Breaking the Silence in Commerce City and Beyond
Something powerful is happening in our communities. After decades of whispered conversations and hidden struggles, we’re finally saying out loud what we’ve always known in our hearts: it’s OK to not be OK.
For too long, mental health has been treated as a personal failing rather than a health issue. In working-class communities like Commerce City and Welby, the pressure to “tough it out” runs deep. We’ve been taught that asking for help is weakness, that admitting you’re struggling somehow makes you less of a provider, less of a parent, less of a person.
That ends now.
The Facts We Can’t Ignore
Mental health challenges affect 1 in 5 Americans every year. In Colorado, we’ve seen alarming increases in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation, particularly among our young people. The COVID pandemic didn’t create these problems, but it exposed just how fragile our mental health infrastructure really is.
Here’s what we know: mental health is health, period. Just like we wouldn’t tell someone with diabetes to “think positive thoughts” instead of taking insulin, we can’t treat mental health challenges as character defects that people should just overcome on their own.
Why This Matters for HD32
When I knock doors in Commerce City, I hear the same stories over and over. Parents worried about their teenagers who seem withdrawn and anxious. Workers struggling with depression but afraid to take time off. Seniors feeling isolated and forgotten. Veterans carrying invisible wounds that never fully heal.
These aren’t isolated problems – they’re community challenges that require community solutions.
What We Can Do
As your representative in HD32, I will fight for:
- Full mental health parity – Insurance companies must cover mental health treatment the same way they cover physical health
- School-based mental health programs – Every student should have access to counseling and support
- Crisis intervention training – Our first responders need better tools to help people in mental health emergencies
- Workplace mental health protections – No one should lose their job for seeking help
- Community mental health centers – Accessible, affordable care in every neighborhood
The Permission You Don’t Need (But I’m Giving Anyway)
If you’re reading this and struggling, here’s your permission slip: You are allowed to not be OK. You are allowed to ask for help. You are allowed to prioritize your mental health without guilt or shame.
You are not broken. You are not weak. You are human.
Resources That Are Here for Us Right Now
- 988 – Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text, 24/7)
- Colorado Crisis Services – Text TALK to 38255
- Crisis Text Line – Text HOME to 741741
- NAMI Colorado – Support groups and resources statewide
Moving Forward Together
The conversation about mental health isn’t just changing in legislative chambers and healthcare boardrooms. It’s changing around kitchen tables, in break rooms, at community centers, and yes, even on social media.
Every time someone says “I’m struggling and that’s OK,” they make it easier for the next person to speak up. Every time we treat mental health as seriously as we treat physical health, we save lives.
This is what it means to put working families first. It means acknowledging that our mental health is just as important as our paycheck, our benefits, and our job security. Because what good is economic opportunity if we’re not healthy enough – mentally and physically – to seize it?
In HD32, we’re going to lead this conversation, not follow it. We’re going to make sure every family has access to the mental health resources they need. And we’re going to keep saying, loud and clear, that it’s OK to not be OK.
Because that’s how we heal – together.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help. You matter. You bring irreplaceable value. There are people who want to support you.
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