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WEEK OF AUGUST 31, 2023
VOLUME 96 | ISSUE 39
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Seeking solace Denver’s Wellness Winnie program adding vehicles, services in Colorado
Families with transgender kids state a welcoming place BY ALISON BERG AND ELLE NAEF ROCKY MOUNTAIN PBS
The Wellnesss Winnie program is adding two Mini Winnies and a larger Super Winnie medical RV to its fleet this fall. They will be stationed around the city at least once per week. The Winnies will also have expanded services provided by an advanced practitioner and registered nurse who can provide clinical services like wound care and medically assisted treatment to those who need it. The Mini Winnies will also be available upon request for community events and gatherings where organizers believe the services could be beneficial. The vans are highly mobile, so they can go where
Brianna went to bed Aug. 22 with a knot in her stomach. That night, a Texas school board near her home passed a “Don’t Say Trans” policy barring employees from discussing what the district defined as “gender fluidity.” The school board’s new policy was the latest entry in growing, rightwing political playbook that targets transgender youth and the adults who support them. Months before the school board’s decision, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, ordered the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to conduct child abuse investigations into parents whose children received gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Abbott’s decision was in line with the heavily conservative state legislature, which had introduced more anti-transgender bills than any other state. In 2020, Brianna’s son, Rylee, came out as a transgender boy. He was 12 years old at the time. Brianna and her family moved to Texas — which has one of the largest transgender communities in the country — in 2015 to be closer to their extended family. Brianna knew the small town they called home was far from progressive, but she expected to largely be left alone as she and her family kept their heads down and raised LGBTQ+ children. But the state’s policies seemed to get crueler over time. Brianna knew her family wasn’t safe.
SEE WINNIE, P12
SEE SOLACE, P6
The Denver Office for Public Health and Environment is expanding its fleet of Wellness Winnies. This fall, the city will be adding two Mini Winnies, pictured in front, and a Super Winnie medical RV to the original Wellness Winnie vehicle, pictured in the back. COURTESY OF THE DENVER OFFICE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT
Neighborhoods that need it most will have more access to medical care BY NATALIE KERR SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
The demand for behavioral health services is massively outpacing supply, to the tune of more than 40% of Denver residents not being able to receive care, despite attempting to obtain it, according to a 2023 report from the Denver Office for Public Health and Environment. It’s a situation caused by myriad factors — overworked staff, finan-
cial barriers for patients and complicated, time-consuming processes that block people from ultimately receiving treatment. “There’s just not enough behavioral health services for folks to access,” said Kalyn Horst, administrator for DPHE Substance Use and Prevention. “And of those that exist, they may not be offered in a way that feels culturally competent, and approachable and appropriate for people that are wanting those services.” The city’s bright purple fleet of RV buses and vans is on a mission to change these statistics for the better, by bringing straightforward, effective care directly to the people who need it.
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FANTASTIC NEIGHBORHOODS Magic hidden just beyond the sidewalk in fairy gardens P20