
Colorado bill would give children free mental health services during the pandemic
CNN
The Colorado state legislature is working to give children free access to mental health care to help them cope with the mental ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic.
HB21-1258, introduced in the House on April 6, seeks to create a temporary program that would provide minors with three free sessions with a mental health professional. The bipartisan bill allocates $9 million to reimburse providers for these visits, which may be in person or virtual. The bill acknowledges the pandemic put "extraordinary stress" on young Coloradans "who have experienced enormous disruptions to school, social activities, and support networks, resulting in increased isolation and, in many cases, new or exacerbated instability, particularly as a result of a parent's loss of employment or stable housing."
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