One in four people will face a mental-health issue this year, several studies say. Leaders of Colorado's 17 mental-health centers are pushing to expand programs to better treat people struggling with milder issues before they slide into crisis — a level of mental illness that is more difficult and costly to treat.

Community mental-health centers across the state, already plagued by a shortage of beds and long waiting lists, have seen the number of people seeking services spike in recent years — some seeing the populations double in less than five years.

To meet the growing demand, experts at the centers are working to focus their limited resources on early-intervention programs and ways to transition people out of crisis and into less expensive levels of care.

"A lot of people suffer every day," said Sonia Jackson, division director for adult programs and crisis response at Arapahoe/Douglas Mental Health Network. "It's really time we look at that as a statewide issue. No one center or agency can take care of all that is needed alone."