COLab’s initial, December 2021 investigation into Colorado’s frayed mental health safety net prompted whistleblowers and Coloradans who have been turned away from care to come forward and share their stories. The journalists of our state decided the only way to do justice to their experiences was to pool our resources. Thus formed a team of some of the state’s most tenacious investigative reporters and editors working together to understand why so many Coloradans aren’t getting the mental health care they need. 

In this phase of the On Edge project, Gazette Reporter Christopher Osher and COLab’s Susan Greene uncovered a report, which state officials had been hiding, showing potentially deadly prescription errors at a Grand Junction-based community mental health center responsible for treating residents in 10 Western Slope counties. In the coming months, we’ll also be tracking legislation seeking to reform Colorado’s mental health safety-net system and working with Colorado Public Radio, 9News, the Colorado Sun and COLab data journalist Burt Hubbard investigating ongoing concerns about it. 

All stories produced as part of this phase of On Edge will be available for free to COLab’s more than 160 partner news outlets statewide, and all data from our reporting will be shared as well, with coaching for local journalists on how tailor these stories to their local audiences.