The need for mental health care in the post-COVID-19 landscape means more people than before are struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, phobias, addictions, thoughts of suicide and emergencies such as psychotic breaks — at a time when services and treatment providers are in short supply.

Initiatives from an innovative grassroots startup in Colorado Springs to state-level system intervention to local support for funding in the field of behavioral health are rising to meet those needs. Here’s an update on some of the progress:

Putting high heels on the ground

Entrepreneur Nayada Moore’s ideas for promoting mental well-being shapeshift from concept to action as fast as Superwoman.

Her thrift boutique, Hashtag Co., specializes in promoting women’s mental health through retail therapy.

Yes, you read that right.

“We are driven by the transformative power of clothing to uplift and empower and are deeply involved in community initiatives aimed at boosting confidence and self-esteem,” says the description of her company.

What woman hasn’t realized that shopping can lessen the sting of pain, chase away a funk or deflate anger?

Moore’s approach is not so much of a “Shop-until-you-drop” mantra but more of a “When you look good, you feel good” model.

And she’s put her high heels to the ground to not only support herself but also give other women a chance to grow while they sell their wares, learn new skills and network in the spirit of sisterhood.

“It starts with if you dress better, you feel better,” said Moore, a certified life-skills coach.

While initially focusing on assisting women exiting prison, she realized she had a knack for coaching women in righting their course and styling their appearance at the same time.

Moore, 31, now helps women of all backgrounds dress for success as well as hone financial acumen, deal with stress, advance social skills, promote themselves and develop leadership abilities.

“We teach the importance of being beautiful inside and out,” she said.

Her thrift shop recently relocated from operating inside CommunityWorks, a southeast Colorado Springs nonprofit that provides free career and job placement and other assistance, to 2727 Palmer Park Blvd., west of an indoor flea market.

Moore shares the 8,000-square-foot space with 4K Digital Media Production owner and business partner Antwone “A.P.” Peterson.

An energetic grand opening of the new location a few weeks ago featured a women’s empowerment and unity theme and through Facebook, Instagram and TikTok drew hundreds of attendees. They shopped, danced, had photos and videos taken, watched live artists, ate and participated in other activities.

“Today was dope. It’s so nice to be around so many women being empowered in what they like to do,” one participant said on a video Peterson made of the event.

Vendors, who represented single mothers, women leaving domestic violence situations and other entrepreneurs, averaged sales of $300 each, Moore said.

“When you’re financially struggling, it can definitely take a toll on your mental health,” she said. “We plan on doing vendor events all year.”

At the thrift boutique, women fill bags of clothing and accessories and then can have their photos taken or videos created.

“When people are comfortable in their skin, their mental health improves,” Moore said.

Nine different backgrounds, including a velvet couch flanked by balloons, a disco cubby full of records, an enchanted birthday set and a Paris backdrop, are available for photo shoots.

The business partners do video production, a podcast and a blog.

And they have several events planned, including an Aug. 3 black-tie gala with a panel of doctors and a financial adviser talking about women’s mental health and well-being.

Moore also helps victims of domestic violence with free clothing and appearance training.

“We see women struggling to make connections and network, and we have several initiatives and events to bring people together and empower women in our community,” she said.

The Hummingbird Initiative

The Behavioral Health Administration, formed two years ago as a new cabinet member-led agency in the Colorado Department of Human Services to create and coordinate an effective behavioral health system, is focusing on several workforce development initiatives.

After preparation to assess communities’ needs and determine direction and focus, programs are underway with a new commissioner Gov. Jared Polis appointed in February leading the work.

“Post-COVID, we have more layers of mental health need; for example, we have more youth who need more mental health services than we ever did. But we don’t have enough providers in the right places at the right time with enough accessibility in Colorado,” said Lisa Weinberg, workforce development director for the administration.

And officials predict a 30% increase from today’s system gaps by 2030. But enacting efforts to intentionally grow the field’s workforce is providing hope that ongoing needs will be met, Weinberg said.

“What we’ve noticed is that much of our talent is coming from outside the state,” she said, “so our goal is to increase the amount of people going into mental health care in Colorado who are from Colorado. We want to create a workforce pipeline for where people live.”

A $4.2 million pilot program for fiscal years 2023 to 2025 in six high schools is slated for expansion if lawmakers approve additional state funding, Weinberg said.

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the Behavioral Health Administration developed the program for rural, suburban and urban schools to help diversify the field and drive more interest in careers geared toward preventing, diagnosing and treating mental health conditions including crises, substance use disorders and stress-related physical symptoms.

Called the Hummingbird Initiative, the legislatively directed program to strengthen behavioral health workforce development provides high school students with opportunities for stackable certifications and degrees, entry-level employment and mentorship.

Under an integrated health approach, interested students learned physical and mental health first aid skills such as suturing wounds, phlebotomy, Narcan administration and peer support techniques. Students who are 18 or older can receive certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician training.

“It helps students understand the impact of mental health on physicality and mental health on physical health, and whether they like working frontline with people,” Weinberg said.

Also, the first mental health Pathways in Technology Early Colleges High School program has launched. The pilot program extends high school to grades 13 and 14 for students after they receive a diploma at the end of 12th grade.

“It allows students to get an associate degree for free with collaboration with community colleges and high schools,” Weinberg said. “It provides a longer runway for students to have access to further education in their community.”

The goal is to build a model that high schools could replicate using federal funding, she said.

Similarly, under Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera’s Mental Health Youth Corps announced a few weeks ago, the administration is developing an apprenticeship program for students to work and get paid while earning college credits toward licensure in social work.

The Behavioral Health Administration also has started soliciting requests for proposals for health care providers to link with the agency as service organizations that will become hubs in regional networks. This is part of its agenda to improve access to care and quality of services statewide through a coordinated system.

Commissioner Dannette R. Smith said in a statement that partnering with local entities is a “meaningful step forward toward a future where every person in Colorado is just a click or a phone call away from behavioral health services that are high-quality, equitable and deeply rooted in the unique needs of communities across the state.”

Supporting kids’ mental wellness

Pediatric mental health services at Children’s Hospital Colorado got a boost from Ent, Colorado’s largest credit union, through its “Catalyst for Children” campaign.

The fundraiser ran throughout May, which is recognized as National Mental Health Awareness Month, and raised about $60,000, not counting up to a $200,000 match, Ent officials said.

“We should be alarmed with the state of mental health among our kids in Colorado,” said Greg Raymond, southern region president for Children’s Hospital Colorado.

“We have an increased demand for need to help kids who are dealing with mental health challenges, and philanthropy can help us address these challenges head on,” he said.

“Community support plays a key role. We’re thankful for our southern Colorado community because they can help us hire more specialists to move to southern Colorado to help these kids who are in crisis and make a real impact on the care that these kids receive.”

Last year, Children’s Hospital Colorado’s network of hospitals and clinics served more than 294,000 kids and had more than 26,000 mental health patient visits.

Children’s Hospital is the only nonprofit pediatric health care system in a seven-state region, and since 2019 Ent has given nearly $2 million to the hospital network to support mental health crisis intervention, research and hiring more staff.

Several hundred people attended a May 16 discussion about pediatric mental health at Ent headquarters in Colorado Springs. Local leaders, including the city’s First Lady, Abbey Mobolade, and business executives spoke about the need to expand pediatric mental health services in southern Colorado.