ARPA Project Pulse Newsletter

April 2025

Yesterday marks a major milestone: March 31 was the final day of the ARPA spending period.

Over the past several years, these historic investments have fueled transformational work across Colorado’s Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) system—expanding and improving access, modernizing infrastructure, and strengthening the direct care workforce. This edition of Project Pulse highlights several recently completed initiatives that embody the innovation and impact made possible by ARPA funding.

While the spending period concluded yesterday, our celebration of this work is far from over. In the coming months, we’ll release a final newsletter and a new set of guides that summarize all completed ARPA projects in a clear, accessible, and shareable format. These resources will capture the scale, creativity, and collaboration that defined Colorado’s ARPA journey—and serve as a lasting reflection of what we’ve achieved together.

~ The ARPA Team

✅ Completed Projects ✅

1.01

Increase Payments to Providers and Workers

This project significantly advanced compensation for Colorado’s direct care workers by raising the base wage from, $12.41 to $15.75 per hour and securing legislative funding for a further increase to $17.00. To ensure transparency and accountability, HCPF launched a public dashboard tracking average wages and implemented an annual wage reporting mechanism for providers. Compliance reviews in 2022 and 2023 led to corrective actions and retroactive payments where needed, reinforcing wage standards across the sector. A direct payment to providers using unspent ARPA funds further supported the transition. These efforts underscore a broader strategy to stabilize the direct care workforce and promote long-term sustainability. HCPF will continue to monitor and enforce wage compliance to protect workers and strengthen service delivery.

1.05

Establish a Training Fund

This project succeeded in funding a total of 4,946 training sessions for 4,427 workers to gain higher-level skills and promoted greater retention within the workforce.

HCPF established a training fund targeted at high-demand jobs to support specialization and advancement opportunities for the HCBS workforce, including the behavioral health workforce. Funds were distributed directly to prospective or current workers, to employers for employee training, or to training providers. Additionally, funds were used to expand standard training provider resources or trainer availability where gaps existed.

3.07

Wrap-Around Services, including Peer Supports for Members with Complex Needs

This project had two main components - the Statewide Supportive Housing Expansion (SWSHE) Pilot Project and the Peer Support Grants for Housing Stability. These initiatives significantly expanded provider capacity — especially in rural and frontier areas — while aligning with Colorado’s broader behavioral health safety net goals. Through flexible, community-rooted approaches, the SWSHE pilot served 869 Medicaid members with housing and wraparound supports, while the Peer Support project funded 24 organizations to train and employ 130 new Peer Support Professionals. Both sub-projects included robust technical assistance, empowering providers to build sustainable Medicaid-billable services. These efforts not only exceeded participation goals but also strengthened long-term infrastructure for housing stability and behavioral health support across the state.

4.10

Home Mod Budget Enhancements

This project delivered over $4.6 million in additional funding to support home modifications for 784 Medicaid waiver participants, offering each member up to $10,000 to improve safety and accessibility in their homes. In parallel, it funded a critical technology migration of the Home Modification tracking system from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to the HCPF. This move to a new platform significantly enhanced HCPF’s oversight capabilities, enabling faster response times to change requests and quicker resolution of issues.

5.01

Case Management Capacity Building

This project supported the successful implementation of Case Management Redesign (CMRD) through targeted investments in agency readiness, workforce retention, and system transitions. With over 2,900 hours of coaching and technical assistance provided to 19 agencies, plus $1.9M in direct support, the project ensured smoother transitions and limited disruptions for Medicaid members. HCPF also distributed more than $4.3M in retention and sign-on bonuses, benefiting nearly 4,400 case management staff and helping agencies retain 90% or more of their workforce. Additional grants supported workspace renovations, essential equipment, and case management system upgrades. Finally, quality assurance efforts for assessment tools laid the groundwork for the future Colorado Single Assessment. These coordinated efforts established a more stable, responsive, and connected case management infrastructure across the state.

5.05

Case Management Agency Training Program

To support a more person-centered, coordinated approach to long-term services and supports (LTSS), HCPF developed and launched a comprehensive statewide case management training curriculum. The program includes 53 web-based modules, six virtual instructor-led trainings, and nine certification exams, all designed to build core competencies around eligibility, needs assessment, and support planning. Feedback from stakeholders highlighted the value of the interactive format, cultural competency content, and Member Spotlights that made the material more engaging and relevant. HCPF also provided funding to agencies to support implementation, helping ensure training access regardless of organizational size. These investments ensure Colorado’s case managers are well-prepared to deliver high-quality, person-centered services long after ARPA funding concludes.

6.06

HCBS Provider Digital Transformation

Through the Dollars to Digitize grant initiative, HCPF awarded $19.8 million to 224 Medicaid-enrolled HCBS, behavioral health providers, and case management agencies to advance digital infrastructure and modernize care delivery. Funded projects included electronic health record (EHR) upgrades, paper-to-digital conversions, telehealth tools, and system integrations that improve care coordination and access to real-time information. Impressively, 91% of grantees were small businesses, with nearly half being woman-owned, and 28% employing people with disabilities. These grants reached all 64 Colorado counties, supporting both rural and urban communities. Over 25 million documents were digitized, with enhanced cybersecurity and physical security investments further protecting critical data. The initiative built a more connected, secure, and resilient provider network to better serve Medicaid members statewide.

6.08

Care and Case Management System Investments

This project funded essential system upgrades, software enhancements, and hardware purchases to support the rollout of Colorado’s new Care and Case Management (CCM) System. These improvements enhance data sharing and support a more person-centered, efficient care experience for Medicaid members. System enhancements streamlined tasks like service authorizations, rate calculations, and incident reporting—reducing administrative burden while ensuring compliance and accuracy. Through coordinated grants, Case Management Agencies also received touchscreen laptops, mobile devices, and ergonomic equipment to support fieldwork and reduce reliance on paper forms. The initiative also facilitated a unified grant application with related projects (Initiatives 5.01 and 6.06), helping agencies upgrade EHR systems and establish new operations. These targeted investments laid the digital foundation for a more connected, responsive, and sustainable care system across Colorado.

Have You Checked Out the ARPA Metrics Dashboard Yet?

The full dashboard can be viewed and navigated directly from the HCPF website anytime!

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