DENVER, CO (January 29, 2024) - The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) has reached a pivotal milestone in implementing a new framework for behavioral health services in Colorado, called Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organizations (BHASOs). When implemented in July of 2025, BHASOs will establish, administer, and maintain regional networks of behavioral health care providers that serve people across Colorado.
“One of the major steps in establishing BHASOs is setting up a map of regional provider networks, and after thoughtful collaboration with key communities and stakeholders, BHA is proud to announce that it has finalized the network region map, ensuring equitable access and representation across Colorado,” said Michelle Barnes, Interim Commissioner of BHA.
The BHASO regional map will be split into four regions, which aligns with Health First Colorado’s (Colorado’s Medicaid program) Accountable Care Collaborative Phase III regional map to be launched in 2025. Aligning BHASOs with Health First Colorado’s ACC regions will reduce administrative burden for providers and minimize confusion for people in Colorado who are seeking services.
This collaborative effort between BHA and the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) included an analysis of 28 critical factors, such as geography, population demographics, behavioral health needs, Medicaid utilization, types of behavioral health services, and overall healthcare utilization.
People in Colorado seeking behavioral health care have expressed that they struggle to locate and receive behavioral health services in the current behavioral healthcare model. The goal is for BHASOs to facilitate accessible, affordable, and easy-to-navigate behavioral health services to help people in Colorado achieve whole-person health. BHASOs will also identify care gaps and promote access to services through a network of providers by collaborating with local community organizations.
The legislature mandated BHA create the Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organizations (BHASOs) through House Bill 22-1278. BHASOs will launch on July 1, 2025.
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About the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration
The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) is the state administration responsible for ensuring all people in Colorado have access to quality mental health and substance use disorder services, regardless of where they live, or ability to pay. As a regulatory body, BHA brings together community groups and governmental agencies to create a behavioral health system for all people in Colorado that is easy to access, and offers high-quality care that considers the whole person and their needs. Find us online at https://bha.colorado.gov/ or follow us on social media at @BHAConnect.