Daylight Project: Advancing Access to Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Coloradans

 

Client

 

The Daylight Project, a partnership of the Colorado Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the Mental Health Center of Denver

 

 

Funder

 

The action plan was funded by the Colorado Division of Behavioral Health and a grant from the Statewide Strategic Use Fund is supporting the implementation of the plan.

 

Description

 

The Daylight Project (previously known as the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Planning Effort) was designed in 2008 to bring together the various stakeholders with expertise in both behavioral health and services to deaf and hard of hearing individuals and their families.  Although Colorado has undertaken planning efforts in the past, there was no plan to address the disparities experienced by deaf and hard of hearing individuals with mental health and substance abuse needs.  Access to services can be inhibited by cultural, communication, and technology barriers.  The final action plan, developed in 2008, is intended to build on the capacity that already exists within Colorado to create a more accessible and comprehensive array of services and supports.

The Daylight Project is composed of many of the original stakeholders from the planning process.  With leadership from the Mental Health Center of Denver, they are implementing key components of the plan, focusing first on the publicly funded mental health and substance abuse systems.  Their priority areas include Assessment of Training and Technology Needs, Development of Standards, Provision of Training to Providers, Technology Capacity Building, and Evaluation.

CSI convened and staffed the action planning process in 2008, conducted the research to develop the action plan, and wrote the action plan.  In 2009, CSI wrote the grant that funded the Daylight Project and is now working on the Assessment and Standards components.

 

Colorado Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Products

 

External Links