Colorado § 27-60-502 - Behavioral health-care continuum gap grant program - established - rules.

§ 27-60-502. Behavioral health-care continuum gap grant program - established - rules.

(1) (a) There is established in the behavioral health administration the behavioral health-care continuum gap grant program to provide grants to local governments, community-based organizations, and nonprofit organizations for programs and services along the behavioral health-care continuum in areas of highest need, including children-oriented, youth-oriented, and family-oriented behavioral health-care services.

(b) (I) The behavioral health administration shall administer the grant program. The BHA shall create a grant application process and make the process publicly available on its website prior to accepting applications. The BHA shall begin accepting grant applications no later than December 31, 2022.

(II) The BHA shall provide grant application support to an applicant, upon request, from a grant application writing professional who is independent from the grant program.

(III) In connection with the review of grant applications and awards, the BHA shall solicit input from a diverse stakeholder group that reflects the geographic and demographic diversity of the entire state, including members from rural and urban areas, and members of diverse racial, disability, and cultural groups and of diverse sexual orientations and genders.

(c) The BHA shall develop a behavioral health-care services assessment tool to identify regional gaps in behavioral health and substance use disorder services, underserved populations, and unmet behavioral health needs on the behavioral health-care service continuum. The BHA shall make the assessment tool publicly available on its website prior to accepting applications for a grant pursuant to this part 5. The BHA shall make technical assistance available to eligible entities that need assistance using the assessment tool.

(d) In administering the grant program, the BHA may award the following types of grants:

(I) Community investment grants, as described in subsection (2) of this section, to address identified local behavioral health-care needs along the continuum of behavioral health care, including services for adults or families with acute, complex, or severe conditions and needs; and

(II) Children, youth, and family services grants, as described in subsection (3) of this section, to expand children-oriented, youth-oriented, and family-oriented behavioral health-care services to address identified local behavioral health-care needs along the continuum of behavioral health care, including services for children, youth, and families with acute, complex, or severe conditions and needs.

(2) Community investment grants.

(a) As part of the grant program, the BHA shall award grants to invest in and address identified behavioral health-care needs in the grant applicant's community.

(b) A community-based organization, local government, federally recognized Indian tribe, or nonprofit organization is eligible for a community investment grant.

(c) (I) A community investment grant award must be used:

(A) For evidence-based or evidence-informed services along the behavioral health-care continuum, including prevention, treatment, crisis services, recovery, harm reduction, care navigation and coordination, trauma recovery, trauma-informed training, training on providing services in a culturally responsive manner, transitional housing, supportive housing, and recovery homes;

(B) For capital expenditures related to providing evidence-based or evidence-informed services, which may include the creation or redesign of mental health inpatient beds, emergency room beds for mental health crisis patients, outpatient mental health beds, and step-down facilities connected with a hospital;

(C) To expand capacity for existing treatment, programs, or services within the grant recipient's jurisdiction or service area; and

(D) For a new capital construction project that has progressed through the design review process, has obtained approval for applicable development and building permits, provides access to multiple critical services in one central location within the community served, is easily accessible by first responders and community members, and demonstrates strong community support.

(II) A grant recipient that is a primary care provider, withdrawal management provider, outpatient substance use treatment provider, or hospital may use a grant award to create a program commonly known as "treatment on demand" to prepare providers to offer same-day access to initiate medication-assisted treatment, substance use counseling, peer support, and navigation services. As part of a treatment-on-demand program, a grant award may be used for:

(A) Technical assistance to redesign access and improve efficiencies that would make treatment accessible on a same-day basis, including education of providers on determination of levels of care as described by the American Society of Addiction Medicine;

(B) Developing protocols and credentialing providers to initiate psychopharmacological treatments; or

(C) Recruiting and training peer support professionals to act as navigators and advocates for individuals and developing partnerships across levels of care to facilitate transfers of care from hospital and withdrawal management programs to ongoing treatment.

(3) Children, youth, and family services grants.

(a) As part of the grant program, the BHA shall award children, youth, and family services grants to expand children-oriented, youth-oriented, and family-oriented behavioral health-care services with the goal of establishing a care access point in each behavioral health administrative services region.

(b) A community-based organization; local government; federally recognized Indian tribe; local collaborative management programs, as described in section 24-1.9-102; local juvenile services planning committee created pursuant to section 19-2.5-302; or nonprofit organization is eligible for a children, youth, and family services grant.

(c) A children, youth, and family services grant award may be used for:

(I) Establishing and operating a children-oriented, youth-oriented, and family-oriented care access point that is physically connected to a family resource center, as defined in section 26-18-102, or a facility that provides behavioral health-care treatment;

(II) Children-oriented, youth-oriented, and family-oriented behavioral health-care navigation and coordination services;

(III) Expanding evidence-based or evidence-informed behavioral health-care treatment, including substance use disorder treatment, for children, youth, and families;

(IV) Intensive outpatient services, including high-fidelity wraparound youth mobile response and expanded caregiver interventions; and

(V) Capital expenditures related to providing the treatment and services described in this subsection (3)(c).

Source: L. 2022: Entire part added, (HB 22-1281), ch. 182, p. 1213, § 2, effective May 18. L. 2024: (2)(c)(I) amended, (HB 24-1176), ch. 251, p. 1660, § 1, effective May 24.