PUEBLO – (September 21, 2023) - Michelle Barnes, Interim Commissioner of the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), released the following statement about a recent meeting with Health Solutions in Pueblo. Interim Commissioner Barnes, along with Interim Deputy BHA Commissioner Thomas Miller and Governor Jared Polis, attended the meeting to learn more about Health Solutions’s work to provide behavioral health services to people in Pueblo, and better understand the behavioral health needs of the Pueblo community.
“The main charge for the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) is to impact the behavioral health system by continuously improving access to behavioral health care and the quality of care for all people in the state. A foundational piece of this is co-creation, which can mean listening to people who work in the behavioral health field to understand the needs of those they serve, like we are doing with Health Solutions. By meeting with organizations like Health Solutions, BHA can implement feedback into our work to continue to improve the behavioral health system in Colorado. I am especially impressed with Health Solutions’s whole person health approach, providing universal pre-school, therapeutic pre-school, and integrated behavioral health and primary care services to people in Pueblo, ” said Michelle Barnes, Interim BHA Commissioner.
Jason Chippeaux, CEO at Health Solutions also provided the following statement about their meeting with the state.
“We deeply appreciate Governor Jared Polis, Interim Commissioner Michelle Barnes, and Interim Deputy Commissioner Thom Miller taking the time to tour our Youth and Family Center of Excellence campus. It is clear that we share a mutual commitment to the well-being of our community. By aligning with BHA, we strengthen our ability to provide a cohesive approach to health care for the communities we serve. As our organization continues to push forward with service innovations that emphasize the integration of early childhood development, behavioral health, and primary care, we see a future of enduring collaborations and a fortified partnership aimed at elevating the comprehensive health of our community.”
BHA looks forward to future opportunities to engage with, and listen to community organizations and members, that the behavioral health system impacts. We applaud Health Solutions's work and commitment to their community, and are thankful for the partnership.
Health Solutions is a comprehensive, non-profit community medical and behavioral health treatment provider with centers in Pueblo, Huerfano and Las Animas counties that offers a variety of services, including 24/7 crisis services.
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About the Behavioral Health Administration
The Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) is a new cabinet member-led agency within the State of Colorado, housed within the Department of Human Services and is designed to be the single entity responsible for driving coordination and collaboration across state agencies to address behavioral health needs. Find us online at https://bha.colorado.gov/ or follow us on social media at @BHAConnect.