1. (1) No later than July 1, 2024, the state department, in collaboration with the behavioral health administration, and the department of human services pursuant to article 64.5 of title 27, shall begin developing a system of care for children and youth who have complex behavioral health needs. At a minimum, the system of care must include:

   1. (a) Implementation of a standardized assessment tool that:

      1. (I) Expands upon and modifies the assessment tool described in section 19-1-115 (4)(e)(I);
      2. (II) Makes recommendations regarding the appropriate level of care necessary to meet the child's or youth's treatment needs;
      3. (III) Informs the child's or youth's treatment planning, including behavioral health programming and medical needs; and
      4. (IV) Is administered to children and youth who are enrolled in the medical assistance program or any child or youth who meets the referral requirements established by the behavioral health administration pursuant to article 64.5 of title 27;
   2. (b) Intensive-care coordination for children and youth enrolled in the medical assistance program;
   3. (c) Expanded supportive services for children and youth pursuant to subsection (4) of this section; and
   4. (d) Expanded access to treatment foster care, as defined in section 26-6-903, pursuant to subsection (5) of this section.

2. (2)

   1. (a) The state department shall convene a leadership team that is responsible for advising and reviewing the development and operation of the system of care for children and youth who have complex behavioral health needs.

   2. (b) The leadership team consists of the following members:

      1. (I) The executive director of the state department, or the executive director's designee;
      2. (II) The executive director of the department of human services, or the executive director's designee;
      3. (III) The commissioner of the behavioral health administration in the department of human services, or the commissioner's designee;
      4. (IV) The executive director of the department of public health and environment, or the executive director's designee;
      5. (V) The commissioner of the department of education, or the commissioner's designee;
      6. (VI) The executive director of the department of early childhood, or the executive director's designee;
      7. (VII) The commissioner of the division of insurance in the department of regulatory agencies, or the commissioner's designee;
      8. (VIII) One county commissioner, or the county commissioner's designee, from the eastern region, the front range region, the mountain region, the southern region, and the western region, as designated by the statewide organization that represents county commissioners;
      9. (IX) One county commissioner at large, or a county commissioner's designee;
      10. (X) One director of a county department of human or social services at large, or the director's designee, as designated by the statewide organization that represents county department of human or social services directors;
      11. (XI) One or more families or individuals with lived experience using children's or youth's behavioral health services, appointed by the commissioner of the behavioral health administration; and
      12. (XII) One or more representatives from a consumer advocacy organization, appointed by the commissioner of the behavioral health administration.

   3. (c) The leadership team has the following duties and responsibilities:

      1. (I) To evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the state department in the development of the system of care for children and youth with complex behavioral health needs;
      2. (II) To review and advise on the strategic direction of the development of the system of care; and
      3. (III) To review and comment on the state department's fiscal development and oversight of the system of care.

3. (3)

   1. (a) The state department shall convene an implementation team that shall create a plan utilizing the recommendations from the leadership team, as appropriate, to implement the system of care for children and youth who have complex behavioral health needs.

   2. (b) The implementation team consists of the following members:

      1. (I) The executive director of the state department, or the executive director's designee;
      2. (II) The executive director of the department of human services, or the executive director's designee;
      3. (III) The commissioner of the behavioral health administration in the department of human services, or the commissioner's designee;
      4. (IV) The executive director of the department of public health and environment, or the executive director's designee;
      5. (V) The commissioner of the department of education, or the commissioner's designee;
      6. (VI) The executive director of the department of early childhood, or the executive director's designee;
      7. (VII) The commissioner of the division of insurance in the department of regulatory agencies, or the commissioner's designee;
      8. (VIII) One or more county commissioners, as designated by the statewide organization that represents county commissioners;
      9. (IX) One or more directors of a county department of human or social services, or the director's designee, as designated by the statewide organization that represents county department of human or social services directors;
      10. (X) One or more families or individuals with lived experience using children's or youth's behavioral health services, appointed by the commissioner of the behavioral health administration;
      11. (XI) One or more representatives from a consumer advocacy organization, appointed by the commissioner of the behavioral health administration;
      12. (XII) A representative of the statewide association that represents child welfare agencies, appointed by the director of the association;
      13. (XIII) A representative of the statewide association that represents hospitals, appointed by the director of the association; and
      14. (XIV) A representative of the statewide association that represents comprehensive behavioral health providers, appointed by the director of the association.
4. (4) No later than January 1, 2025, the state department shall seek federal authorization to expand the residential child health-care program established pursuant to section 25.5-6-903 to include children and youth who have a serious emotional disturbance that puts the child or youth at risk or in need of out-of-home placement.
5. (5) No later than January 1, 2025, the state department shall develop and implement a plan to increase access to treatment foster care, as defined in section 26-6-903, under the state medical assistance program.
6. (6) The state department may promulgate rules in consultation with the behavioral health administration and the department of human services for the administration and implementation of the system of care for children and youth.

7. (7)

   1. (a) No later than January 1, 2025, the department of health care policy and financing shall contract with a third-party vendor to complete an actuarial analysis in order to determine the appropriate medicaid reimbursement rate for psychiatric residential treatment facilities, as defined in section 25.5-4-103.
   2. (b) Beginning January 2025, and each quarter thereafter, the state department shall report progress on the development and implementation of the system of care developed pursuant to this section to the joint budget committee, the implementation team, the leadership team, the senate health and human services committee, and the house of representatives health and human services committee. The report required by this subsection (7)(b) must include the rationale for any recommendation from the leadership team that the department elects not to implement.

   3. (7.5)

      1. (a) The state department, in collaboration with the behavioral health administration established in section 27-50-102, shall establish the workforce capacity center to train providers in evidence-based or supported models as part of the system of care for children and youth described in subsection (1) of this section, including training on high-fidelity wraparound for children and youth pursuant to part 1 of article 62 of title 27, intensive in-home treatment models, and other interventions.
      2. (b) The workforce capacity center must assist providers in maintaining ongoing training to ensure interventions are applied accurately.

      3. (c) The workforce capacity center is responsible for:

         1. (I) Developing the trainings for providers;
         2. (II) Conducting the trainings;
         3. (III) Covering the costs incurred by providers completing the trainings; and
         4. (IV) Providing ongoing technical assistance for providers across the state of Colorado while participating in training.

      4. (d)

         1. (I) In the quarterly report to the joint budget committee required pursuant to subsection (7)(b) of this section, the state department shall include updates on the work of the workforce capacity center. The report must include key milestones for startup activities, what trainings are offered, the number of trainings being provided each month, the number and type of certifications earned by providers as a result of the trainings, the number of certified providers enrolled as medicaid providers, and the locations where those certified providers practice.
         2. (II) In the quarterly report submitted to the joint budget committee in January 2027, the state department shall include an analysis of the workforce capacity center's work that includes an overview of the impact of the workforce capacity center and a recommendation on the continuation, reduction, or closure of the center.
      5. (e) This subsection (7.5) is repealed, effective July 1, 2027.
8. (8) As used in this section, child or youth means an individual who is less than twenty-one years of age.

Source: L. 2024: Entire part added, (HB 24-1038), ch. 459, p. 3174, § 1, effective June 6. L. 2025: (7.5) added, (SB 25-292), ch. 297, p. 1520, § 1, effective May 30; (2)(a), (2)(c)(II), (2)(c)(III), (3)(a), and (7)(b) amended, (HB 25-1213), ch. 276, p. 1439, § 9, effective August 6.

CHILDREN'S BASIC HEALTH PLAN