Residential Child Care Facilities
What is a Residential Child Care Facility?
A Residential Child Care Facility is a 24-hour residential facility where children and youth live together with, or are supervised by, adults other than their parents or relatives. These children do not require inpatient psychiatric care, but sometimes require mental health services.
What services does Health First Colorado cover in a Residential Child Care Facility?
Health First Colorado (Colorado's Medicaid Program) covers individualized behavioral health services for children and youth who require a Residential Child Care Facility level of care. Services include psychological testing, individual, family, and group psychotherapy, and medication management. Health First Colorado does not cover the cost of room and board in these facilities.
Who is eligible?
Any Health First Colorado-eligible child or youth between the ages of 3-21 with a mental health diagnosis is eligible to receive mental health services in a Residential Child Care Facility.
How does a client access these services?
A Health First Colorado-eligible child or youth may be referred to a Residential Child Care Facility by private citizens (including family), social services, community mental health centers (CMHCs), or behavioral health organizations (BHOs). Referred clients will have access to behavioral health services once an assessment is done and the client is found to have a diagnosis that requires these services.
How can a facility provide care to Health First Colorado clients as a Residential Child Care Facility?
Residential Child Care Facilities must be licensed and monitored by the Colorado Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Child Care. For more information, please visit the licensing section on the Colorado Department of Human Services website. Facilities must enroll as Health First Colorado providers to provide individualized behavioral health services to Health First Colorado clients in Residential Child Care Facilities.
Program Contacts
Department of Health Care Policy and Financing:
Christina Winship
Department of Human Services:
Dennis Desparrois
303-866-3632
Laurie Burney
(303) 866-3632