Colorado is grappling with a mounting mental health crisis. A recent analysis shows the state has one of the nation’s highest rates of mental health conditions. A 2023 survey found that over one in four Coloradans reported poor mental health. This prevalence underscores enormous behavioral health needs. With such widespread psychological distress, addressing Colorado’s mental health has become a public health priority.
What’s Driving the Need in Denver, Colorado?
These forces keep showing up in the data:
Cost of Care
The cost of therapy and medication is a stubborn barrier to care for many Coloradans. About 56.2% of people without insurance who say they need, but don’t get mental health care cite the cost of treatment as a significant obstacle. This is three times the rate of people with insurance or job-based insurance. Even with parity laws, high out-of-pocket expenses leave effective care out of reach for lower-income families – especially in communities with high poverty rates.
Stigma
Social stigma remains a powerful deterrent. Nearly half (47.3%) of Coloradans who needed mental health care didn’t seek it at least partly due to stigma. Fear of judgment or being labeled “ill” often prevents open discussion and early intervention. This stigma also erodes social connections and support networks, leaving people isolated just when they most need help.
Provider Shortage
Colorado faces a severe shortage of mental health care providers. About 48% of the state’s population (2.8 million people) lives in a mental health professional shortage area. In Denver, over 57% of residents cited difficulty getting an appointment as their top barrier to care.
Simply put, there aren’t enough counselors, therapists, and psychiatrists available. Long wait times and distant providers frustrate those seeking help, often causing people to give up their search. This workforce gap is growing – job openings for behavioral health providers in Colorado could rise 30% by 2030.
Fragmented Services
Historically, Colorado’s mental health system was spread across multiple agencies, making navigation difficult. (The state established a Behavioral Health Administration in 2022 to streamline care, but many challenges persist.) Residents in crisis can call Colorado Crisis Services (available 24/7 via 1-844-493-8255 or text TALK to 38255), yet consistent follow-up care remains difficult to access. Rural areas are especially affected, as distance and lack of transportation compound the access problem.
These barriers have real consequences. Untreated mental health conditions can fuel higher rates of substance use and suicide, and it carries economic costs through lost productivity. Statewide, more than 530,000 adults struggle with depression, costing Colorado up to $2.52 billion per year in productivity losses.
Behind these statistics are individuals – parents, coworkers, students – whose psychological distress not only affects their health but also their families and communities. Over a quarter of a million Colorado adults have serious suicidal thoughts in a year, a sobering figure that highlights the urgency of improving access to care.
Relief Mental Health Opens in Denver to Close Critical Gaps
Relief Mental Health has opened an outpatient clinic in Denver, Colorado, to expand capacity where mental health needs are highest and appointment access is tight. The goal is straightforward: reduce real barriers to treatment (waitlists, cost confusion, and fragmented follow-up) by adding coordinated behavioral health services close to where Denver residents live and work. This move supports a broader public health effort to keep people out of crisis and in consistent care.
Here’s how the Denver clinic is designed to help:
- More front-door capacity, fewer delays. Extra slots for psychiatry and therapy directly address the shortage of health care providers, so starting care doesn’t require months of waiting. Relief can typically get a patient scheduled within days of their initial call.
- Insurance-first navigation. Proactive benefits checks and cost transparency make evidence-based care (including TMS and SPRAVATO®) more feasible for families affected by higher poverty rates.
- One plan, one team. Medication management, talk therapy, and advanced modalities sit under one roof, reducing handoffs that derail progress and add to psychological distress.
- Safety and community linkages. When appropriate, clinicians collaborate with Colorado crisis services and local resources to strengthen support networks and social connections that protect recovery.
- Measurement-based care. Routine symptom tracking helps tailor care, escalate intensity when needed, and de-escalate safely, delivering effective treatment solutions without unnecessary burden.
By anchoring comprehensive outpatient programs in Denver, Relief Mental Health aims to turn access bottlenecks into timely appointments, coordinated follow-through, and steadier outcomes.
Innovative Outpatient Treatments at Relief Mental Health
Relief Mental Health’s care model pairs innovative treatments with practical access design, so evidence doesn’t stay on paper.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Relief Mental Health delivers transcranial magnetic stimulation as a noninvasive, clinic-based option for treatment-resistant depression, OCD, and other diagnoses. Sessions are scheduled to fit work and family routines, with progress tracked every step. TMS can reduce symptoms without adding systemic medication side effects, and it’s often covered when clinical criteria are met—making it a realistic pathway for those stuck despite multiple medication trials.
SPRAVATO® (Esketamine) Program
For people searching “Spravato treatment near me,” Relief Mental Health’s REMS-certified program provides in-clinic dosing, monitoring, and structured follow-up. The team coordinates timing with therapy and medications, so early gains translate into durable improvements.
Medication Management + Psychotherapy
Psychiatric clinicians optimize medication regimens, simplifying or adjusting as needed—while therapists deliver talk therapy that rebuilds routines and coping skills. This integration reduces relapse risk, enhances functioning, and reinforces support networks that matter long after visits end.
Care that fits Colorado
At Relief Mental Health’s Denver clinic, we provide evidence-based outpatient care designed for real life, minimizing disruptions to daily routines while maximizing results. Through coordinated teams, transparent pricing, and timely access, we make advanced treatments like TMS and SPRAVATO® practical tools for lasting relief.
Colorado is taking critical steps to address mental health, from expanding behavioral health resources to launching the 988 crisis hotline. We’re proud to complement these efforts by removing barriers to mental health care. Our approach combines clinical excellence with community-focused support, ensuring treatment strengthens social connections and adapts to each patient’s unique circumstances whether they’re managing stress, depression, or socioeconomic challenges.
Because healing shouldn’t have to wait.
