Families in Action for Mental Health is a coalition of Mental Health America of Colorado and its partners, working together to help local families in need access mental health services. You can make a donation to Families in Action through the Colorado Income Tax Check-Off program- just go to line 42 of your state tax return and contribute a portion of your refund. This is an easy and effective way of helping expand access to mental health care to all of Colorado's families.

• Foundations release Satus of Behavioral Health Care in Colorado
  Read the report and visit the Advancing Colorado's Mental Health Care website

• MHAC in the Headlines: Mental Health First Aid: Learning how to intervene - featured Wednesday, November 30, 2011 on healthpolicysolutions.org
  

During the annual retreat of our Board of Directors in late 2011, MHAC expressed its gratitude to outgoing Board Chairman Seth Belzley for his outstanding service, and welcomed Dr. Stuart Kassan as the new leader of our Board. Dr. Kassan received his medical degree from George Washington University in 1972, and began practicing in Colorado in 1978. He has been honored    many times by his peers for his work on autoimmune disorders, and has been invited to present his research in testimony     before the U.S. Congress. Currently Dr. Kassan is a practicing rheumatologist with Colorado Arthritis Associates. 

MHAC is proud to announce the addition of two new members to our Board of Directors. Rosalyn Wheeler-Bell, a nurse and community activist from Denver, brings over 30 years of experience as a mental health practitioner and advocate to the Board. In addition to her work as a University of Colorado-trained Registered Nurse, Ms. Wheeler-Bell founded and served as Executive Director of Community Health Education Services, a nonprofit dedicated to improving health in Denver's African American Community. Rosalyn, or "Roz" Wheeler-Bell is currently the Director of Homelessness Prevention, Rapid Re-Housing, and Rural Initiatives at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.

Judge Dennis Maes comes to the Board of MHAC after  serving many years as the chief judge of the state's 10th Judicial District. A lifelong resident of Pueblo, Judge Maes has been an advocate for juvenile mental health, helping to start a truancy program for at-risk youth and personally mentoring middle school students. Since 2010, MHAC has expanded services outside of Denver to include the Pueblo and Glenwood Springs communities through the Pro Bono Outreach program. Over the course of 2011, 15 volunteers and 4 host sites served 33 clients in Pueblo. With the help of Board Members like Judge Maes, MHAC hopes to continue improving its services and advocacy efforts on a statewide level.