"Children's Behavioral Health Statewide System of Care" Synopsis
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I wish people would realize that we need more resources for pediatric mental health.
Some people have! That’s one of the reasons this bill called “Children's Behavioral Health Statewide System of Care” was written. Have you heard about it?
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No, tell me more about it!
...
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Overall it’s a bill that would create a single system of care for screening, crisis response, intensive or community services, and respite services. The bill would also create a student loan forgiveness program for professionals that work in shortage ares, paid internships and rotations in those areas a program for adolescents who want to go into behavioral health, and an expansion of professionals to include interns and pre-licensure workforce.
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Well that sounds great but isn’t the government so divided that nothing gets passed these days?
People do seem pretty divided politically but this bill is actually a bipartisan bill, meaning both Democrats and Republicans suppor the bill. Senate sponsorships: Senator: Barbara Kirkmeyer (R) and Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D) House sponsorships: Representative: Monica Duran (D, majority leader) and Rose Pugliese (R, minority leader)
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So what happened with this bill?
Oh, let me tell you!
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then it was amended 3 times in the senate before it was passed 31-3 and moved onto the house!
First, the bill was amended once in senate health human services committee
Dafna Michaelson Jenet
Barbara Kirkmeyer
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Once it made it to the House Health Human Services Committee, they voted on the bill
and it was....
Monica Duran
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Rose Pugliese
POSTPONED INDEFINITELYwith a vote of 7 (6D and 1R) -6
Monica Duran
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Rose Pugliese
Well that’s disappointing.
Yeah, I am pretty disappointed too. But maybe in the future I can help support a bill like this and it will pass!
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Throughout this year, I have seen how the shortage of mental health professionals impacts so many kids. I chose this bill because I was excited to see a bipartisan bill that would fund and supply mental health professionals to areas in need. I tried to look into why the bill was postponed indefinitely once it went to the house but there was no additional information that I could find but it is likely partially due to budget and partially because of difficulty with implementation. I am disappointed that this bill was not passed and especially at how it was killed once it got to the house without any amendments. But overall it was cool to be excited about a bill and some changes that people are trying to make even though it didn’t pass!
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The bill mandates the creation of a comprehensive children's behavioral health statewide system of care in Colorado, managed by the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) in collaboration with various state agencies. This system will provide a single point of access for addressing the behavioral health needs of children and youth up to twenty-one years old, encompassing services like screening, crisis response, care coordination, and support programs. Additionally, it outlines the establishment of leadership and implementation teams, an advisory council, a data and quality team, and a capacity-building center, aiming to enhance workforce development and service provision while ensuring monitoring, reporting, and resolution mechanisms are in place. A single system of care that includes: statewide behavioral health standardized screening and assessment, trauma-informed mobile crisis response and stabilization services for children and youth, tiered care coordination for moderate and intensive levels of need, parent and youth peer support, intensive in-home and community-based services, and respite servicesBill would fund: A student loan forgiveness program for students in behavioral health disciplines who make a 3- to 5-year commitment to work in shortage areas in the system of care, paid internships and clinical rotations in the system of care and a description of multiple options for payment, revisions to graduate medical education programs at Colorado institutions of higher education to support -2- 059 internships, residencies, fellowships, and student programs in child and youth behavioral health, a financial aid program for youth transitioning out of foster care who wish to pursue a career in children and youth behavioral health, developed in partnership with Colorado institutions of higher education and community colleges, and an expansion of current BHA efforts related to behavioral health apprenticeships, internships, stipends, and pre-licensure workforce support specific to service children, youth, and families