Colorado Youth Mental Health Initiative Uses April Spike Data to Press Next Governor

**TL;DR** Colorado hospitals see a 20% increase in youth mental health emergency visits each April compared with other months. Advocates are using this seasonal pattern to urge gubernatorial candidates to commit to immediate youth mental health policies.

**Context** Mind Our Future, a nonpartisan effort led by Children’s Hospital Colorado and Healthier Colorado, convened experts in Colorado Springs to prioritize youth mental health for the upcoming gubernatorial race. The initiative stresses that solutions must begin before crises emerge, focusing on prevention and early support.

**Key Facts** Over the past two years, April has brought a 20% rise in kids arriving at Children’s Hospital Colorado emergency departments for mental health concerns relative to other months. This figure comes from a retrospective cohort analysis of all pediatric mental health ED visits during that period; the exact sample size was not disclosed but represents the hospital’s full caseload. The increase correlates with April but does not prove that the month itself causes the rise.

Zachary Zaslow of Children’s Hospital Colorado said they need a governor who can “come into office day one, ready to move solutions across the finish line,” emphasizing urgency for immediate policy action.

Multiple Colorado gubernatorial candidates have confirmed they will attend a Mind Our Future forum next month, where organizers plan to gather community input and later deliver findings to the winner of the November election.

**What It Means** Practical takeaways for readers include recognizing that seasonal stressors such as graduations, proms, and transitions may heighten mental health needs, underscoring the value of preventive services in elementary and middle school settings. Voters should watch for concrete policy proposals emerging from the forum and assess how candidates plan to fund and implement early‑intervention programs after the election.

**What to watch next**: the outcomes of the Mind Our Future forum and any subsequent youth mental health pledges from the candidates ahead of the November vote.