January 2008

Colorado HJR 07-1050 Behavioral Health Task Force Report

In 2007, the Colorado Legislature passed House Joint Resolution 07-1050 to create a task force (1050 Task Force) for the study of behavioral health funding and treatment. This final report is the result of the 1050 Task Forces efforts to study mental health and substance abuse services in order to coordinate the efforts of state agencies, streamline the services provided, and maximize federal and other funding sources. The 1050 Task Forces final report prepares Colorado for an integrated behavioral health system by providing the foundation for coordinated efforts across systems.

The Task Force recommended that the Behavioral Health Commission may need to consider such things as the role of and support to local communities, including rural and frontier communities; the need for statewide crisis stabilization services; the adequacy of specific types of services such as police transport and statewide availability of behavioral health beds; the remaining elements of the vision and principles that have not been specifically covered by recommendations, such as the partnership between behavioral and physical health; and the need for a shared framework based on a combination of models like systems of care, medical home, principles of recovery, etc.