CBHC Applauds Colorado’s Selection as a CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration State

Date: May 29, 2026
Media Contact: Brittany Langevin, Administrative Director, CBHC | blangevin@cbhc.org | 720-573-9366

The Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council (CBHC) welcomes the announcement that Colorado has been selected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), as one of the nation’s newest Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration states.

This designation represents a transformational milestone for Colorado’s behavioral health system and reflects sustained collaboration and commitment from state leaders, providers, advocates, and community partners dedicated to improving access to high-quality behavioral health care for all Coloradans. Colorado’s selection follows years of preparation, including enabling legislation, a SAMHSA planning grant, a statewide learning collaborative, and a formal Medicaid demonstration application developed in close partnership among state agencies, providers, advocates, and community stakeholders.

The demonstration will allow Colorado to move toward a more integrated and sustainable Medicaid financing structure that supports comprehensive community-based behavioral health care. For individuals and families, that means stronger crisis response systems, improved care coordination, expanded access to mental health and substance use treatment, and a more stable behavioral health safety net.

CBHC extends deep appreciation to both the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) and the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) for their leadership and partnership in helping Colorado achieve this opportunity. Their commitment to advancing a more coordinated, sustainable, and person-centered behavioral health system has positioned Colorado to take this important next step forward. CBHC also thanks Colorado’s congressional delegation, SAMHSA, CMS, and HHS for their continued commitment to expanding access to community-based behavioral health care nationwide.

“Colorado’s community behavioral health providers have spent years preparing for this moment,” said Kara Johnson-Hufford, Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council. “The demonstration gives us an opportunity to strengthen the behavioral health safety net while building a financing model that better supports access, accountability, quality, and long-term sustainability. At its core, this model is about ensuring individuals and families can access the services they need when they need them, regardless of diagnosis, geography, or ability to pay.”

CCBHCs are designed to provide comprehensive mental health and substance use disorder services through an integrated, community-based model of care. The demonstration supports sustainable Medicaid financing structures that better align financing with the comprehensive services and accountability expected of community behavioral health safety-net providers, including crisis response, care coordination, outpatient treatment, and recovery supports.

“This announcement is exciting not only because of what it means for providers and systems, but because of what it means for the people and families we collectively serve every day,” Johnson-Hufford added. “Colorado has an extraordinary opportunity to continue advancing a behavioral health system that is responsive, equitable, sustainable, and centered on the needs of individuals and communities. The work ahead is implementation, and CBHC is ready to partner on every piece of it.”

About CBHC

The Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council (CBHC) is the statewide membership association of Colorado’s community behavioral health providers. CBHC members serve individuals and families across the behavioral health continuum, including mental health and substance use disorder treatment, crisis response, recovery services, and integrated care supports throughout Colorado. CBHC’s membership includes providers actively preparing to participate in the CCBHC Demonstration as Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.