20D4FDCF7EA5641687258A130064FAD4 Hearing Summary CLICS/CLICS2023A/commsumm.nsf PUBLICBILL SUMMARY For PRESENTATION ON HIGH ACUITY BEDSINTERIM COMMITTEE COLORADO'S CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM INTERIM STUDY COMMITTEEDate Aug 22, 2023 Location Old State Library Presentation on High Acuity Beds - Committee Discussion Only Attachment Tag File Name http://www2.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2023A/commsumm.nsf/0/C39B9B44A813...$File/Attachment O.pdf?OpenElement Attachment O.pdf http://www2.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2023A/commsumm.nsf/0/987CADED82CE...$File/Attachment P.pdf?OpenElement Attachment P.pdf 12:23:00 PM The committee recessed. 12:48:40 PM The committee came back to order. 12:50:12 PM Minna Castillo, Director of the Office of Children Youth and Families, Colorado Department of Human Services; Dr. Robert Werthwein, Senior Advisor for Behavioral Health and Access, Department of Health Care Policy and Financing; Commissioner Scott James, Weld County; Catania Jones, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Services, El Paso County Department of Human Services; and Heather Durosko, Director of Children and Family Initiatives, Colorado Human Services Directors Association, presented to the committee on high acuity beds. Copies of the presentations from the state agencies and county departments were provided to the committee (Attacments O and P). 12:51:24 PM Ms. Castillo discussed the roles of the various state agencies involved in providing high acuity services or treatments to youth. She highlighted the various treatment settings, including professional foster parents, therapeutic foster homes, qualified residential treatment programs (QRTPs), and psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs). Ms. Castillo discussed aspects of high quality needs and the challenges of finding proper treatment facilities. 01:09:41 PM Ms. Castillo shared data about youth awaiting placement. She reviewed the identified root causes for the lack of availability of specialized treatment beds, including workforce shortages, insufficient provider rates, lack of clinical training and oversight, and payor silos. 01:22:21 PM Ms. Castillo discussed possible solutions, including supports for treatment providers, improving quality of care, and increasing access to responsive treatment. 01:26:41 PM Dr. Werthwein discussed solutions to key components of care, including standardized assessments, crisis resolution teams, intensive care coordination, support services, and speciality placements. 01:33:26 PM Commissioner James discussed his personal story with adopting a child from the child welfare system. 01:45:32 PM Ms. Jones discussed data showing El Paso County's need for placement options for youth with high acuity needs. She provided information about two cases that recently occurred in El Paso County with youth in need of placements. 01:51:54 PM Ms. Durosko shared her personal story about her brother who was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder who died by suicide. She reviewed data about children who are in inappropriate settings. Ms. Durosko reviewed the county priorities related to high acuity placements, including increasing rates for QRTP providers. She discussed information about the treatment continuum for out-of-home placements, crisis resolution treatment pilots, and establishing a statewide children's comprehensive behavioral health system of care. 02:02:56 PM Ms. Durosko reviewed ways to expedite existing efforts, including the need for additional data analysis.
