More than 100,000 people received care at Colorado’s community mental health centers and clinics last year, and that’s just one of many new insights that can be easily found in the state’s new online data hub on mental health.
Other data on the new website includes that Colorado has about 400 beds available at substance use disorder treatment facilities and that more than 50,000 Coloradans received state-funded substance use treatment last year.
The data hub was launched Monday by Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration, a relatively new department of state government and part of the Department of Human Resources Services, whose mission is to “foster coordination and collaboration among state agencies to address behavioral health needs.”
“We’re very excited about the information and centralizing it,” said Kristen Lara, the agency’s director of technology and data.
A county-by-county map shows how many Coloradans receive publicly funded mental health services.
Lara said the department will provide more information on its website soon about helping Colorado youth access mental health services.
“Following the launch of the Performance Hub, an area we hope to focus on further in the coming months is additional information on how to support children in terms of accessing advanced medical care,” Lara said.
“We’re trying to create a system that works for all Coloradans,” said Mark Kondojani, interim director of statewide programs, innovation and technical assistance. “And one of the best ways to do that is to look at the data and understand what it’s telling us.”
He said having easy access to state data “will allow the public to see the picture, ask us the tough questions and allow us to work toward a better state, a better behavioral health system, which is what we’re expected to drive.”
The Colorado Department of Behavioral Health itself was launched two years ago, tasked by state lawmakers with reforming the state’s behavioral health care system. The department was created at a time when Colorado was facing unprecedented behavioral health challenges after the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, including rising overdose and fentanyl deaths, a youth mental health crisis, and one of the highest suicide rates in the country.
The BHA was established after the province invested $450 million in mental health services using federal COVID relief funds.
The department also identified five priorities for launching the Performance Hub: Other priorities include increasing transparency in the complaint process, reforming and strengthening the behavioral safety net, and coordinating and improving access to support for Coloradans seeking help.
“The launch and phased implementation of the five priorities lays further groundwork in the foundation of transformation of the behavioral health system that BHA is responsible for serving Coloradans,” BHA Commissioner Danette R. Smith said in the release. “In both the short and long term, these are steps that will make tangible difference in our communities. In the coming months, we look forward to 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.”
The governor appointed Smith as the new BHA commissioner in February, replacing his predecessor who resigned after about a year in the job.
The agency announced that Smith and the BHA team will host “community conversations” across the state later this summer. The listening sessions will give Coloradans an opportunity to share their concerns and challenges with agency leadership and learn more about BHA’s work. BHA plans to announce more details in early August.
