The undersigned consumers and behavioral health professionals urge you to support proposed legislation in Colorado to grant prescriptive authority to psychologists with advanced and specialized training in clinical psychopharmacology. Colorado is in a serious mental health crisis, with a high prevalence of mental health issues through the community and a significant shortage of mental health professionals statewide. Nationally, Colorado ranks 51st of 50 states and Washington DC for prevalence of adults with mental illness and lack of access to care. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of mental health issues in Coloradans have increased, with nearly 50% of Coloradans experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression, and a more than a 50% increase in Coloradans calling or texting a crisis hotline.

The stringent requirements psychologists will have to meet to be able to prescribe are comparable to other prescribers, such as psychiatric nurse practitioners, and the knowledge and competency are comparable to psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners.

We support this initiative because the amount of education and training it would take for a psychologist to be able to achieve prescription authority is extensive and adequate to serve patients well. Prescribing psychologists have a long track record of safely prescribing in the military healthcare system, New Mexico, Louisiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Idaho. We stand alongside other experts in the field who have supported and continue to support prescription authority for psychologists.

This will allow consumers to receive continuity of care when we see our psychologists and not have to wait weeks or months to see an expert to get the medication we need.

Allowing psychologists the opportunity to join colleagues in other states to prescribe medication after extensive additional education and training will give Colorado another tool to combat the mental health crisis our state is facing