E1A422D2D89A4DBB87258787006D1024 Hearing Summary

Jose Esquibel, subpanel member and Director, Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, recapped working group activity.  He also provided an overview of the sustainable funding, affordability, and payer systems working group recommendations, found here:  https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/committees/2017/bhttf_subpanel_sustainable_funding_affordability_and_payer_system_recommendations_11-8-21_1.pdf

He next presented recommendation #1: fund the grant writing assistance program for mental health and substance use disorder prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery.

 

Lesley Brooks, MD, subpanel vice-chair and Chief of Addiction Medicine, Summitstone Health Partners, presented recommendation #2:  promoting rapid access and increase the existing workforce capacity through reduced administrative burden.

Mr. Esquibel  and Harry Budisidharta, subpanel member and Executive Director, Asian Pacific Development Center, presented recommendation #3: Build capacity for community based organizations to offer sustainable provision of behavioral health services to meet immediate needs. 

Jamie Feld, External Relations Strategist, Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, commented in support of recommendation #3.  Ms. Feld and Mr. Budisidharta responded to questions from the committee. 

Committee discussion ensued about the recommendations and implementation.