Everyone is in agreement that Colorado’s safety-net mental health system is in crisis. All you have to do is drive downtown Denver to get a sense of the vast need. Not everyone living on the streets is struggling with a mental illness, but many are, and when you add in substance abuse, the immediate need for a robust treatment and care operation becomes apparent.

And thanks to the investigative work of Susan Greene with the Colorado News Collaborative, we are hopeful there may finally be the political will to do something to close the gaps in our mental health safety net.

Right now, Colorado’s system is run almost exclusively by nonprofits that have sole-source contracts with the state and little external oversight. There has never been a more essential time for externally funded performance and financial audits of these 17 regional community mental health centers. The state must demand operational efficiencies so more money can be put into treatment.