As you might recall, House Bill 21-1097 charged the Colorado Department of Human Services to submit a plan to establish the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) on November 1, 2021. I’m delighted to share that the plan has been submitted, and you can find it here. 

This plan provides much more detail on how we expect the BHA to operate. It covers the functions of the BHA, as well as how an aligned, strategic approach will advance accountability and transparency.

There is still much work to be done—including continuing conversations with all of you—and this plan gives us a strong foundation to work from. With that in mind, the BHA will likely continue to evolve a bit as we take the steps to operationalize it. We'll also release a shorter version of the report soon as we gear up for implementation. 

BHA Commissioner Search is Underway! 

Governor Polis recently launched a national search for the Commissioner of our BHA to join his cabinet. We need a leader who will inspire, build trust and challenge us to collectively deliver better services to Coloradans. Read the job description and watch Governor Polis' video message.

There are many ways to support this work:

• Keep an eye on our webpage for BHA job postings! 

• Encourage friends and colleagues to subscribe to this newsletter.

• Send an idea or suggestion to cdhs_bhtf@state.co.us.