Your (Unofficial) Guide to State-Sponsored Therapy in Colorado

There’s a way to get affordable mental health care that you might not know about. That’s Colorado’s mental health system.

If you qualify, you can get mental health care at a community mental health center for a small co-pay or a low sliding-scale fee. But even if you don’t get services at a state-funded provider, Colorado’s system can still help by giving you information, local referrals, and other assistance for free.

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If you’re in a hurry and want to get the most essential information about what’s available in Colorado’s mental health system and who it’s for, you can read our quick start guide below.

To learn more about public mental health services in Colorado, keep reading. We’ve done the research to uncover essential facts about who’s eligible, what services you can get, when to go, where to call, and how it works so you can decide if Colorado’s mental health system might be right for you.

Who Is Eligible?

You should consider using the public mental health system if you (or a loved one) have a severe mental health condition, have a limited income, or live in an area where it’s hard to find mental health providers.

Everyone in Colorado can use the state-funded mental health emergency response system. If you or someone you love is in crisis, you can call the Colorado crisis hotline to get the help you need, quickly.

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Public mental health services are usually the best option if you’re having a mental health crisis and need help right away.

State mental health programs are required to provide mental health crisis response services and are one of the fastest ways to get care when you’re having a mental health emergency.

The people who answer the Colorado crisis line can provide caring attention and support as they help you determine the best response to a crisis, whether it’s inpatient treatment or an appointment with a counselor.

Even if you’re not in crisis, you can call the Colorado Crisis Services hotline for information about affordable mental health services in your area.

When you call, you can find out whether you might be able to get services at a community mental health center, schedule an assessment or intake appointment, or get free information about other affordable local providers.

Whether a CMHC is the right match for you depends on how they compare to other providers in your insurance network or how their sliding-scale fees compare to other providers’ in your area.

Community mental health centers are just one of many places you can find therapy and psychiatric services in Colorado. However, they stand out when it comes to specialty and intensive mental health services like case management, day treatment, and wraparound care. All CMHCs offer these services, and they can be hard to find anywhere else.

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Community mental health centers in Colorado are great places to find specialized and intensive mental health services like case management and day treatment that can be hard to find anywhere else. These specialty services can give you extra help when you’re dealing with severe symptoms.

One of the most important requirements you need to meet to get services at a community mental health center in Colorado is to be a resident of the region it serves.

Otherwise, community mental health centers in Colorado do not have strict eligibility requirements. If you’re a Colorado resident with a mental health condition, you’re eligible to receive treatment at your region’s community mental health center.

However, changes to funding or staffing can affect what’s available and whether there’s a waitlist. If funds or staff are limited, CMHCs may limit admission, so it’s good to call first to check.

Colorado CMHCs accept various payment methods including Medicaid and Medicare, private insurance, and self-pay. If you don’t have insurance, the fees you pay will be based on your income.

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The primary point of access to the public mental health system in Colorado is Health First, Colorado’s Medicaid program.

Community mental health centers accept clients that don’t have Medicaid, but they prioritize people who do. Medicaid can also help you access other services outside of the CMHC system. So, it’s worth applying for Medicaid if you think you might be eligible.

Since Colorado accepted Medicaid expansion, you don’t have to be a member of a special eligibility group to qualify for it. You’re eligible if your income is 138 percent of the federal poverty level or less.

To apply, you can go to Health First’s Apply Now page. On that page, you can also find up-to-date information about eligibility and the documents and information you need to apply.

Even if there’s a long waitlist, admission is currently limited, or the program doesn’t offer the service you want, your local community mental health center can probably still help you.

People who work at community mental health centers are knowledgeable about local resources and will often give you free information or even referrals to other affordable providers nearby, including local non-profits that provide free or low-cost counseling.

Where Do You Call to Get Started?

The easiest way to learn more about state mental healthcare in Colorado is to call the Colorado Crisis Services crisis and access line at (844) 493-8255.

The people who answer are trained to help you figure out what kind of care you might need and where to go to get it. They can help you connect with local resources no matter where you live in Colorado.

There are other hotlines that can help when you’re looking for information or support as well. Which one is best to call depends on what you need. You can find them listed in the information box below.

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The national mental health crisis hotline is 988.

The statewide Colorado Crisis Services hotline is (844) 493-8255.

The national crisis text line is 741741. The state crisis text line is 38255.

You can reach the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline by calling 1-800-950-NAMI (6264).

You can reach the Colorado National Alliance on Mental Illness Information Line by calling (303) 321-3104.

You can also reach the Colorado NAMI Law Line for free consultation on legal matters by calling (303) 321-3104.

You can contact the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration, which oversees Colorado’s mental health system, at (303) 866-7400.

You can connect with the Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners peer support warmline by calling (844) 493-8255, then following the prompts to opt in to the Support Line.

Public mental health services in Colorado are managed on the state level by the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration. For general information about Colorado’s system, you can contact them at (303) 866-7400.

However, you’ll probably get the best results by calling the Colorado Crisis Services hotline or calling your area’s community mental health center directly. You can find your CMHC in the directory below.

Colorado CMHC Directory

The best way to find out about your local community mental health center in Colorado is to call them. We’ve listed contact information for all Colorado CMHCs in this section.

If you’re not sure which CMHC serves your city or county, are in crisis, are looking for a different kind of provider, or have other questions, you can call the Colorado Crisis Hotline at (844) 493-8255. It’s staffed 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

You can also find updated information about your local CMHC by using the directories and search tools on the Behavioral Health Administration website. Checking the BHA’s page is the best way to confirm that nothing in the system has changed since our last update.

The Find Behavioral Health Help page links to helpful partner sites and resources and features an interactive map showing which community mental health centers and crisis providers currently serve each county and city in Colorado. They also link to Own Path, where you can search for independent behavioral health providers licensed by the BHA.

You can find an updated list of regional Medicaid organizations on Health First’s Colorado Regional Organizations page.

Also Consider: Federally Qualified Health Centers

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are another great way to get affordable publicly-funded mental health services in Colorado.

These federally-funded programs provide cutting-edge care in places where good primary healthcare was once hard to find. Most provide integrated care so you can get primary medical and mental health services at the same location. Each FQHC accepts Medicaid and Medicare and offers low sliding-scale fees if you don’t have insurance.

You can search for FQHCs near you by using the online search tool on the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration website.

Troubleshooting Guide

The state mental health system is complicated and can be confusing to navigate. If you’re having any issues, we’re here to help. Here are some of our solutions to common problems you might experience.

If you’ve run into a problem that we haven’t addressed, don’t give up. Call someone at the program (or the Colorado Crisis Line) and tell them what’s going on.

You’re much more likely to get the help you need when you advocate for yourself and are persistent. Tell the person you talk to what you need or what problem you’re having.

If they don’t help the first time, call them back and tell them. If you keep calling and keep calm and focused, you should eventually get through to someone who can help you.

Deep Dive: How Does the System Work?

To understand Colorado’s mental health system, it helps to understand how it started and how it’s changed since then.

Public mental health services have been around for a surprisingly long time. But for over a hundred years in America, the only way to get them was in a psychiatric hospital.

DEEP DIVE

To learn more about what the public mental health system was like in the early days—and how psychiatric inpatient care has evolved since then—you can read our article “Do Insane Asylums Still Exist? The Surprising Past and Present.”

To learn more about what inpatient mental health treatment is like now, and the differences between how it works in general hospitals and specialized psychiatric facilities, you can read our article “How Inpatient Mental Health Treatment Works.”

In the 1960s, Americans started thinking differently about mental health care. Conditions in psychiatric hospitals were getting worse and new medications made it possible to provide mental health treatment on an outpatient basis.

In response, new laws were passed that required state and local governments to establish community mental health programs as alternatives to institutionalization for people with serious mental illness. The most important was the Community Mental Health Act, which President John F. Kennedy signed into law in 1963.

DEEP DIVE

Colorado’s first state psychiatric hospital, The Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo, was first founded in 1879 as the “Colorado State Insane Asylum.”

It has gone through many name changes and updates since then, but it still runs as a functioning inpatient psychiatric facility in Pueblo, Colorado. It currently focuses on providing inpatient mental health services to adolescents, adults, and older adults, as well as providing forensic mental health services to people involved with the criminal justice system.

Colorado’s second psychiatric hospital, The Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan, was founded in 1961 to help expand the state’s public mental health system. It currently offers similar services as the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo.

Many state community mental health programs trace their origins back to the 1960s when these important changes started to happen. Colorado is no exception.

After the Community Mental Health Act was passed in 1963, Colorado received a mental health planning grant and started converting some of its existing mental health programs into community mental health centers.

However, while it established some public mental health clinics relatively early, it took Colorado a long time to develop a comprehensive public community mental health system. In fact, it did not establish a statewide mental health crisis response network until 2013.

DEEP DIVE

Colorado introduced Regional Health First Organizations when it updated its behavioral health system in 2018.

Regional Organizations oversee Health First (Medicaid) behavioral health benefits in the region they serve. One of their most important roles is managing the Health First provider network in their region and making sure their members can access all of the services they need, including primary care and behavioral health services.

While Regional Organizations serve many administrative functions and largely work behind the scenes, they also have a customer-facing role. They take calls from members seeking to find providers or resolve issues. Currently, there are six regional Health First organizations in Colorado. You can find their contact information listed in the directory above.

If you are a Health First member, you can contact your Regional Organization for help with finding providers, understanding how your plan works, and getting transportation to medical or behavioral healthcare appointments.

There are three state agencies that oversee the public mental health system in Colorado.

The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing administers Health First, the state Medicaid program, and Medicaid-based mental health services.

The Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health within the Colorado Department of Human Services operates and administers Colorado’s two state psychiatric hospitals.

The Behavioral Health Administration oversees state mental health policy and funding, operates the state network of community mental health centers, and contracts with several Administrative Service Organizations that manage the state mental health crisis system.

If you’re seeking access to public mental health services, you can call the statewide Colorado crisis and mental health information line at (844) 493-8255 or directly call the CMHC where you’re interested in receiving services. They know how the system works and will help you get where you need to go.

Conclusion

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, only 46 percent of people in Colorado who have mental health conditions get treatment for them. Many of them don’t know about the public mental health system or their local community mental health center.

You can make a difference by reaching out and connecting with local mental health resources to get the care you need. If you’re not sure whether you qualify for Colorado state mental health services, call the Colorado Crisis Line or your local community mental health center. You may find out you can get mental health services at your CMHC or another affordable provider nearby.

The most important thing is to get started—the help you need may be only a call or click away.

Are You Thinking of Online Therapy? Start Here to Get Matched with a Licensed Therapist Right For You.

Therapy with No Waiting Rooms or Driving. Take a quick quiz about your preferences and needs and get matched to a therapist in as little as 48 hours.

Your (Unofficial) Guide to State-Sponsored Therapy in Colorado

Are You Thinking of Online Therapy? Start Here to Get Matched with a Licensed Therapist Right For You.

Have you been in therapy before?

Quick Start Guide

Who Is Eligible?

PRO TIP

Use the State System When You're in Crisis

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Check Out the State System If You Need Specialized Services

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Who Is Eligible for Medicaid in Colorado?

Where Do You Call to Get Started?

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Important Numbers in Colorado

Colorado CMHC Directory

CMHCs and Medicaid Organizations

Northeast Colorado Clinics and Resources

North Central Colorado Clinics and Resources

Northwest Colorado Clinics and Resources

Central and Metro Colorado Clinics and Resources

Pikes Peak Region Clinics and Resources

Southeast Colorado Clinics and Resources

Southwest Colorado Clinics and Resources

Also Consider: Federally Qualified Health Centers

Troubleshooting Guide

Problems and Solutions

Deep Dive: How Does the System Work?

DEEP DIVE

For More Information

DEEP DIVE

The Beginning of the Colorado Mental Heath System

DEEP DIVE

Regional Health First Organizations

Conclusion

Are You Thinking of Online Therapy? Start Here to Get Matched with a Licensed Therapist Right For You.

Have you been in therapy before?

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