The Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) described a roadmap of priorities, a planned Behavioral Health Administration Service Organizations (BASO) launch and a regional liaison structure intended to improve access and coordination for behavioral health services statewide.

Calandra (Cali), regional community engagement specialist and statewide agricultural liaison with the BHA, told the working group the administration’s road map launched July 1, 2024, and that BHA priorities include updating the behavioral health safety net, improving care coordination, public reporting via a performance hub, a new grievance and complaint process in English and Spanish, and a children and youth behavioral health implementation plan.

"The BHA is your state level organization that's responsible for ensuring that everyone in the state of Colorado has access to behavioral health care regardless of barriers like ability to pay, documentation status," Calandra said.

Calandra said the BHA launched a performance hub with county-level metrics and invited the working group to suggest additional measures. She described a new grievance and complaint website and a suite of statewide services including 988, OwnPath (a searchable provider database), and the I Matter program that offers six free counseling sessions for youth in English and Spanish.

The BHA announced a planned BASO launch on July 1, 2025, as part of a redesign of the state behavioral-health system. Calandra said BHA will recruit members for regional BASO advisory councils later in the year and is committed to diverse and representative advisory membership.

Calandra described a team of four regional community-engagement specialists who live in their regions, promote BHA programs, amplify diverse voices and facilitate regional collaboration. She encouraged working-group members to use the liaisons as points of contact for early input on state initiatives.

The presentation also previewed commissioner community conversations across the state this summer and a July 9 BASO launch event at the state capitol. Calandra said the BHA advisory council application window closed April 28, and she urged interested members to watch for upcoming BASO advisory recruitment in August.

Ending: The BHA asked the working group to share suggestions for performance metrics and to consider applying for BASO advisory roles when recruitment opens.