Denver is a great place to live, work and play. In fact, Denver consistently ranks among the top cities in the country in a number of different categories. We have easy access to the mountains and a vibrant culture across the city. Beneath the surface, however, is a growing problem. Mental health of Denverites has suffered and the stigma surrounding the topic makes it difficult to discuss. Chances are that you have someone close to you suffering from a mental health challenge

"Herod is always looking for new ways to help others find guidance and support as they attempt to make a difference in their communities. Herod is the first openly queer, black person to serve in the Colorado General Assembly, receiving the highest number of votes of any state house candidate running a contested race in 2016. She is now the incumbent for District 8 seeking re-election. OUT FRONT sat down with her to discuss what re-election might look like, and how she feels

"Mental health is one of the major issues facing not only Denver, but the country at large. The economic burden of major depressive disorders alone is $210.5 billion per year in the U.S., according to a 2015 study. But this initiative isn't about saving money: It's about saving lives." "Leslie realized it was the right time because of three things: people are talking about mental health more, the opioid epidemic is in the news, and mental health in schools is a hot topic," sa

“This is the kind of incident that shakes our entire community. As a member of the LGBT community that came out later on in life, I can only imagine the pain and fear that this young boy felt,” Herod said. “We can and we must act now to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. We must celebrate everyone’s uniqueness. Bullying is unacceptable. We must stand up for each other.” "Mental Health Colorado says it’s important to start teaching kids in elementary school about social an

A Denver ballot initiative could bring in tens of millions of dollars a year to help people with mental health and substance disorder issues. State Rep. Leslie Herod, a Denver Democrat, is spearheading the "Caring 4 Denver" campaign. She said the proposal makes financial sense in that, if it’s passed by voters, it could fund a variety of mental health programs. The money would come from a one-quarter of 1 percent city sales tax — that's 25 cents on a $100 purchase. Read full

A request for a 0.25 percent sales tax for mental health services and addiction treatment qualified for the November ballot in Denver Tuesday. The measure is expected to raise $45 million to improve “the quality, availability and affordability of community-based mental health and addiction care,” said Caring 4 Denver, the group backing the proposal. Read full article #suicide #mentalhealth #Mentalhealth #qualitymentalhealthcare #Caring4Denver #ballotinitiative

State Rep. Leslie Herod is spearheading the “Caring 4 Denver” campaign. She will discuss how this Denver ballot imitative makes financial sense in that, if it’s passed by voters, it could fund a variety of mental health programs. When Thursday, October 18, 2018 —7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Where Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD) Recovery Center 4455 East 12th Avenue Denver, Colorado 80220 Read full article #mentalhealth #LeslieHerod #Caring4Denver #Addiction #qualitymentalheal

Colorado Reps. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, and Dafna Michaelson-Jenet, D-Commerce City, were honored Wednesday for their work on mental health issues. They were lauded at Mental Health America’s Regional Policy Council breakfast in Los Angeles, coinciding with the National Conference of State Legislators’ Summit. Read full article #mentalhealth #LeslieHerod #Caring4Denver #HouseBill1357 #Addiction #qualitymentalhealthcare

Supporters of a Denver ballot measure to pass a sales tax to expand mental health and addiction services plan to turn in more than twice the required signatures Thursday to get on the November ballot. The Caring 4 Denver campaign needed about 4,700 signatures and turned in more than 10,000. Read full article #mentalhealth #LGBT #LeslieHerod #ballotmeasure #signatures

Legislation that preserves a strong and effective Colorado Civil Rights Division, the agency charged with protecting Coloradans from discrimination since 1951, is going into effect on July 1, the beginning of the state’s 2018-19 fiscal year. “By protecting a strong Civil Rights Division and Commission, we protect Coloradans from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations,” said Speaker Crisanta Duran, who sponsored HB18-1256. Her co-prime sponsor, Rep. Le