2025 Colorado CCBHC Planning Grant

2025 Colorado CCBHC Planning Grant is sponsored by Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF) and Behavioral Health Administration (BHA). A one-year planning grant awarded to develop a model for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) in Colorado, aiming to enhance behavioral health services statewide.

## [](https://hcpf. colorado. gov/ccbhc-planning-grant)Colorado CCBHC Demonstration Awarded The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF), in partnership with the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), submitted an application to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) for the 2025 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Planning Grant in Fall of 2024.

The CCBHC Planning Grant Application Narrative and a listing of CCBHC application supporters are available for review. Colorado’s participation in the CCBHC Planning Grant is a part of a state-wide, multi-agency effort to build and expand Colorado’s behavioral health system of care. A CCBHC Planning Grant was awarded to Colorado on December 31, 2024.

The one year planning grant provides federal funds to develop a model to benefit communities around the state, provide needed behavioral health services and strengthen the provider network. The grant also supports preparation of an application for a four-year CCBHC Demonstration program beginning in 2026.

In order to support continued CCBHC Planning Grant activities into 2026, HCPF and BHA requested a No-Cost Extension (NCE) on November 20, 2025. SAMHSA approved Colorado’s NCE on December 22, 2025, extending the CCBHC Planning Grant period from the original end date of December 30, 2025, to June 30, 2026. Colorado applied for the CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration on April 30, 2026.

On May 28, 2026 Colorado was selected as one of ten new states to participate in the next cohort of the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Medicaid Demonstration Program, with a program launch date of July 1, 2026 Additional information updates regarding state-certified provider sites, as well as program goals, expectations, and other implementation details will be available in the coming months.

The CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration is a four (4) year federal-state partnership with the goal of increasing the quality and access of comprehensive behavioral health services. For more information on the Federal CCBHC Model, please visit the Colorado CCBHC webpage or the SAMHSA CCBHC webpage. Additionally, more information on the CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration program can be found on the SAMHSA 2026 223 Demonstration Announcement webpage.

HCPF and BHA have collaborated on the CCBHC Demonstration Planning Grant along with other state partners, providers, stakeholders and community partners at all levels, and industry experts.

Colorado’s participation in the CCBHC Planning Grant and subsequent CCBHC Demonstration allows HCPF and BHA to explore how the CCBHC model will complement the Colorado Safety Net System to promote Colorado’s overall goal of integrated and accessible behavioral health care with sustainable funding practices.

### Working Together for Accessible, High-Quality Behavioral Health The 2025 Colorado Planning Grant has been a continuous collaborative effort. Work between BHA, HCPF, and stakeholders has led to initial implementation infrastructure plans.

For more information please follow the below links to keep up to date on memoranda and guidance documents that support the Colorado 2025 CCBHC Planning Grant: * Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) Memorandum Webpage * Payment and Sustainability * CCBHC FMAP Guidance Document * PPS Accountability Guidelines Discussion Meeting Minutes * Quality Measure and Data Collection * 2025 Colorado Behavioral Health State Needs Assessment * Scroll to “Behavioral Health Services Gap Analysis” and select “2025 Behavioral Health Needs Assessment” to access the 2025 Colorado Behavioral Health State Needs Assessment ## CCBHC Planning Grant Updates HCPF and BHA will work together to give regularly available updates on the progress of work as the planning grant year progresses.

* 6th of 6 Programmatic Progress Reports (PPR) submitted in January, 2026 * SAMHSA Performance and Accountability Reporting System (SPARS) Reporting Submitted for sixth and final reporting quarter of the CCBHC Planning Grant * Colorado has been accepted into the most recent cohort of states participating in the CCBHC Medicaid Demonstration. Colorado’s 4 year Demonstration launched July 1, 2026.

### CCBHC Feedback Survey: Provide your feedback! Do you think we are on the right track or need to make some changes? PLEASE - share your opinions by completing a 2 minute survey.

Feedback may be provided anonymously, but we encourage you to provide your contact information so we may reach out if we have follow up questions. #### Presentations/Updates to State-Agency led advisory committees and other forums Would you like to ensure a forum you regularly attend is on our list for updates? Let us know by completing the Survey linked above and suggesting it.

### 2025 CCBHC Planning Grant Stakeholder Work During the 2025 calendar year, HCPF and BHA hosted several stakeholder engagement opportunities in addition to the ongoing CCBHC Steering Committee including a Monthly CCBHC Stakeholder forum and 3 subcommittees.

5 or more meetings were held monthly to ensure clarity of communication with our external partners while initial options and plans were developed for CCBHC implementation in Colorado. Below please find information about and previous work completed in those various meetings.

### CCBHC Steering Committee (CCBHC-SC) The CCBHC Steering Committee (CCBHC-SC) was designed as a public meeting to gather input and perspectives from all stakeholders to help guide the CCBHC planning and implementation process. CCBHC-SC Meetings were open to the public with time reserved for comments and questions. The CCBHC-SC was guided through contractor consultation, state leadership, and stakeholder engagement feedback.

#### CCBHC Steering Committee Minutes * February Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes * January Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes * November Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes * October Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes * September Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes * August Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes * July Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes * June Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes * May Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes * March and April Steering Committee Approved Meeting Minutes Selection for Steering Committee members prioritized lived experience in addition to other criteria developed in the scoring rubric, including experience in the following areas: CCBHC, healthcare system change, advocacy, leadership, and project management.

Colorado’s geographic and demographic diversity was also considered to ensure representation. ### CCBHC Steering Committee Members * **Melissa Eddleman** is the Behavioral Health Policy and Benefits Division Director at HCPF. She has worked for a state Medicaid program for the past 13 years, with the last 8 years of service being to the state of Colorado.

Prior to working with Medicaid, Melissa was a rural behavioral health provider and she specialized in Substance Use Disorder treatment. She is also the Primary Investigator for the 2025 CO CCBHC Planning Grant. * **Thomas Miller** is the Division Director of Quality and Standards at the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration within the Colorado Department of Human Services.

He oversees work exploring and researching Certification of CCBHC standards in Colorado and their alignment with current Colorado Behavioral Health Safety Net systems. He has and will continue to manage work to ensure it aligns with CCBHC standards and finalize the implementation of the CCBHC model as it relates to certification.

* **Jagruti Shah** is the Deputy Director of the Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health at the Colorado Department of Human Services. She oversees the management teams of the two state psychiatric hospitals, Mental Health Transitional Living Program, Forensic Services, Data and Evaluation and Bed Utilization.

For the last 16 years she has worked at the Colorado Department of Human Services- Office of Behavioral Health where she implemented the statewide Jail Based Behavioral Health Services programs, Co-responder programs, the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion programs, the Transition Specialist Program and led the Criminal Justice Services Team.

* **Lauren Snyder** currently lives in Leadville and is the Deputy County Manager of Lake County overseeing health and human services related Departments for the County. She has over a decade working in behavioral health at a systems level in Colorado, including most recently being the VP of Government Affairs at Mental Health Colorado.

In her previous roles, she championed numerous policies and legislation to improve quality of care and protect the rights of people with lived and living experience. * **Sara Reid** has worked in community behavioral health program development, evaluation, and research for over 15 years.

As the program evaluator for the first CCBHC expansion grant in Colorado, at Mental Health Partners, she led development of an outcome evaluation framework, clinical quality measurement, and data-informed decision-making. * **Steven Szapor** is currently the Outpatient Behavioral Health Services Operations Manager at Denver Health.

Denver Health has had a CCBHC Planning, Development, and Implementation Grant for three years and Stephen has been the Project Director on the grant, overseeing the implementation of CCBHC clinical and operational standards. He is interested in supporting CCBHC implementation across the state, while working to improve reimbursements to meet the increased behavioral health needs across Colorado.

* **Charles Davis,**CEO at Crossroads’ Turning Points, Inc., has over 33 years in the Colorado substance use disorders and Behavioral Health fields.

He has been on numerous committees and councils in the past and currently serves on the Colorado Provider’s Association executive board as Treasurer, a board member of Signal Behavioral Health, and serves on the Behavioral Health Integration sub-committee for HCPF’s Accountable Care Collaborative PIAC, the BHA Administrative Burden Advisory Group, the Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Committee, and the HCPF Auditing & Accounting Guidelines Committee as well as several local and regional coalitions and committees in southern Colorado.

* **Haley Leonard-Saunders** is Axis Health System's Director of Communications and Project Director for their current CCBHC grant. She oversees the organization’s development strategy, community partnerships, legislative affairs, and communications. She brings her lived experience to federal grant management, stakeholder and community engagement, and capacity building in rural southwest Colorado.

* **Nancy VanDeMark** has been working to enhance and improve the behavioral health system in Colorado for over 30 years. She has participated in this work as an advocate, family member, consultant, and behavioral health administrator. She is dedicated to building a service system where people have easy access to high quality services when they need them.

* **Meghan Francone** is a Senior Consultant with Cascadia Management Group, bringing over 15 years of experience in behavioral health program management and community-based service delivery. As a CCBHC Steering Committee member, Meghan is committed to leveraging data-driven strategies and cross-sector partnerships to expand access to comprehensive, integrated behavioral health care across Colorado.

* **Mindy Klowden, MNM**, is a national consultant, leader, and strategist in behavioral health and integrated care. She has held leadership positions with Third Horizon, the National Council for Mental Well-Being, Jefferson Center for Mental Health, and was Co-Chair of the Colorado State Innovation Model Practice Transformation Committee.

Mindy has extensive expertise in CCBHC, having served as faculty for the CCBHC—E Training and Technical Assistance Center and provided advisory services to clinics in Colorado and across the country. Additionally, Mindy has lived experience as a family member with serious mental illness. She earned a BA in Sociology from Colorado College and a Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University.

### Monthly CCBHC Stakeholder Meeting HCPF and BHA host a monthly public stakeholder meeting to review progress and collect input. The forum is open to members, providers, individuals with lived experience and their families, advocates, state agencies, managed care entities, and anyone interested in learning more about the CCBHC model in Colorado.

**Past Forum Presentations** ### CCBHC Planning Grant Subcommittees Subcommittees will include subject matter experts from clinics and organizations who render care to the CCBHC Planning Grant’s populations of focus, Colorado’s priority populations, as well as urban, rural, and frontier communities to ensure CCBHC-SC and subcommittees are reflective of Colorado's geographic and cultural diversity.

* **Prospective Payment System and Finance Subcommittee** * Previous Meeting Materials (updated monthly): * **Certification and Provider Readiness Subcommittee** * Previous Meeting Materials (updated monthly): * **Quality Measure Data Management Subcommittee** * Previous Meeting Materials (updated monthly): * CCBHC Quality Measure Data Management Subcommittee Slide Deck * October 2025 Meeting Slide Deck * September 2025 Meeting Slide Deck * CO 2025 CCBHC Planning Grant JBC Report * See our calendar for opportunities to participate in forums, office hours, and webinars.

* We’re here to help! Contact hcpf_bhbenefits@state. co.

us for more information.