services should be covered by insurance. So why is it so hard to get care?

Posters promoting Colorado’s free student therapy program hang on a door at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins. Many staff agree that schools need more resources to meet the mental health needs of students.
Leigh Paterson
/
KUNC
Posters promoting Colorado’s free student therapy program hang on a door at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins. Many staff agree that schools need more resources to meet the mental health needs of students.

In communities across Northern Colorado, people are struggling with their mental health, while also struggling to get the care they need. And the problem is widespread – around a quarter of residents reported having poor mental health in the most recent Colorado Health Access Survey. Of the 1 in 6 Coloradans who were unable to get needed care, nearly half said they had a hard time getting an appointment, while nearly 60% were concerned about cost.

Over the past few months, KUNC’s Senior Editor & Reporter Leigh Paterson has been reporting on the barriers residents face in getting help, despite laws in place to ensure insurance coverage. She joins host Erin O’Toole to break down what you need to know about mental health parity laws.

As KUNC's Senior Editor and Reporter, my job is to find out what’s important to northern Colorado residents and why. I seek to create a deeper sense of urgency and understanding around these issues through in-depth, character driven daily reporting and series work.
As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.