Colorado § 25-20.5-1302 - Community behavioral health disaster preparedness and response program - creation - department duties - rules.

§ 25-20.5-1302. Community behavioral health disaster preparedness and response program - creation - department duties - rules.

(1) Subject to available appropriations, the department shall implement the community behavioral health disaster preparedness and response program using existing initiatives and activities to ensure that behavioral health is adequately represented within disaster preparedness and response efforts across the state.

(2) The program is intended to enhance, support, and formalize behavioral health disaster preparedness and response activities conducted by community behavioral health organizations; except that the activities must not replace or supersede any disaster plans prepared or maintained by a local or interjurisdictional emergency management agency, as established in section 24-33.5-707. The activities may include but are not limited to:

(a) Preparedness activities, such as:

(I) Risk assessment, hazard vulnerability assessments, and disaster planning;

(II) Development of policies and procedures for disaster preparedness and response planning;

(III) Implementing disaster communication plans;

(IV) Training on and practicing existing disaster preparedness and response plans; and

(V) Engaging with local and state partners for disaster preparedness and medical surge planning;

(b) Response activities, such as:

(I) Coordination and response with local and state partners;

(II) Supporting emergency functions, such as health and medical resource requests for behavioral health services;

(III) Triaging psychological or psycho-social care for affected individuals;

(IV) Providing immediate and ongoing support and care for individuals in crisis impacted by emergencies and disasters, including professionals who respond to emergencies and disasters and others on the scene of such incidences; and

(V) Providing ongoing follow-up, referrals, and services for affected individuals; and

(c) Recovery activities, such as:

(I) Providing ongoing debriefing opportunities for affected individuals and communities; and

(II) Maintaining connections to ongoing care for affected individuals.

(3) The department shall:

(a) Promulgate rules as necessary for the oversight and management of the program, including allowable uses for funding allocated from the community behavioral health disaster preparedness and response cash fund created in section 25-20.5-1303. The rules promulgated pursuant to this subsection (3)(a) must encourage geographic and socioeconomic diversity of providers.

(b) Work collaboratively with community behavioral health organizations, including community mental health centers, to:

(I) Develop and monitor the expected duties and responsibilities of response coordinators;

(II) Develop measures for preparedness capabilities and a methodology for reporting on outcomes of utilized funding and report on the outcomes of utilized funding to the general assembly, as necessary; and

(III) Decide on and annually review and update, if necessary, allowable uses for the community behavioral health disaster preparedness and response cash fund created in section 25-20.5-1303;

(c) Create, define, and publish eligibility criteria for community behavioral health organizations to participate in the program, which at a minimum must consider capabilities and capacity in the following programmatic elements:

(I) Service capacity;

(II) Planning;

(III) Response strike team availability;

(IV) Training; and

(V) Culturally and linguistically appropriate services; and

(d) Provide funding to community behavioral health organizations on an annual or as-needed basis for the activities outlined in subsection (2) of this section; except that funding must not be provided to reimburse expenses incurred prior to June 28, 2021.

Source: L. 2021: Entire part added, (HB 21-1281), ch. 361, p. 2357, § 2, effective June 28. L. 2022: IP(2) amended, (HB 22-1278), ch. 222, p. 1593, § 230, effective July 1, 2024.