March 2024

Crisis Services Newsletter

Welcome to the Crisis Services Newsletter, distributed monthly to provide updates, share information and provide clarification on behavioral health crisis services covered by the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF). 


HCPF partners with several state agencies to support the behavioral health continuum of care in Colorado. Check out the HCPF crisis services webpage, which provides an overview of behavioral health crisis services, links to engagement forums and additional resources. The crisis services provider webpage has provider-focused resources and features various behavioral health crisis services by community-based, facility-based, and transportation options. There are also links to crisis services hospital billing guidance and non-emergent medical transportation (NEMT) providers (for transportation after discharge from a behavioral health facility).

What’s New?   

 

Get Trained! Early access to the BHA Ownpath Learning Hub is available to Crisis Professionals to satisfy the requirement to complete the Crisis Professional Curriculum (CPC). The modules available now include:  


  • Curriculum Introduction 
  • Evidence-based and Promising Practices in Crisis Intervention 
  • Initial Telephonic Screening and Standardized Dispatch Protocol 
  • Suicide Screening, Risk Assessment, and Safety Planning 
  • Trauma-Informed Care 
  • Non-violent Crisis Intervention 
  • Cultural Awareness and Responsiveness 
  • Crisis Plan Development and Use of Psychiatric Advance Directives 
  • Gender Responsive Crisis Services 
  • Harm Reduction Strategies 
  • Supporting Individuals with Dementia in Crisis 
  • Managing Privacy and Confidentiality during a Crisis 


Over the following weeks, the remainder of the curriculum will be released. Be sure to check back often for updates. Training is free and is mandatory for Mobile Crisis Response staff, Walk-In Center staff, and Crisis Stabilization Unit staff. As courses become available, it is encouraged that staff keep up-to-date with completion of available modules. Remember, BHA has reported a period of delayed enforcement, but it is good practice to be proactive in completing modules to support professional growth and provide BHA feedback on course content. 


To get started go to the OwnPath Learning Hub then select the CPC. From there, you can click ENROLL and then register an account. Once registered, you will be able to access the 12 initial modules of the CPC.   


Get Licensed! BHA’s Crisis Professional designation is now defined in the provider rules (effective January 1, 2024). Providers that hold a current BHA-issued license and/or endorsement letter are invited to book a technical support session focusing on your transition needs. Book a support session


Emergency and Crisis Behavioral Health Services are also part of the new Behavioral Health Safety Net Provider services. Both Essential and Comprehensive Safety Net Providers are eligible for alternative payment models, which includes enhanced fee schedule (Essential) or Prospective Payment System (Comprehensive). If you are a Behavioral Health Crisis Services Provider and are interested in becoming or learning more about Safety Net Providers, please book a support session or attend a Safety Net Provider forum.

Take Note:


Providers who offer Behavioral Health Secure Transportation (BHST) are required to maintain compliance with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) data collection rules, per Part 6 of 6 CCR 1011-4. Information on to submit the required data can be found on CDPHE’s BHST website.

Stay Connected:   


Are you curious about how to engage as a provider within the behavioral health crisis continuum? Check out the following opportunities


HCPF Crisis Services Monthly Open Office Hours is an informal, unrecorded meeting where stakeholders can ask questions about covered crisis services and troubleshoot issues like enrollment or billing challenges. The meetings occur on the second Tuesday of each month from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM.  


Register in advance for this meeting. 



Crisis Services Bi-Monthly Technical Assistance Collaborative Meeting is a formal, recorded session where HCPF, BHA and the CDPHE provide updates and engage with stakeholders. These meetings occur every other month on the fourth Thursday from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM.  


Register in advance for this meeting. 

Stay in touch

If this was forwarded to you, sign up for the monthly Crisis Services Newsletter. Contact hcpf_crisisservices@state.co.us for more information.