Children's Hospital Colorado

Addressing the Youth Mental Health Crisis

2/15/2024 <1 min. read

Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Mental Health in Chief Dr. Ron-Li Liaw

Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Pediatric Mental Health Institute is seeing the direct patient impact of extensive new changes implemented over the past year. Mental Health in Chief K. Ron-Li Liaw, MD, is guiding the team into the next phase of the Institute’s action plan, designed to combat the national youth mental health crisis. The team’s work is designed to break the stigma against mental health care and provide specialized, unique treatment options by focusing the strategic plan on transforming the hospital’s physical spaces, care teams and treatment models, partnering to build a full continuum of care, and implementing innovative, evidence-based care approaches where children and their families live, learn, connect and seek support. 

“When I reflect on the past two years since we embarked on a journey to advance a youth- and family-centered coordinated system of care with collaborative partners that ensures equitable access to high quality, evidence-based care and prevention, I am filled with gratitude, excitement and hope at the rapid pace of progress and our new and enduring partnerships across the state of Colorado and the country,” Dr. Liaw says. 

The team also completed the first year of a new outpatient location, Children’s Colorado Therapy Care on Telstar, Colorado Springs. In that year, the group provided access to care for 442 unique patients and supported nearly 4,000 visit and treatment days.