Expert: Libby Bonner - 7/28/2006

Question
I believe my husband is bipolar and suffers from many addictions. I want to get him proper diagnoses and help, but we have no insurance and just had a baby so very little if any extra money. We live in Denver CO and was wondering if there was any low income or free services that you could recomend.

Answer
Call United Way and ask for human services agencies....ask for the largest ones or those that deal w/ mental health and substance abuse.  Also ask for the names of the community mental health centers in Denver.   And then contact some of these.

I'ts possible that the county or city/county hospital, the one funded by taxes, has a program for low incomes.  Get anyone to help you identify which hosp that is, if you don't know, and call their social service office or chaplain's office to ask if they have any free services.  [It's probably the hosp where you had the baby.]

Also, www.nami.org to identify local NAMI affiliates.  Any  contact person at any affiliate might be able to suggest free or low-cost resources.  You could also inquire whether the affiliate runs a family support group.  YOu might want to start attending to get more ideas and to have the help and support of other people w/ similar problems.

Depending on your family income, it's possible you are eligible for Medicaid.  Contact a county dept of human services office.

Good luck.  Thanks for writing.