Sitting in pairs in a makeshift classroom of south Denver last week, our especially diverse group of Mental Health First Aid trainees prepared to practice a discussion with someone who was struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts.
Social Determinants of Health
Right now, factors like race, income, and ZIP code determine a person's access to and opportunities for health. Read more about how we're changing that.
Ten Minutes at a School-Based Health Center
It is 2:30 p.m. at the School-Based Health Center in Durango High School. In one room, a teen is being counseled after telling his friends he was contemplating suicide. Another student comes in complaining of terrible pain from a migraine.
Do Something
My children want to buy a water buffalo for Christmas. Thankfully not for themselves, but for children living in a faraway place whose lives would be improved by the presence of a water buffalo.
Engaging in Your Own Health
Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know venerable leader Reverend Bill Calhoun. Reverend Calhoun has a long history of serving Denver, including leading critical conversations about health care in communities around the city.
The Forest and the Trees
The bottom line is that no amount of health policy, community health initiatives, or funding for health and health care can fix every inequity inherent in the system.