(1) All behavioral health entities, crisis walk-in centers, acute treatment units, mobile crisis programs, respite services, and crisis stabilization units within the crisis response system, regardless of program licensure, shall meet standards for approval pursuant to section 27-66-105. Facility-based crisis service providers must be approved or designated to adequately care for an individual brought to the facility through the emergency mental health procedure described in section 27-65-106 and be an approved treatment facility pursuant to section 27-81-106. The arrangements for care must be completed through the crisis response system or prearranged partnerships with other crisis intervention services. (2) (a) The BHA shall ensure that mobile response units are available to respond to a behavioral health crisis anywhere in the state within no more than two hours, either face-to-face or using telehealth operations, for mobile crisis evaluations. (b) Mobile crisis services may be delivered by criminal justice diversion programs approved by the BHA or a crisis response system contractor. (3) (a) All walk-in centers throughout the state's crisis response system must be appropriately designated by the commissioner for an emergency mental health hold, adequately prepared, and properly staffed to accept an individual through the procedure outlined in section 27-65-106 or a voluntary application for mental health services pursuant to section 27-65-103 or 27-65-104. Priority for individuals placed under an emergency mental health hold pursuant to section 27-65-106 is on treating high-acuity individuals in the least restrictive environment without the use of law enforcement. (a.5) All crisis walk-in centers throughout the state's crisis response system shall be appropriately licensed, adequately prepared, and properly staffed to provide crisis services to an individual with a substance use disorder, as that term is defined in section 27-81-102, or an individual with a disability, as defined in the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990", 42 U.S.C. sec. 12101 et seq., as amended, regardless of primary diagnosis, co-occurring conditions, or if the individual requires assistance with activities of daily living, as defined in section 12-270-104. A crisis walk-in center shall prioritize treating high-acuity individuals in the least restrictive environment without the use of law enforcement. (b) The ability of crisis walk-in centers to accept individuals through an emergency mental health hold outlined in section 27-65-106, a voluntary application for substance use disorder services pursuant to section 27-81-109, or a voluntary application for mental health services pursuant to section 27-65-103 or 27-65-104 may include, but is not limited to, purchasing, installing, and using telehealth operations for mobile crisis evaluations in partnership with hospitals, clinics, law enforcement agencies, and other appropriate service providers. (3.5) Mobile crisis programs and crisis walk-in centers shall provide crisis response screening services to any individual seeking such services, including youth of any age and an individual with a disability, as defined in the federal "Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990", 42 U.S.C. sec. 12101 et seq., as amended, regardless of primary diagnosis, co-occurring conditions, or if the individual requires assistance with activities of daily living, as defined in section 12-270-104. All additional or corresponding behavioral health services beyond the crisis response screening must be provided in accordance with all applicable state laws, including, but not limited to, sections 12-245-203.5, 13-22-102, 27-65-103, and 27-65-104. (4) Rural crisis facilities are encouraged to work collaboratively with other facilities in the region that provide care twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, to form local arrangements. (5) The BHA shall encourage crisis response system contractors in each region to develop partnerships with the broad array of crisis intervention services through mobile response units and telehealth-capable walk-in centers in rural communities that offer care twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. (6) The BHA shall ensure crisis response system contractors are responsible for community engagement, coordination, and system navigation for key partners, including criminal justice agencies, emergency departments, hospitals, primary care facilities, behavioral health entities, walk-in centers, and other crisis service facilities. The goals of community coordination are to: (a) Formalize relationships with partners in the contractually defined regions; (b) Pursue collaborative programming for behavioral health services, including, when possible, embedding crisis clinicians and consultants in first response systems; (c) Build close relationships between first responders and dispatch centers and the crisis response system contractor in the region; and (d) Coordinate behavioral health crises interventions in the community as early as possible to promote diversion from the criminal justice system and continuity of care. (6.5) For state fiscal year 2023-24, the BHA shall safeguard partnerships between community-based behavioral health providers and rural hospitals by allocating money to community-based behavioral health providers. (7) The BHA shall explore solutions for addressing secure transportation, as defined in section 25-3.5-103 (11.4), of individuals placed on a seventy-two-hour treatment and evaluation hold pursuant to article 65 of this title 27, and shall include the following information as part of its 2023 "State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive, and Transparent (SMART) Government Act" presentation required pursuant to section 2-7-203: (a) How crisis contractors are facilitating the use of secure transportation or contracting with secure transportation licensees; and (b) How the BHA has supported and encouraged crisis contractors to include secure transportation in the behavioral health crisis response system. (8) The BHA shall ensure consistent training for professionals who have regular contact with individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. (9) The BHA shall conduct an assessment of need and capacity of the statewide crisis response system to better understand the state's needs for crisis response and service gaps across the state. (10) (a) The state department shall annually, in August, notify each public and private school in the state about services provided by the behavioral health crisis response system, including but not limited to how to engage with and what to expect from the services, and the possibility of peer-to-peer counseling as a part of the offered services. The state department shall provide behavioral health crisis response system awareness and educational materials to each public and private school in the state. (b) The state department shall collaborate with the department of education, created in section 24-1-115, in identifying public and private schools in Colorado, including but not limited to identifying school contact information.
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