By Deborah Walker

Three years after the tragic death of Paul Childs, FACE IT brought together the Denver community to celebrate the efforts that have been made  to prevent other families from suffering similar loses.

Inspired by Paul Childs’ death, Pastor Reginald Holmes of New Covenant Christian Church envisioned a nonprofit organization that would provide a Family Advocacy and Crisis Education Intervention Team (FACE IT) to work together for change in the Denver community. FACE IT was established to build, inform, support and help communities and people in times of crisis. A six-crisis intervention member team was brought together to work in building the organization with Director Bob Sattler.

FACE IT hosted their first fundraising celebration at Macedonia Baptist church. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Tamara Banks, Pastor Paul Martin and Agnes Martin, Gloria Holliday, Denver Police Chief Whitman, Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth and other concerned citizens were in attendance.

FACE IT is committed to creating inclusive support networks of treatment providers, law enforcement, community, and faith-based affiliations for people with mental illness and/or developmental disabilities. Working together, they provide services and support for individuals, families, and the community.

Twenty one percent of the United States’ population has unmet metal health needs. One in five Coloradoans need mental health services while less than one-third receive care. Forty percent of adults who suffer from a serious mental illness will come in contact with the American Criminal Justice System at some point in their lives. Nationally, over 16 percent of those incarcerated in prison have a mental illness as opposed to only five percent of the general population. There was a 64 percent increase in mental health-related calls to the Denver Police Department from 1998 to 2002. Colorado ranks 49th in the nation in mental health funding.

FACE IT can assist with mental health and/or developmental disability calls that do not need to be handled primarily by the police. FACE IT can link families and individuals to services and support such as neighborhood community service providers, churches, friends and family. FACE IT can facilitate support teams in Denver Police Districts 2, 5 and 6. It also provides training on mental health and developmental disabilities. Support groups for parents with children that have developmental issues are held monthly.

Editor's note: For more information, call 303-377-0046 or visit  www.faceitcommunity.org.