CBHC 2019 Policy Guide

It’s a pivotal time for mental health and substance use disorder service providers in Colorado. At the local level, communities are clamoring for more services even as new investments and partnerships increase the availability of
crisis interventions and other needed services. At the federal level, partisan politics keep the topic of health care
at the forefront; yet there is strong bipartisan agreement on the need to confront our nation’s opioid epidemic and improve access to mental health services. At the state level, change is constant. Implementation of ACC Phase II has dramatically changed how the state pays for and manages behavioral health services. The crisis system, only recently established as a statewide coordinated system, is being completely restructured under a recent RFP released by the Hickenlooper administration. Substance use disorder care has benefited from several investments, most notably SB- 202 funding which has increased each year since it was first authorized in 2016.

With so much change occurring, CBHC and our member organizations are welcoming the opportunity to drive Colorado towards a future that embodies our vision that all Coloradans, regardless of circumstance, have access to quality behavioral health services so they can live and work in the community of their choice surrounded by their natural supports.

Read more about our Priorities for 2019, our membership, and more HERE.