May 2025

Governor Polis Proclaims May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month in Colorado

CBHC is proud to join our partners across the state in recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month this May. In a meaningful show of support, Governor Jared Polis has signed a proclamation officially designating May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness Month in Colorado.

The proclamation emphasizes the state’s recognition of the importance of mental health and substance use care in enhancing the well-being of all Coloradans. It highlights Colorado’s commitment to transforming its behavioral health system through significant state and federal investments—ensuring equitable access to care, supports, and services regardless of age, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, culture, ethnicity, education, legal status, or economic status.

Governor Polis’ statement acknowledges the success of programs that build strong foundations for youth and families, advances in recovery and diversion from the criminal justice system, and efforts to expand the behavioral health workforce to close service gaps.

“These efforts contribute to the ongoing transformation of Colorado’s behavioral health system,” the proclamation reads, “with the understanding that there is more important work to be done.”

CBHC remains dedicated to advancing this transformation—amplifying the voices of providers and community members, advocating for sustainable policy, and strengthening Colorado’s behavioral health landscape.

We thank Governor Polis for his continued leadership and invite all Coloradans to join us in raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting mental wellness throughout the month of May—and beyond.

Board Leadership Transition at CBHC

As we embrace new beginnings in 2025, CBHC extends heartfelt gratitude to Kiara Kuenzler for her dedicated service as President of the CBHC Board of Directors. Kiara’s visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to behavioral health have significantly advanced our mission and positively impacted communities across Colorado. We are deeply thankful for her guidance and contributions during a time of significant growth and transformation.

We are also thrilled to welcome Dante Gonzales as our new Board President. Dante brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to equity and community wellness. As the CEO of Centennial Mental Health Center, he has led efforts to provide compassionate, evidence-based care to individuals and families across northeastern Colorado. Dante is dedicated to expanding access to behavioral health services, fostering collaboration, and driving innovation to meet the evolving needs of our communities. 

We look forward to Dante’s leadership as we continue our work to strengthen Colorado’s behavioral health system.

Please join us in celebrating Kiara’s service and warmly welcoming Dante into his new role!

While uncertainty still lingers about some of the major shifts underway at the federal level, the release of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s draft Medicaid legislation has created a clearer picture of what the future could hold for Medicaid and the Coloradans who rely on the health insurance plan. The legislation introduces work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks, reduces the Medicaid allocations for states like Colorado that provide coverage for undocumented mothers and children, and restricts states’ ability to fund their programs through provider taxes. It also includes delays to recent enrollment rule updates.
 
While the new Medicaid policies aren’t specific to behavioral health, and there are exemptions for people with serious mental illness and substance use disorder when it comes to work requirements, these shifts are still particularly concerning for Coloradans. In a state like ours where Medicaid enrollments are supported and processed by county offices, work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks would be enormously inefficient and would result in many more hours of work for counties, many more opportunities for unintended errors, more appeals, more phone calls, and massive delays for ALL Coloradans who are eligible for Medicaid.

Proposed FMAP cuts and provider tax restrictions threaten essential Medicaid services, including mental health and substance use disorder treatment, in Colorado. These changes could hinder providers’ ability to serve all individuals, as legally and ethically required, and the proposed $30 monthly cost-sharing would create a major barrier to care for their clients. Eliminating Colorado’s provider fee, which brings in $5.6 billion in federal Medicaid funds, would further undermine the state’s capacity to care for over 427,000 vulnerable residents. Given the state’s budget constraints, these funds cannot be replaced.

These changes carry the potential for profound and widespread implications for Medicaid beneficiaries, healthcare providers, and state budgets alike. Your voice is making a difference – the target for cuts has lowered as constituents and advocates speak out! There’s still time to make your voice heard even louder. Contact Colorado’s federal delegation today and express your own concerns about these Medicaid cuts and restrictions. Let them know the impact these changes will have on our communities, our healthcare providers, and the individuals who rely on Medicaid for essential care.

In addition to the concerning Medicaid legislation, another federal development poses a threat to behavioral healthcare in Colorado: HHS is restructuring, consolidating SAMHSA into a new “Administration for a Healthy America.” Colorado’s Attorney General has joined an 18-state lawsuit calling the reorganization of HHS “unlawful and harmful” due to potential disruption of essential health services. This follows a previous lawsuit where a Temporary Restraining Order halted an HHS grant funding clawback, offering temporary protection to Colorado mental health and substance use recovery organizations.

Given these significant federal shifts and their potential impact on behavioral healthcare access and funding in Colorado, stay informed and make your voice heard. Contact your federal representatives and schedule a meeting with them during the upcoming Memorial Day recess, May 27-June 1, when they’ll be back in the district to share your concerns about the HHS reorganization and Medicaid cuts, emphasizing the critical importance of maintaining and strengthening mental health and substance use services in our state. Your engagement can make a difference in protecting vital behavioral health support for Coloradans.

And just like that the 75th General Assembly has come to a close. This legislative session, our goal was to protect existing behavioral health resources and strengthen the safety net. Marked by a tight budget and a shifting federal landscape, this year’s session saw reordered priorities and uncertainties. All of this colored the session, limiting the number of major new behavioral health proposals.
 
Despite this challenging backdrop, a significant milestone was achieved with SB25-290 which creates a vital safety net provider stabilization fund. This new fund will consist of a minimum of $130 million, financed through a collaborative mix of public, private, and possible federal funds. CBHC and our partners in the Save Our Safety Net Coalition began developing this proposal last year in direct response to the alarming increase in uncompensated care faced by comprehensive behavioral health providers and safety net primary providers following the end of continuous Medicaid eligibility during the COVID public health emergency. This dedicated funding will provide immediate relief (effective in the fiscal year beginning July 1), helping these organizations continue to provide essential services to all Coloradans who show up at their door. The passage of this bill is particularly crucial given the uncertainty at the federal level, underscoring the importance of state-level action to safeguard our behavioral health infrastructure.
 
We are deeply grateful for SB25-290 and want to extend our sincere thanks to our champions in the legislature: Senators Kyle Mullica and Barbara Kirkmeyer and Representatives Shannon Bird and Kyle Brown. You can learn more about the impact of SB25-290 here.
 
Beyond SB25-290, other important successes for behavioral health included:

• HB25-1002 to increase parity by requiring health plans to use transparent methodologies for making medical necessity determinations for mental health and substance use treatment.  
• SB25-042, which among other things requires an inventory of existing alternative crisis response approaches (e.g., co-responders) around the state and an assessment of the reimbursement challenges to such programs. This information is vital to determining how and where to proliferate successful models.

Work continues in the planning phase for Colorado’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration grant, an important initiative aimed at expanding access to comprehensive behavioral healthcare in our state. Despite the broader uncertainties at the federal level, it’s important to note the continued federal commitment to the CCBHC model. CCBHCs have bipartisan support and are viewed as a vital and successful approach to delivering integrated behavioral healthcare. At this time, there is no indication that either Congress or the White House intends to pull back from the state demonstration grants that provide a four-year enhanced Medicaid match – the type of grant for which Colorado is applying. This stability at the federal level underscores the importance of the ongoing planning efforts in Colorado to expand access through the CCBHC model.
 
The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) and the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) have announced the members of the Steering Committee guiding the work of this important initiative. You can read their bios here. Steering committee meetings are open to the public for observation with time reserved for comments and questions. Meetings are held the last Monday of each month from 3pm-4pm on Zoom. You can register to attend here. 
 
Additionally, subcommittees are now formed and actively working on critical areas: Quality Measure Data Management, Certification and Provider Readiness, and Prospective Payment System and Finance. Like the steering committee, each subcommittee meets once a month, and registration is open to the public. You can find more information about the committees and registration here.

CBHC’s Annual Behavioral Health Conference Returns This Fall!

We’re excited to announce that registration is now open for CBHC’s 2025 Annual Behavioral Health Conference!

Join us September 17–20, 2025 in beautiful Breckenridge, Colorado for four days of connection, learning, and inspiration. This year’s theme—“Rooted in Resilience: Transforming Together”—celebrates the strength, adaptability, and innovation of Colorado’s behavioral health community.

🔹 Reserve your room: The hotel block is now open—book early to guarantee your stay.
🔹 Register today: Secure your spot and be part of the state’s largest behavioral health event of the year.

Visit cbhc.org/conference for details and updates. We can’t wait to see you there!

This award underscores CBHC’s commitment to building informed, compassionate, and resilient communities throughout Colorado.

For more information on the award and other recipients, visit the National Council’s announcement.