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Children's Habilitation Residential Program Waiver (CHRP)

A waiver is an extra set of Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid program) benefits that you could qualify for in certain cases. These benefits can help you remain in your home and community. Waivers have extra program rules and some programs may have waitlists.

The Children's Habilitation Residential Program (CHRP) waiver provides services for children and youth who have an intellectual or developmental disability and very high needs. Their needs for support put them at risk of, or in need of, out-of-home placement. Waiver services help children and youth learn and maintain the skills needed to live in their communities.

Children who receive services through the CHRP waiver are also eligible for all Health First Colorado covered services as long as they are not duplicative.

View the full text of the CHRP waiver and Waiver Lifecycle

Read about the CHRP Waiver Expansion

Who Qualifies?

Level of Care

  • Children must meet Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID) level of care which is determined by the Functional Needs Assessment (ICF/IID services are defined in the Code of Federal Regulations: 42 CFR § 440.150)

Eligibility Group

  • Your child is aged 0-20 years old
  • Your child has an intellectual or developmental disability or developmental delay if under age five (5) and has intensive behavioral or medical support needs that put them at risk or in need of out-of-home placement

View brochure in Spanish and other resources >

View CHRP Waiver Brochure
Children's Habilitation Residential Program Waiver Brochure

Benefits and Services

(* = These services are not billed separately but under the habilitation services and are part of residential services)

How to Apply

If you have questions about this waiver, or to learn more about how to apply, contact your local Case Management Agency or the Member Contact Center.

CHRP Waiver Expansion

House Bill 24-1038 addresses the need for residential care for children and youth with complex behavioral and mental health needs.  This act specifies that by January 1, 2025, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) shall seek federal authorization to expand the child residential health care program to include children and youth who have a serious emotional disturbance which puts the child or youth at risk or in need of out-of-home placement.

The intention of this change to the CHRP waiver is to include Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) within the CHRP targeting criteria for waiver eligibility.  Children/youth must meet the nursing facility or an inpatient psychiatric hospital level of care.  There will be no changes to CHRP waiver services or providers and this change creates alignment between HCPF, the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), and the Department of Human Services (CDHS) in serving high-acuity youth.

The proposed waiver addition of the definition of Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED) is: “Child with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED)” means a child or adolescent that has a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder, which: 

  • (1) has been diagnosed through the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; The DC 0 to 5; or the
    International Classification of Diseases by a licensed mental health professional, and 
  • (2) has experienced functional impairments, which interfere with the child’s functioning in family, social relationships, school or community, and 
  • (3) experienced an emotional disturbance over the past 12 months prior to application on a continuous or intermittent basis, as determined and documented by a licensed mental health professional. 

SED shall not include substance-related disorders, or primary conditions or problems classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual as “other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention.”

HCPF anticipates this eligibility expansion to increase CHRP enrollments by 22 members in FY 2024-25, with an increased cost of $1,500,000. It is estimated that with these newly eligible individuals enrolling in the CHRP waiver, there will be a decrease in State Plan services utilized, with a savings of $91,000 in FY 2024-25. Because of the identified gap in eligibility this eligibility expansion is being implemented in an effort to help close that gap and inaction would result in decreased access for eligible waiver members.

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