Colorado funded ads telling kids they can get therapy without parental consent
By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
A child in Colorado can sign up for state-funded therapy at age 12 without a parent knowing. That is not a loophole. It is how the program is built.
The program is called I Matter.
It offers up to six free counseling sessions to any young person 18 or under, or up to 21 for those receiving special-education services, and is delivered mostly by telehealth.
According to a report released this month by the medical advocacy group Do No Harm, the state funded a youth-targeted advertising push built around one message. Youth 12 and older don't need a parent to sign off.
A consent waiver written into law
Do No Harm reviewed 279 files obtained through the Colorado Open Records Act. Its report covers severa...