Last year, about 112,000 Colorado residents received publicly funded community mental health services.
The Colorado Department of Behavioral Health provided this data point, along with several other facts and figures showing the state’s progress in addressing the mental health crisis through a new hub that opened July 1.
The data hub was launched two years after the department was tasked with reforming the state’s behavioral health care system.
Last week, the BHA announced how the public can find out what has been achieved so far, how many people have been helped and what services are available across the state.
The hub offers several data points, including a breakdown of how many people received public services by county, showing that more than 100,000 people received services statewide, with 14,900 people receiving assistance in Denver and more than 7,000 people seeking assistance in El Paso County last year.
Addressing the state’s mental health crisis became a priority for several organizations and the state Legislature after the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already brewing crisis. At one point, Children’s Hospital Colorado declared a state of emergency after seeing a significant increase in young people arriving at its emergency room for mental health crises and suicide attempts.
In response, state legislatures passed several laws aimed at funding and improving public mental health services and required BHAs to oversee programs and track progress.
The new data hub also tracked how many people received “substance abuse disorder care” in 2023. The data showed that 51,029 Colorado residents participated in substance abuse assistance programs. For a county-by-county breakdown, the state’s website shows how many people received substance abuse assistance per 1,000 residents.
In launching the site, the department identified five priorities it believes will help Coloradans find quality, affordable behavioral health care.
“The launch and phased implementation of our five priorities further strengthens the foundation for transforming the behavioral health system at BHA on behalf of Coloradans,” said BHA Commissioner Danette R. Smith. “These are steps that will make a tangible difference in our communities, both in the short and long term.”
“In the coming months, we will be traveling around the state to share more about these priorities and invite residents into the process as we continue to learn about the behavioral health challenges facing Coloradans,” Smith said.
The top five priorities are:
• Launch and continue the BHA Performance Hub, which will serve as an information bank on the current state of behavioral health care access in Colorado.
• Increased transparency and timeliness of behavioral health complaint and grievance processes.
• Strengthening and reforming behavioral health safety net systems and ensuring delivery of services to vulnerable and high-need populations.
• Strengthening the coordination system established by the BHA to support people who have received mandatory mental health certification and require ongoing treatment.
• Improving access to the Children and Youth Action Youth Implementation Plan
