How Children's Hospital Colorado Impacts the Community

The Pediatric Mental Health Institute (PMHI) at Children’s Hospital Colorado is committed to being a strong advocate for improved mental health management and works to expand preventative and evidence-based intervention efforts in Colorado. We work with youth, families and community stakeholders to promote the mental health of children in Colorado and eliminate barriers to quality mental health care through advocacy, community education, prevention, clinical service development and implementation and research.

Education

Children’s Colorado provides training for many professional disciplines, including psychiatry, pediatrics, psychology, social work and nursing. We also maintain good relationships with community partners in order to reduce the social stigmas associated with mental illness and increase awareness of the effectiveness of mental health treatment. What’s more, we provide guidance on how to support healthy child development, effective parenting and positive school environments.

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Advocacy and prevention

At Children’s Colorado, we strive to be a strong and consistent voice for the improvement of children’s mental health services in Colorado. In partnership with our patients, families, health care providers and community stakeholders, we advocate for policies and programs that support children’s positive social, emotional and behavioral development, such as increased screening and early intervention services, integrated systems of behavioral and physical health care and expanded access to preventative and high-quality mental health care.

Innovative research

Researchers at our PMHI are recognized locally, nationally and internationally for advancing knowledge and developing effective clinical practices in pediatric mental health. Research and program evaluation efforts are integrated into our services and allow us to remain on the cutting edge of clinical innovation. Each year we publish an issue of the Colorado Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology that features the pioneering work of our faculty.

Mental health partnerships

Children’s Colorado helped to establish Partners for Children’s Mental Health (PCMH), a new organization focused on improving the youth mental health system in Colorado. Through PCMH, we work to bring communities together and facilitate lasting partnerships across our healthcare system. Through this partnership, we also drive innovative solutions, share evidence-based practices to improve mental health care and gather and share critical data that can inform policy and advocacy efforts.

Learn more about how we work at PMHI, the different programs we offer and 10 tips about parenting and mental health.

“Children’s Colorado put us on the path to healing. The biggest message here is that you can deal with mental illness and still be a happy family.”
— Charles Gaughan, Claire’s dad