Contact:

Kaylynn Dougall
Office:303-504-6555
Cell: 720-260-3999

(Denver, Colo., March 21, 2005) – The Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD) has received the Community Provider of Excellence Award from the National Council for Community & Behavioral Healthcare – the “Oscar” of mental health.

MHCD was recognized for “The Denver Model,” a unique recovery-focused approach to caring for the seriously mental ill that has set a standard nationwide.

“Everything we do at MHCD is designed to enrich lives and minds by focusing on strengths and recovery,” said Carl Clark, MD, CEO of MHCD. “We're proud that our approach has helped thousands of Denverites with behavioral health issues progress from illness and dependence to functional independence.”

Most programs for the seriously mentally ill are designed to help people stay out of the hospital and manage their symptoms. MHCD, though, believes that patients can get better, progressing to a point where they need less intensive services.

MHCD's approach includes these important elements:

• Consumers (MHCD's clients) participate to an unusual degree in governance, program development, implementation and oversight. Treating patients as partners, rather than passive recipients of services, is a powerful recovery tool.
• MHCD's “integrated rehabilitation” philosophy provides a continuum of employment, educational and social opportunities to help consumers recover. Helping consumers move beyond a “cocooned” existence enhances recovery.
• And, MHCD integrates mental health care with substance abuse treatment for people who are affected by both, recognizing that treating the whole person facilitates recovery.

Data demonstrate that MHCD's approach works. Between 2002 and 2004, MHCD analyzed the progress of 2200 consumers and found that approximately 19 percent had moved to

MHCD Recognized as “Community Provider of Excellence” lower levels of “service intensity,” meaning they required a less intensive level of care – an indicator of mental health improvement. In addition, statistical analysis demonstrated no destabilization in these consumers after the transition.

“Every day, we see the transformation that occurs when individuals with mental illness get a complete array of supportive services,” said Dr. Clark. “We're eager to continue refining our approach to ensure that Denverites with mental illness have opportunities to recover.”

The Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD) is a private, not-for-profit, 501 (c) (3), community mental health care organization providing comprehensive, recovery-focused services to more than 7,500 residents in the Denver metro area each year. Founded in 1989, MHCD is Colorado's leading provider and key health care partner in the delivery of outcomes-based mental health services.

MHCD employs over 450 highly trained professionals and offers a broad array of mental health services while specializing in the treatment of serious and persistent mental illness. MHCD has more than 30 convenient locations throughout metro-Denver where children, families and adults of all ages access high-quality services in neighborhood and community-based settings including clinics, day care centers, schools and at home.

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