I want you to imagine for a moment what it would be like if Americans treated cancer in a different way than we do now. Imagine that instead of encouraging people to quit smoking and take other steps to prevent cancer, we just sort of crossed our fingers. Instead of telling people they need to get regular screenings, we waited until the illness had progressed to a more noticeable and less treatable stage. Imagine that once we knew someone had cancer,

we told them they did not really need treatment until they are in imminent danger of dying. Then, imagine we took away that person’s civil rights in order to administer chemotherapy, or even worse, lock them up in jail to get care after their cancer already had reached Stage 4.

You can stop imagining that nightmare scenario, but for many people this approach to health care is a reality. Tragically, what I just described is the way we treat millions of Americans who experience mental illnesses.

When Mental Health America of Colorado was founded in 1953, the National Institute of Mental Health was just four years old. Back then we had only a rudimentary understanding of what caused illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but we knew that people with those conditions could get better with access to the right treatment. In 2014 we understand the human brain, and complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors, a great deal more than we did back then. We now know that mental illnesses are not only treatable, but the conditions themselves and severe symptoms associated with them are largely preventable. We also know that focusing on the person rather than the illness and empowering all people to take action for wellness helps achieve and sustain good mental health.

Think about how the way we treat cancer has changed over the last 40 years. It used to be something we only thought about once we felt a growth or experienced a crisis. Now we promote healthier habits, medical screenings, and other practices that help prevent and mitigate cancer. As a result of this change in our attitudes, the mortality rate associated with many types of cancer has plummeted far below what can be accounted for by advances in medical treatment alone.

Sadly, over that same 40 year stretch, suicide rates in America have stayed flat or trended upward. On average, Americans with mental illnesses die 25 years younger than the general population — the same disparity we saw in the 1970s. There is a strong array of tools available to test for, prevent and effectively treat all types of mental health problems, but our culture has not changed to incorporate them into our everyday lives. As a result, people wait too long to seek help and practice better self-care, often with tragic consequences.

We need to start treating mental illnesses just like we treat cancer. We have to stop waiting for an emergency to start taking better care of ourselves and others. To borrow the terminology of cancer, we have to do more before stage 4.

Colorado can lead the nation in changing the way we think about mental health. All Coloradans should be a part of this effort because mental health is part of all our lives. Here are some of the top priorities Colorado needs to adopt to start improving our mental health:

Focus on kids. Half of all mental illnesses occur by age 14 and three quarters by age 24. Trauma, whether it is caused by abuse, neglect or other issues, is the leading risk factor for most mental health conditions. We have to protect our kids from trauma and reduce other sources of toxic stress such as lack of proper exercise, exposure to violence and housing insecurity. We need to lead by example and show our kids the value of living well.

When kids get appropriate treatment as soon as signs of a mental health condition emerge it can reverse their symptoms and help them learn invaluable coping skills. Unfortunately, parents and caregivers often report having nowhere to turn when their kids need mental health services. We should make sure all kids in Colorado have access to health care that focuses on improving mental health. Early mental health interventions and wrap-around support services for kids make them more resilient and healthier throughout their lives.

Everyone should get a mental health screening, just like vision, dental and hearing checks. Detecting a mental health condition early, like testing for cancer, makes all the difference in changing the course of a potentially chronic illness. Mental health screening tools already are available to everyone online. They should be part of every primary care setting in the state.

Continue implementing and improving health care reform in Colorado. Public and private health insurance is an essential determinant of health in America. Health care reform not only has expanded access to coverage to hundreds of thousands of Coloradans who previously were excluded, it also requires that all insurers treat mental health on parity with physical health. For the first time, our brains are protected by private health insurance just like the rest of our bodies. This historic change has enabled Coloradans who were already insured or are newly insured to begin treating their mental health as the essential component of their overall health it truly is. We have much more work to do to improve the health of all Coloradans, but we must not retreat from this vital effort.

Achieving equity for mental health in our systems of care and how we treat ourselves and others is not a political issue. It is about the health of all Coloradans, regardless of what type of illness they have, where they live, or how much money they make. A generation ago we changed how we treated cancer as individuals and a country, saving countless lives. I call on all Coloradans to recognize that mental health IS health, and to take action in their own lives and in their communities to do more before stage 4.

Follow Mental Health America of Colorado on Twitter and Facebook to learn more, and share your thoughts using the hashtag #B4Stage4.

Don Mares is the President & CEO of Mental Health America of Colorado, and previously served as a Colorado state senator, Denver city auditor, and director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.