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During the 2022 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to behavioral health, including several bills recommended by Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force to address gaps in the continuum of care using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, as well as bills addressing the establishment of the Behavioral Health Administration, youth and students, mental health holds, and crisis system facilities.

The Governor and  General  Assembly  formed  the Behavioral Health Transformational Task  Force and  Subpanel to  develop  recommendations  in 2021. Comprised  of legislators, executive branch representatives, and  diverse behavioral health practitioners  and  experts, the Task  Force and  Subpanel undertook  a deliberative and  transparent  process.

Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems.

The General Assembly considered several measures during the 2021 legislative session related to human services, including behavioral health and long-term care.

During the 2021 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to children and domestic matters, including foster care, child care, and child welfare.

During the 2021 legislative session, the General Assembly considered several measures related to public health, including behavioral health, suicide prevention, and public safety. 

Respite care provides temporary relief to a caregiver from the physical and emotional impacts of caring for a person with special needs who requires assistance to care for themselves.  Care can be provided for a few hours, overnight, or on an extended basis by a friend, family member, volunteer, paid service provider, or in a community-based care setting.  This issue brief provides an overview of state respite care services.

Colorado's Adult Protective Services (APS) system, first established in 1983, protects at-risk adults who, because of mental or physical ability, are unable to obtain services or otherwise protect their own health, safety, and welfare.  This issue brief provides an overview of the APS system in Colorado, highlights data on APS reports and investigations, and outlines how information on APS investigations is stored and used in the Colorado Adult Protective Service Data System (CAPS). 

During the 2020 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to parental rights, marriage and adoption, and child welfare. 

During the 2020 session, the General Assembly considered bills related to early childhood education; child welfare investigations; appropriating federal CARES Act funding; and other human services programs.

This memorandum provides information about veterans community living centers (VCLCs), formerly known as state veterans nursing homes, in Colorado.  Specifically, it includes the history of the five current VCLC locations and the process for building new VCLCs.  The memorandum also discusses how the VCLCs are funded.

Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Treatment of Persons With Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal Justice System Committee.

This memorandum provides a brief overview of the human services delivery structure in Colorado, which is primarily state-supervised and county-delivered.  This includes an overview of the offices, divisions, and boards within the Colorado Department of Human Services (DHS) and a brief description of the services delivered through Colorado's 64 county departments of human or social services. 

This memorandum memorializes the process for requesting and preparing Demographic Notes (notes) pursuant to Section 2-2-322.5, C.R.S. It outlines the number of notes per session, the process for requesting notes, the preparation and timing of notes, and the preparation of revised and final notes.

Procedures for Demographic Notes Form

Summary report for the Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice System.

During the 2019 legislative session, the General Assembly passed legislation focused on enhancing the state's adoption, foster care, and child welfare programs; expanding a Division of Youth Services (DYS) pilot program designed to change the internal culture of DYS; and enhancing services available to persons with disabilities who are applying for federal disability benefits.

This memorandum provides a brief overview of the timeline of events related to the recommended closure of the Grand Junction Regional Center (GJRC) campus.

Report No. 2018-TE4

During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to child welfare and foster care, youth mental health and suicide prevention, child abuse prevention, the juvenile justice system, and other aspects of family law. The bills described in this document passed and became law, unless otherwise noted.

During the 2018 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to increasing access to behavioral health services, increasing capacity for competency restoration, protecting children in foster care, child care assistance funding, and increasing the effectiveness of other human services programs.

This memorandum summarizes a request from the Department of Human Services (DHS) to acquire a 15-acre parcel of land from Adams County for the construction of a new youth services center in the 17th Judicial District.

Final Report to the Colorado General Assembly by the Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems.

During the 2017 legislative session, the General Assembly considered numerous measures on child welfare, domestic violence and crimes against children, the juvenile justice system, public school safety, and child care. The bills described in this document passed and became law, unless otherwise noted.