Bills seeking to pour $450 million into Colorado’s behavioral health system are steadily advancing with only a month left in this year’s legislative session.

Gov. Jared Polis and other state leaders gathered at the Capitol Thursday to tout progress toward making the state’s single largest investment to expand access to behavioral health care, thanks to one-time funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

“We want to make sure that there’s a system that’s easy to access to get help, and for too long it just hasn’t been that way,” Polis said. “We have a tremendous opportunity to transform how Colorado meets the needs of our residents to make sure that everybody can thrive.”

These efforts come as Colorado has been named one of the worst states in the U.S. for mental illness and access to care – issues only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mental Health America’s 2022 report ranked Colorado last for adult mental health, with the sixth-highest prevalence of mental illness, second-highest prevalence of substance use disorder and fourth-highest prevalence of people unable to receive mental health treatment.

In 2020, Colorado had the seventh-highest rate of suicide deaths in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That same year, the state saw its most ever recorded deaths due to drug overdoses with 1,477 Coloradans killed, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

“I know firsthand what it’s like to struggle with your mental health. … Sometimes it takes everything you have, like right now, to keep yourself together,” said Sen. Chris Kolker, D-Centennial, who is sponsoring two of the behavioral health bills, Senate Bill 147 and House Bill 1243. “This issue isn’t going anywhere, in fact, it’s only getting worse. We need to get our arms around this crisis.”

Speakers at Thursday’s press conferences highlighted three of the most significant behavioral health measures lawmakers are considering this session: Senate Bill 147, House Bill 1281 and House Bill 1302.

HB-1281 aims to invest $90 million in grants for community-based behavioral health programs for families and youth. HB-1302 would provide $35 million in grants to increase access to mental health and substance use disorder screening and treatment. SB-147 would fund behavioral health services for children by directing more than $11 million to different programs, including school-based care.

“This is an urgent matter of life and death,” said Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver, who is sponsoring HB-1281. “This will boost access to substance use disorder treatment, residential and outpatient services and ensure that more Coloradans have access to the care that they need to thrive.”

All three of Thursday’s bills enjoy bipartisan sponsorship and support.

HB-1281 unanimously passed its first committee vote Tuesday. SB-147 unanimously passed its final Senate floor vote Monday and the House is now considering it. HB-1302 passed its first committee last month with a 10-1 vote.

“Mental illness doesn’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat,” said Rep. Perry Will, R-New Castle, who is sponsoring HB-1302. “Western slope communities have really struggled for some time for access to mental health care. We don’t have enough providers or clinics. Some folks out in rural Colorado have to travel long distances to get the help they need.”

Other bills under the $450 million package include legislation to create in-home and residential care for kids, build more than 100 additional beds for adult residential care and establish a behavioral health facility for the Southern Ute Tribal Nation.

Though these bills are all but certain to be signed into law by May 11, experts warned that Colorado still has a long way to go to address the issues in its behavioral health system.

Vincent Atchity, president of Mental Health Colorado, said efforts by the state government to improve conditions in the near future are little solace to Coloradans who are struggling today. However, he said, the bill package is a massive step towards potentially achieving systemic relief in the coming months or years.

“We have great cause for optimism,” Atchity said. “Never before have we taken so many significant steps in the right direction at the same time. … We are on our way to building a better future.”