Colorado mental health clinic breaks down barriers, advances health equity for minority populations.
Axis Integrated Mental Health Clinic, a family-owned mental health clinic in Colorado, offers a variety of therapies to help people with mental health issues. The clinic also prides itself on working with patients regardless of their insurance plan, and even waiving fees for some patients who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford treatment.
One of the therapies the clinic offers to Medicaid patients is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a treatment used to treat severe depression. The cost of the treatment ranges from $6,000 to $12,000. In Colorado, the cost is not covered for Medicaid patients.
Maria Casillas of Commerce City is one of those patients who wouldn’t have been able to receive this treatment without the clinic.
TMS uses magnetic fields to stimulate brain cells involved in regulating mood, which Casillas says was a breakthrough for her.
“I feel a lot better than before,” Casillas said in Spanish.
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After trying countless antidepressants and even Spravato, she had lost hope that she could overcome her depression. It wasn’t until she tried TMS that she immediately began to notice a change in her mood.
“I’ve tried other treatments but nothing has been as effective as this,” Casillas said.
This non-invasive treatment is nearly 80% effective for patients, but the price can be a barrier, especially for those who are uninsured or on Medicaid.
Axis co-founder Liesl Perez believes they can make a difference by providing care to underserved communities.
“Since we opened, our clinic has provided $300,000 in free mental health care to patients who truly need it most,” Perez said.
The clinic opened in 2020 and has now expanded to three clinics in total: Aurora, Westminster and Louisville.
“This is crucial for the population we serve,” Perez said, “people don’t think they can afford mental health care and they don’t know how to navigate the system.”
They provide TMS therapy to patients like Casillas free of charge through a pro bono program.
“It was like a miracle,” she says. “Until now, I couldn’t believe that I was getting this treatment for free.”
Through this program, the clinic aims to increase health equity, especially among people from minority communities who face barriers to receiving mental health services.
“We’re healing family systems and healing a lot of the intergenerational trauma that comes with mental illness,” Perez said.
TMS therapy is currently covered by 18 states’ Medicaid programs, but Colorado is not one of them, and the clinic aims to help people seeking the therapy regardless of their insurance plan.
