As Colorado lawmakers, health officials and others continue to take on the growing mental health crisis, the Behavioral Health Administration, of BHA, was started through the passage of House Bill 22-178 in 2022. The BHA is now a part of the state’s Department of Health Services.

The BHA is the state administration responsible for ensuring all people in Colorado have access to quality mental health and substance use disorder services, regardless of where they live, or ability to pay. BHA helps unite community groups and governmental agencies to design a behavioral health system for all people in Colorado that is easy to access and offers high-quality care that considers the whole person and their needs.

BHA impacts the behavioral health system by improving access to, and quality of, affordable care; reducing stigma so that the people of Colorado feel confident and comfortable seeking support and/or treatment for their mental health and substance use disorder; providing ways to find care that are free and confidential; engaging with diverse community groups and providers to expand services; and recruiting and retaining the workforce to support the people of Colorado.

According to the BHA website, BHA is responsible for:

? Leading and developing the state’s vision and strategy for behavioral health for children, youth, and adults.

? Establishing a behavioral health safety net system throughout the state that must include services for children, youth, and adults.

? Developing a statewide care coordination infrastructure

? Overseeing behavioral health providers across the state and ensuring those providers deliver high-quality care.

? Working with providers and organizations to ensure a range of innovative services are available at the right time and place for all people in Colorado to get the care they need.

? Expanding services and impact areas and people who have been historically underserved.

With several bills going through the 2024 legislative session at the state Capitol, Colorado Politics caught up with the BHA to discuss ongoing programs and needs.

Editor’s Note: Some answers were edited for clarity and grammar.

Colorado Politics: How much does it cost per year to manage the I Matter program, which is the subject of Senate Bill 24-001?

Behavioral Health Administration: The fiscal year 2023-24 budget is $5M for the program and $1M for marketing/outreach.

CP: Since the I Matter implementation how many children have been helped?

BHA: 10,899 individual youth have been served through December 2023.

CP: How important to keep the I Matter program going?

BHA: We know that both the cost of therapy and the process of enrolling in therapy can be a barrier that keeps youth from enrolling in therapy. I Matter provides free, high-quality therapy sessions that are easy to access. The enrollment process is simple – youth and their parents can visit IMatterColorado.org to take a confidential online survey about their mental health and schedule a therapy session with no diagnosis required.

CP: What obstacles has the department faced in getting the I Matter program going?

BHA: Some initial obstacles were finding a behavioral health vendor, identifying an appropriate online care platform, and locating enough clinicians to perform the work.

CP: What other mental health programs is the BHA managing?

BHA: BHA funds and/or manages contracts for mental health programs, including:

? 988: 988 Colorado’s mental health and substance use helpline that offers free, confidential support 24/7 through call-, text-, or chat-based support. People can connect with a trained 988 care specialist to get support when they are experiencing emotional distress or struggling with mental, behavioral health, or substance use challenges. BHA manages and oversees a contract with Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners to carry out the functions of 988.

? OwnPath: Recognizing that we are all striving for wellbeing, OwnPath provides individuals with a resource to begin their own path to wellness, no matter where in the journey they are. The searchable online directory allows people in Colorado to find behavioral health providers licensed by the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) and to search for specific services or use a guided search to identify providers or resources that best meet their needs. Searches can be narrowed by criteria such as location, days of operation, language support, payment types accepted, and more. OwnPath was created and is managed by BHA.

? Health Centers: BHA provides funding to community mental health centers to buy and provide mental health services to uninsured people.