CLICS/CLICS2023A/commsumm.nsf
PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For PRESENTATION ON HIGH ACUITY BEDS
INTERIM COMMITTEE COLORADO'S CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM INTERIM STUDY COMMITTEE
Date Aug 22, 2023
Location Old State Library
Presentation on High Acuity Beds - Committee Discussion Only
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12:48:40 PM |
The committee came
back to order.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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01:22:21 PM |
Ms. Castillo discussed
possible solutions, including supports for treatment providers, improving
quality of care, and increasing access to responsive treatment.
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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.
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01:33:26 PM |
Commissioner James
discussed his personal story with adopting a child from the child welfare
system.
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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.
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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.
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02:02:56 PM |
Ms. Durosko reviewed ways to expedite existing efforts, including the need for additional data analysis.
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