Community Partnership Opportunities for Children, Youth, and Families
Children and Youth Behavioral Health Listening Sessions
BHA wants to hear from you! On December 5, 2024, we hosted a virtual community listening session. On January 16, 2025, 4:00pm - 5:30pm, we will be hosting a second virtual community listening session.
These are opportunities for providers, parents, loved ones, and other community members to hear directly from BHA leaders about the progress we are making to create a continuum of care for all children and youth in Colorado! Even more importantly, it is an opportunity for you to share your thoughts with us and help to inform the next phase of our work.
If you can attend these events, we look forward to hearing from you and if you cannot, please complete this feedback form. All feedback will be responded to and publicly shared.
Thank you for taking the time to improve the behavioral health system of all children and youth in Colorado.
Rule Events for Improving Mental Health for Children & Youth
The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) is proposing new rules to help improve mental health in Colorado for kids and teens. As a result of a 2024 law, HB24-1038, these rules focus on children and youth who need special care in a crisis. The goal of these rules is to make sure more kids can get the help they need, and that the care they receive improves. BHA invites everyone to share their ideas at the upcoming meetings below:
- In-Person Meetings
RSVP for in-person meetings here.
- Frisco - December 2, 2024
- Summit County Community & Senior Center
- 83 Nancy's Place
Frisco, CO 80443 - 10:00am - 11:30am
- Frisco - December 2, 2024
If you are unable to attend one of the sessions, or would like to provide written feedback on any of the rule volumes, you are encouraged to send comments and questions via the 2024 Rules Feedback Google Form.
Other Meetings and Events
The Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) is committed to co-creating a better behavioral health system for children, youth, and families in Colorado in partnership with the communities who rely on these services. Our commitment to public engagement extends beyond formal rule-making opportunities and exists in shared spaces with our partner agencies as well. The calendar below includes meetings and events hosted by the BHA, the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), and the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF).
We encourage stakeholders, families, providers, and community members to attend any event you want to learn more about. These events give you a chance to join in on discussions, give feedback, and help improve services for children, youth, and families.
We believe the voices of children and youth should be heard in every space. By attending, you can help make sure their needs are part of the larger behavioral health system.
Below are the color codings of each agency calendar:
- Behavioral Health Administration Events in blue
- Colorado Department of Human Services in grey
- Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing in red
Children and Youth Behavioral Health Implementation Plan
Following stakeholder meetings, gathering hundreds of testimonies and input, system review, launching a new state department and boldly auditing the behavioral health system, the Behavioral Health Administration has released the Colorado Children and Youth Behavioral Health Implementation Plan. This plan lays out the pathway to access care for children and youth in Colorado. Children and youth have unique needs, experience unique challenges, and require unique supports and interventions; mental health and substance use services for children and youth cannot be a mirror of adult services. The State of Colorado is setting up services and supports for all children and youth and setting expectations for collaboration across state agencies, payers and providers to build a comprehensive, equitable, effective continuum of mental health and substance use services.
View a summary of the plan, as well as a presentation about the plan's priorities.
For more information, contact Matt Holtman at matt.holtman@state.co.us.
Vision
The vision for the children and youth behavioral health system in Colorado is to be a comprehensive, equitable, effective continuum of behavioral health services that meets the needs of children and youth in the right place, at the right time, to achieve whole person health and wellbeing.
This means Colorado's children and youth receive the treatment and support services they need to thrive in their community. To achieve this vision, state agencies need to work in unison and support efforts to:
- Promote the well-being of children and youth;
- Establish a comprehensive continuum of behavioral health services;
- Create the foundation for a system of care framework unique to Colorado;
- Reduce barriers to access and affordability of care;
- Support a competent and adequate workforce; and
- Have accountability and oversight to ensure a quality behavioral health system.
Priorities
The Children’s Behavioral Health Implementation Plan has more than 100 action items for state agencies. It identifies and addresses the most immediate priorities to be addressed within one to two years:
- Create a governance structure in BHA that utilizes the various committees, councils and work groups addressing child and youth behavioral health.
- Develop a set of services to meet the needs of youth with high acuity behavioral health.
- Create policy that increases investment in promotion and prevention efforts.
- Create an implementation plan specific to the delivery of intensive in-home and community-based services.
- Create the necessary policies that support the formation of Affordable Care Collaborative Phase III.
- Successful roll out the Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organizations (BHASO) system by July 2025.
Resources for families
The following resources are available for families with children, youth and young adults.
I Matter
I Matter provides free behavioral health sessions for Colorado youth ages 18 or younger or 21 or younger if receiving special education services.
Substance use prevention
Through prevention and intervention programs, we work with our community partners to improve access to substance use help.
Crisis Resolution Teams
Crisis Resolution Teams provide families of youth and young adults with intensive, short-term, in-home services and ongoing supports.
CYMHTA
Colorado's Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act (CYMHTA) allows families to access mental health treatment.
COACT Colorado
COACT is Colorado's system of care for children and youth with behavioral health challenges and their families.
Ascent Colorado
Ascent Colorado provides treatment and support to youth and young adults who have experienced an onset of psychotic spectrum illness.