Colorado § 28-5-714 - Veterans mental health services program - community behavioral health program grants - rules - definitions.

§ 28-5-714. Veterans mental health services program - community behavioral health program grants - rules - definitions.

(1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Armed forces" means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard of the United States.

(b) "Behavioral health administration" or "BHA" means the behavioral health administration in the department of human services established pursuant to section 27-50-102.

(c) "Division" means the division of veterans affairs in the department of military and veterans affairs.

(d) "Eligible veteran" means a veteran, as defined in section 28-5-100.3, who lives in a veterans community living center, as defined in section 26-12-102.

(e) "Health-care professional" means:

(I) A licensed psychiatrist regulated pursuant to article 240 of title 12;

(II) A licensed psychologist or psychologist candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;

(III) A licensed social worker, licensed clinical social worker, or clinical social worker candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;

(IV) A licensed marriage and family therapist or marriage and family therapist candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;

(V) A licensed professional counselor or licensed professional counselor candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;

(VI) A licensed addiction counselor, certified addiction specialist, or addiction counselor candidate regulated pursuant to article 245 of title 12;

(VII) An advanced practice registered nurse licensed pursuant to article 255 of title 12;

(VIII) An acupuncturist licensed pursuant to article 200 of title 12;

(IX) A massage therapist licensed pursuant to article 235 of title 12;

(X) A health-care professional who is certified in the practice of using touch or healing touch to affect the human energy systems; or

(XI) A health-care professional who is certified in craniosacral therapies.

(f) "Service member" means a person who is:

(I) An active-duty member of the armed forces;

(II) A member of the reserve forces of the United States; or

(III) A member of the federally recognized National Guard.

(g) "Telehealth" has the same meaning as set forth in section 10-16-123.

(h) "Veteran" means a person who served in the armed forces, the federally recognized National Guard, or the reserve forces of the United States and who was discharged or released from service.

(2) (a) There is established in the division a veterans mental health services program to promote access to mental health services for eligible veterans by reimbursing health-care professionals for sessions with an eligible veteran.

(b) The division shall reimburse a health-care professional who participates in the veterans mental health services program for mental health-care sessions, either in person or through telehealth, with eligible veterans. Each eligible veteran may receive twenty-six reimbursed sessions per year.

(c) Subject to available appropriations, an eligible veteran may receive and the division shall reimburse a health-care professional for:

(I) Additional reimbursed sessions if a health-care professional determines additional sessions are necessary; and

(II) Complementary behavioral health services, including, but not limited to, acupuncture, healing touch therapy, massage therapy, acupressure, and craniosacral therapy for the purpose of supporting an eligible veteran's mental health when provided by a qualified health-care professional.

(d) To be eligible to participate in and receive reimbursement from the veterans mental health services program, a health-care professional must be available to provide at least four mental health-care sessions to each eligible veteran the health-care professional accepts as a client.

(e) The division shall:

(I) Develop a process consistent with the requirements of this section for health-care professionals to apply for and demonstrate eligibility to receive reimbursement from the veterans mental health services program;

(II) Upon reimbursing a health-care professional for a mental health-care session with an eligible veteran, inform the health-care professional of the veteran's remaining number of sessions eligible for reimbursement that year; and

(III) Determine a reasonable rate of reimbursement for each mental health-care session with an eligible veteran pursuant to the veterans mental health services program, which rate must be the same regardless of whether the appointment is in-person or through telehealth.

(f) The adjutant general, in consultation with the board of veterans affairs, shall adopt rules necessary for the implementation of this subsection (2).

(3) For each state fiscal year, the general assembly shall appropriate money to the division for the purposes of the veterans mental health services program. The first six hundred thousand dollars must be used for eligible veterans.

(4) (a) The BHA shall coordinate with the division to continue and expand the veterans mental health services program using the money transferred pursuant to section 39-37-301 (2)(a)(II) to the behavioral and mental health excise tax cash fund created in section 39-37-302.

(b) The BHA shall post on its website a list of health-care professionals who participate in the veterans mental health services program.

(5) (a) In expanding the veterans mental health services program pursuant to subsection (4)(a) of this section, the BHA shall provide grants to local nonprofit organizations to establish and expand community behavioral health programs that provide behavioral health services to service members, veterans, and family members of service members and veterans.

(b) If a local nonprofit organization receives a grant pursuant to this subsection (5) and the organization continues to meet performance metrics developed by the BHA, the BHA may distribute an additional grant to the local nonprofit organization without requiring the organization to reapply for the grant.

(c) To receive a grant, a local nonprofit organization must submit an application to the BHA in accordance with rules adopted by the commissioner of the BHA.

(d) In its application, a local nonprofit organization shall demonstrate that the organization:

(I) Serves the behavioral health needs of service members, veterans, and family members of service members and veterans in the locality served by the local nonprofit organization;

(II) Utilizes evidence-based practices;

(III) Integrates military cultural competency training for the local nonprofit organization's staff; and

(IV) Has established and verifiable community partnerships to deliver behavioral health services along the continuum of care to service members, veterans, and their family members.

(e) The BHA shall prioritize awarding grants to a grant applicant that:

(I) Applies for a grant to support the operating costs for a qualifying project, as determined by the BHA, for which capital investments have already been made;

(II) Provides culturally competent behavioral health services to service members, veterans, and family members of service members and veterans;

(III) Has the ability to submit data that the BHA determines is necessary to measure the impact of the grant program; and

(IV) Demonstrates a history of collaboration with, and providing services for, military and veterans community organizations in Colorado.

(f) The commissioner of the BHA shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this subsection (5), including performance metrics for local nonprofit organizations that receive a grant.

Source: L. 2023: Entire section added, (HB 23-1088), ch. 201, p. 1028, § 1, effective May 16. L. 2024: (2)(d) amended, (HB 24-1349), ch. 423, p. 2901, § 6, effective December 17 (see editor's note). L. 2025: Entire section R&RE, (HB 25-1132), ch. 160, p. 643, § 1, effective August 6; (4)(a) amended, (SB 25-295), ch. 330, p. 1714, § 6, effective August 6 (see editor's note).

Editor's note: (1) Section 19(1) of chapter 423 (HB 24-1349), Session Laws of Colorado 2024, provides that changes to this section take effect only if a majority of voters approve the ballot issue referred in accordance with § 39-37-201 at the November 2024 statewide election, and, if the voters approve the ballot issue, the changes to this section take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote by the governor. The ballot issue, referred to the voters as Proposition KK (see L.2025, p. 3636), was approved on November 5, 2024, and was proclaimed by the Governor on December 17, 2024. The vote count for the measure was as follows:

FOR: 1,675,123

AGAINST: 1,406,112

(2) Section 8(3) of chapter 330 (SB 25-295), Session Laws of Colorado 2025, provides that amendments to subsection (4)(a) of this section take effect only if HB 25-1132 becomes law and take effect upon the applicable effective date of section 1 of HB 25-1132. HB 25-1132 became law, and section 1 of HB 25-1132 took effect August 6, 2025.

PART 8

VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE AND OFFICERS

Editor's note: This part 8 was added with relocations in 2002. Former C.R.S. section numbers are shown in editor's notes following those sections that were relocated.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration contained in the 2002 act enacting this part 8, see section 1 of chapter 121, Session Laws of Colorado 2002.