DENVER (KKTV) – Colorado has been selected as one of 10 new states to participate in the next cohort of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration Program, authorized under the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Officials from the state’s department of health care and behavioral health administration said the designation marks a major milestone in Colorado’s ongoing work to build a more integrated, sustainable and high-quality behavioral health system.
CCBHCs are community-based behavioral health clinics that meet certain federal standards, such as providing 24/7 crisis care, timely outpatient services and care coordination, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay, officials said. This supports statewide efforts to improve timely access to quality mental health and substance use disorder services.
Officials said participation in the demonstration program is expected to deliver significant benefits for Colorado’s behavioral health system, including:
Expanded access and stronger systems: The CCBHC model standardizes quality expectations, strengthens crisis and care coordination infrastructure, and increases access to comprehensive behavioral health services statewide.Strategic alignment with national standards: CCBHC programs are standardized across the nation and provide an opportunity to align the state’s behavioral health safety net with federal best practices that have improved care and access for people with behavioral health needs.Enhanced federal funding support: For the next four years, Colorado will receive about a 15 percent increase in federal funding match for services in a CCBHC.
“This partnership is about more than just funding; it’s about a shared commitment to ensuring every person, regardless of income or circumstance, has access to timely, high-quality mental health and substance use services.”
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