Update (June 4, 2024):
The State of Colorado is in a period of regulatory transition and behavioral health reform. Concurrently, the state is entering a period of rule promulgation and updates related to the BHA provider rules.
To minimize confusion, information and resources related to the state’s ongoing transition from “legacy” to the Behavioral Health Entity (BHE) licensing structure have moved to this dedicated Licensing and Designation page.
As of Jan. 1, 2024, the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) is responsible for oversight of Behavioral Health Entity (BHE) licenses, 27-65 designations, Safety Net approvals, Recovery Support Service Organization (RSSO) licenses, and Controlled Substance Licenses (CSLs).
- This updated structure will replace the “legacy” licensing system, including Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment licenses, Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) designations, and Community Mental Health clinic (CMHc) designations in the state of Colorado. To learn more about how we got here, check out the “more information” portion of this webpage.
- This is a rolling transition that must support a wide range of behavioral health providers with varied circumstances and needs to respond to.
- The needs of a provider that is brand new to regulatory oversight may be very different than a long-standing provider that transitions from the “legacy” licensing structure to the updated rule structure. BHA is aware of this distinction, and continues to work on tool development and staff interactions that support meeting your agency’s needs where you are at. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on what is working well and what can be improved upon during this transition process.
Please share your thoughts and suggestions by email: BHA_QS_Division@state.co.us.
Updated provider rules
The behavioral health provider rules are located on the Secretary of State website at 2 CCR 502-1. During this transition period, 2 CCR 502-1 includes rules that support both the updated regulatory structure (BHE, 27-65 designation, Safety Net approval) as well as the “legacy” regulatory structure (SUD license, CMHC/CMHc designation, CSL, and RSSO license). This is a temporary situation that will be resolved once the state has fully phased away from the “legacy” regulatory structure.
Please review the Agency Transition Guide to determine what portion of the rule volume your agency is subject to, based on your status in the transition process and services provided.
Transition support for current providers
Providers that hold a current BHA-issued license and/or designation are invited to book a technical support session focusing on your transition needs.
Q&S Newsletter
Sign up to receive updates, engagement opportunities and resources from the BHA's Quality and Standards division.
BHE Transition Dashboard
Interested in observing the state's BHE transition progress? Check out this transition dashboard for monthly updates on BHE licenses and safety net approvals.
Provider resources
General resources
- Agency Guide for New Providers
- Agency Transition Guide
- Behavioral Health Acronym Glossary
- BHA Provider Rules Outline and Sources
- Chapter 2 Reference Guide for 27-65 Designated Facilities
- Policy and Procedure Guidance
- Regulatory Transition FAQ
- Video Guide: Letter of Intent (10 minutes)
- BHA Rules Waiver Request
Contact us
Have questions or feedback for us? The information below will help you target your email to team that is best equipped to respond to you.
- Provider-support questions and issues
Email address Purpose What to send here? Monitored by
BHA_QS_Division@state.co.usEmail inbox that is equipped to handle a larger volume of emails that may contain sensitive information - Fingerprint-involved needs
- 27-65 questions
- Generic and/or onboarding-focused licensing inquiries
Q&S division supervisors and an onboarding licensing staff (able to assist with generic licensing inquiries) cdhs_bha_provider_support@state.co.us Data and a provider-focused email inbox that is equipped to handle technology and data-involved support needs - TMS needs
- DRS record requests
- Data needs (DACODS and/or CCAR)
- Central Registry needs
Data and technological support team cdhs_ladders@state.co.us Equipped to handle provider support needs related to the LADDERS licensing system - Access issues
- Adding or removing personnel to LADDERS system
LADDERS support team
- Policy and rule feedback and concerns
Email address Purpose What to send here? Monitored by
cdhs_bharulefeedback@state.co.usQ&S email inbox that focuses on feedback and needs specific to BHA provider rules (2 CCR 502-1) - Suggestions for changes to the behavioral health rules
- Suggestions are welcome at all times, although changes can only be made through a rule promulgation process. BHA plans to undergo rule promulgation annually.
Safety Net licensing team cdhs_bha_complaint@state.co.us Q&S email inbox that focuses on complaints and grievances on any BHA licensed and/or designated agency - Complaints about BHA licensed and/or designated agency
- Concerns about the quality of services and standards of a BHA-licensed and/or designated agency
BHA Ombudsman Liaison and supports cdhs_bha_feedback@state.co.us Q&S email inbox that focuses on any constructive feedback for BHA - BHA feedback
- Stakeholder feedback for the new grievance system (in development)
BHA Ombudsman Liaison and supports
More information
- Previous provider rules
Proposed provider rules related to the Behavioral Health Entity license, Safety Net approval, and 27-65 designation were adopted by the State Board of Human Services during the board's Nov. 3. hearing. Previous versions of the proposed rules are listed below.
- Complete rulemaking packet — 620 pages (updated Oct. 25)
- Proposed rule language, Chapters 1-12 — 367 pages (updated Oct. 25)
- Authority, comments and responses — 225 pages (updated Oct. 25)
- Complete rulemaking packet — 609 pages (updated Aug. 31)
- Proposed rule language, Chapters 1-12 — 372 pages (updated Aug. 31)
- Authority, comments and responses — 211 pages (updated Aug. 18)
- Rule town halls and community events
As part of creating rules per HB 23-1236, the BHA held a series of stakeholder engagement events in May and June of 2023. The stakeholder engagement meetings covered rules and regulations related to the Behavioral Health Entity (BHE) base license and endorsements, 27-65 Designation, Safety Net and Care Management.
Recordings and slideshows from town halls