Mesa County is rolling out the first of several new policies and programs it is implementing to provide better access to mental health services, starting with two “navigation hubs” that will help people get the treatment they need.

This is the start of a multifaceted plan that will include finding new ways to treat those who suffer from behavioral health issues rather than holding them in jail, according to reporting by The Daily Sentinel’s Charles Ashby.

Over the past year, several groups were formed to attack the issue from all sides, from opioid use to alcohol abuse to access to mental health treatment, not to mention the financial aid and private programs that are available to people while they struggle to right their lives.

This is a critical issue here in Mesa County and we applaud Commissioners Janet Rowland and Cody Davis for pushing this. Beginning with the navigation hubs to help people navigate the confusing mental health system makes sense and is a great start.

“I continued to hear from people that (families and patients) don’t get calls back and don’t know where to go,” Rowland said. “One woman said they were given a list of 12 therapists to call. Of the three that even returned her call, two didn’t take her insurance and one didn’t have any openings.”

That is an incredibly frustrating story and perfectly highlights why these hubs, which are funded by grants and donations, are needed. We think they’ll make a big impact all on their own.

Rowland said access issues cause people to stop seeking help, which only escalates into incidents that lead to undesirable outcomes, such as jail, which is a very expensive way to handle the issue.

“It costs about $23,000 a year for one bed in the jail, so if we can get a handle on the 40 to 60 people who continually go in and out of the jail simply because of mental health or substance abuse issues, we would be saving money on that end,” Rowland said. “In the long run, we’ll all save money.”

It’s not just money, but the improvement in the lives of these people who end up in the legal system that makes this effort so worthwhile. It also lets our law enforcement focus on real criminals rather than have to respond to someone having a mental health crisis.

There are other efforts that are underway, as well. A separate group of people are to be on hand in a soon-to-come Economic Mobility Hub, which will direct them to whatever financial aid they qualify for, such as food stamps or housing assistance.

Having one single point where a person in this community can go to get all this information and assistance is a great idea and we hope will be very successful in guiding our community members through the system.

It’s good to see local groups coming together to tackle this issue. It’s also always great to see our leaders focus on a real issue and come up with policies that we think will actually help. We’re excited to see the other solutions they roll out as they continue to work on this mental health issue.

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel editorial board