The 2024 Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium Public Conference kicks off Saturday, where industry experts and researchers will share the latest scientific developments and ongoing advances to fight Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

David Coon, director of the Center for Innovation in Healthy and Resilient Aging at Arizona State University, will lead the conference.

Coon said experts continue to see growing numbers of people developing dementia in the Grand Canyon State, which also means increased demand for care from family and friends.

"The reality is we're still facing this," he said, "and we're facing it also with a growing number of people living alone with cognitive decline, and that is very important for us to recognize as well."

It's a growing public health crisis in Arizona, according to the Alzheimer's Association. An estimated 152,000 people 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease in the state.

Coon said increasing awareness about the disease is critical to not only diminish stigma but also plan for the future.

Saturday's event is free and will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Memorial Union on ASU's Tempe campus. Coon said a panel of experts will share information about treatment options, but also the resources and support systems available across the state.

He added that it is critical for people not to wait until a crisis strikes, and that the sooner patients know their cognitive-health status, the better they can have a voice in their own preferences for care.

"How you get assistance, who's engaged, and I think that is really important for you to be, in part, in the driver's seat," he said, "and similarly, for somebody that's going to help you along that way to have those conservations."

Coon called Saturday's event a "family affair," and encouraged anyone impacted by dementia or Alzheimer's to bring family and friends to learn more. Topics will range from new drug treatments to reducing the risk of Alzheimer's with exercise, as well as resources for caregivers.

Colorado lawmakers are investing more than $15 million to ensure children experiencing complex behavioral challenges, including trauma, major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, get the residential-based care they need.

Colorado has faced numerous lawsuits for not providing adequate support.

Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley, said meeting the needs was a priority in the most recent session.

"When we heard that children and youth and their families were not being able to find appropriate placement, we realized that this did not reflect the values of Colorado," Young explained. "We don't want children to be neglected."

Beds for Colorado kids in crisis have frequently not been available at psychiatric facilities and families have had to go out of state for care. Many ended up sleeping on the floor in emergency rooms, county offices or detention centers. House Bill 1038 promises to more than double the number of beds for Colorado children with the most acute mental health needs.

Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Roxborough, said the new legislation also provides services to help prevent mental health challenges from developing into crises. Last year, more than a third of Colorado high schoolers experiencing major depression received no treatment, according to a recent report.

"But with this $15 million, we know that we will be able to not only staff those needs but also give kids the actual treatment that they need," Bradley emphasized. "Right now, being put in detention centers is not giving them the treatment and then we see them funneled through the justice system."

Young added the measure also provides better reimbursement for care facilities, and includes workforce development incentives for training and better wages for workers.

"We need to improve the pay in order to attract the workforce who are so critical to the implementation of these services," Young urged.


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In Tennessee and across the country, Black women who are school superintendents are tackling the challenges faced by students from marginalized communities, particularly their social and emotional well-being.

The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal more than four in 10 students reported feeling "persistently down or hopeless."

Adrienne Battle, director and superintendent of Metro Nashville Public Schools, will be part of a virtual event today on this topic. At "Superintendents of Color Leading with Excellence," she will discuss ways to meet students' social, emotional and academic needs with initiatives like their "navigators" program, connecting students to resources and wraparound services.

"We assign every student in our district to a navigator and/or really, a caring adult who checks in with them on a frequent basis," Battle explained. "To make sure that they do have an advocate and that they have someone that they can talk to if there's a need."

Battle added the district has also invested heavily in mental health and social-emotional learning support by increasing the number of psychologists, social workers and other specialists in the schools.

Battle pointed out she grew up in the Metro Nashville school system and credited her decision to become an educator to the inspiring women who nurtured her as a student. She noted fewer women of color are in superintendent positions.

"As a classroom teacher, we know that over 70% of classroom teachers are women," Battle emphasized. "We know that there is a lower percentage of those classroom teachers who are Black women. We know that national data that less than 30% of superintendents are female, and even fewer are Black superintendents."

In the virtual event, Battle will also share information about Advocacy Centers established at elementary schools, and Peace Centers at middle and high schools. The centers focus on de-escalation techniques and restorative practices to foster a positive school environment.


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Amanda Dodson first noticed signs for a pilot program called "I Matter" at her ten-year-old daughter Hailey's school. After looking into it, she was able to get Hailey in to see a therapist, for free, to address a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Dodson said the experience has been life-changing. Hailey is able to visit a therapist, play games, have snacks and feel completely comfortable talking about her experiences and learning coping skills.

"The therapist even follows up with us as parents and recaps what it is that they are working on together. And it feels like a family effort at this point to help her get the support she needs," Amanda Dodson said.

Colorado became the first state in the nation to provide free access to mental health care for all students after lawmakers made the "I Matter" program permanent. Students can receive up to six free therapy sessions, and connect with case managers if additional care is needed, by filling out a form at 'imattercolorado.org.'

The "I Matter" pilot has helped some 12,000 Colorado youths access more than 50,000 free therapy sessions in 63 of the state's 64 counties since 2021.

State Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, helped launch the pilot, and believes the program will continue to help young people get back on a steady path.

"Our kids are struggling in ways that other generations have not struggled. And it is incumbent upon us to recognize that need for therapeutic assistance and support, and be able to provide it, " Jenet said.

A recent Healthier Colorado/Inseparable poll found that nine in ten Colorado voters strongly support making no-cost mental health services available to struggling youths. Dodson said making the "I Matter" program permanent shows the state is taking mental health seriously.

"I just have been excited to see I Matter happening and being advertised. And I'm happy to have gotten into this program, and I would really love for everyone to have the same opportunity," she continued.


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