The Colorado Legislature passed House Bill 22-1302 in May 2022 with the goal of supporting, improving, and expanding integrated behavioral health services in Colorado. Through distribution of funds allocated by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Department) received $31 million in funding for integrated behavioral health services in primary care settings. Short-term grant funding will be offered to physical and behavioral health care providers expanding access to care and treatment for mental health and substance use disorders using an evidence-based integrated care model.
Permissible use of grant funding includes projects designed to:
- Develop infrastructure for primary care, pediatric, and behavioral health professionals to better serve individuals with behavioral health needs in outpatient health care settings;
- Increase access to quality health care for individuals with behavioral health needs;
- Expand early intervention tactics that reduce escalation and exacerbation of behavioral health conditions;
- Address the shortage of the behavioral health care workforce;
- Develop and implement alternative payment models, including protocols, processes, workflow, and partnerships;
- Support for small capital expenditures, including IT and data-sharing technology;
- Train primary care and behavioral health providers in trauma-informed care, adverse childhood experiences, and trauma recovery.
The Department will consider applicants of varying sizes. Those selected for the project must, at a minimum, meet the following requirements:
- Demonstrate a commitment to serve Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) members within the community throughout the grant period and beyond.
- Be licensed or authorized to practice in Colorado as an adult or child mental health or primary care provider, obstetrics/gynecology provider, pediatric outpatient care provider, or community behavioral health provider serving adult and/or child and adolescent populations;
- Exhibit cultural competency in outreach, case management, and care coordination.
Learn more and find out how you can apply by reviewing the grant fact sheet.
Project Timeline
- Steering Committee Meeting: February 10, 2023, 11 am -12:30 pm
- Public Webinar #1: February 14, 2023, 12 - 1 pm
- Public Webinar #2: February 15, 2023 6 - 7 pm
- Draft of Request for Applications Posted: February 16
- Request for Applications Open for Public Comment: February 27, 2023
- Request for Applications Release: March 22, 2023
- Submission Deadline: April 26, 2023
- Project and Award Announcement: June 1, 2023
- Contracting and Pre-Grant Training: June - July 2023
- Funding Distribution: August 1, 2023
- Award Period: August 1, 2023 - December 30, 2026
Resources
- Lexicon for Behavioral Health and Primary Care Integration: Concepts and Definitions Developed by Expert Consensus
- The Building Blocks of Behavioral Health Integration-Farley Center Practice Innovation Program
- The Colorado Blueprint for Promoting Integrated Care Sustainability-The Colorado Health Foundation
- Collaborative Care Implementation Guide-AIMS Center, University of Washington
Stay Informed
Ask a question or make a suggestion by emailing the project team at hcpf_integratedcare@state.co.us.