Crisis Services

For Members

No matter what you’re going through, help is available. Call 988 or Colorado Crisis Services at 844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255. Learn more at Colorado Crisis Services.

Health First Colorado offers a range of Behavioral Health Services. If you need information about your coverage, check out our member web page or contact the member call center at 1-800-221-3943 / State Relay: 711

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) partners with several state agencies to support the behavioral health continuum of care in Colorado. Learn more about the crisis continuum.

Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) benefits cover a range of services when members are experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Members get support and care from the time they make a call for help to the return trip home from a facility.

A behavioral health crisis can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. HCPF covers services so that Health First Colorado members have someone to talk to, someone to meet with in-person, a place to go, and transportation to get there.

Helpful Definitions

“Behavioral Health” means a person’s mental and emotional well-being and actions that affect their overall wellness. Behavioral health issues and disorders include substance use disorders, serious psychological distress, suicidal ideation, and other mental health disorders, and can range from unhealthy stress to diagnosable and treatable diseases. The term “behavioral health” is also used to describe systems that promote emotional health and provide prevention and treatment services for mental health and substance use disorders.

“Behavioral Health Crisis” means a significant disruption in a person’s mental or emotional stability or functioning that needs immediate assessment and treatment to prevent a further or serious deterioration in the person’s mental or physical health.

For Providers

As a Health First Colorado crisis services provider, you have the opportunity to support members experiencing a behavioral health crisis, which is a vital public service to ensure healthy communities. Please see the crisis services provider webpage for more information.

Forums

To engage with HCPF benefits within the behavioral health crisis continuum, please note the following opportunities:

HCPF Crisis Services Monthly Open Office Hours is an informal, unrecorded meeting where stakeholders can ask questions and troubleshoot issues about Health First Colorado benefits. The meetings occur on the second Tuesday of each month from 11 a.m. to noon. Register in advance for this meeting.

Crisis Services Bi-Monthly Technical Assistance Collaborative Meeting is a formal, recorded session where HCPF, the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) can provide updates and engage with stakeholders. The next session will be held on December 21, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will occur every other month on the fourth Thursday. Register in advance for this meeting.

For Members

Helpful Definitions

For Providers

Forums

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