The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced April 7, 2021 that federal funding may now be used to purchase rapid fentanyl test strips (FTS) in an effort to help curb the dramatic spike in drug overdose deaths largely driven by the use of strong synthetic opioids, including illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Read the entire article here.

OBH has convened a 9-8-8 Implementation Planning Committee to advise on key coordination, capacity, funding and communication issues, and develop a roadmap for the 9-8-8 launch in Colorado that will be released this fall. Committee members represent behavioral health providers, government and law enforcement agencies, community and advocacy organizations, and people with lived experience with mental health and substance use conditions. Because 9-8-8 is not yet operational, Coloradans who need mental health and substance use support should continue to contact Colorado Crisis Services by calling 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or texting TALK to 38255. Read the press release and visit the Committee's website to learn more, including how to provide input into the process. 

Do you plan to continue to provide telehealth services when the Public Health Emergency ends? If you answered YES to these questions and you would prefer our provider directory to show members that you provide telehealth services, please complete the Beacon Telehealth Provider Attestation. Email the completed form to CoProviderRelations@beaconhealthoptions.com.

Please see the links below for the new April 1, 2021 revision of the Behavioral Health Uniform Services and Coding Standards Manual.

Providers are reminded that members do not need to present their Health First Colorado ID cards to receive services. The Health First Colorado Member Handbook states that members only need their date of birth and either their Social Security number or Health First Colorado ID Number (Medicaid ID). Providers should check eligibility via the Provider Web Portal, Integrated Voice Response (IVR) System or batch.

Connect for Health Colorado has opened an Uninsured Enrollment Period to help as many people as possible protect their health and safety during this time. Coloradans who are currently uninsured and don’t qualify for Health First Colorado can sign up for a health insurance plan through May 15, 2021.

Community partners can easily find social media graphics/copy, newsletter copy and virtual brochures in the new toolkit.

Effective March 31, 2021, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department’s) website has a new look. The web address will remain the same, so any bookmarked pages should not be affected. This does not affect the Provider Web Portal.

Beacon's Quality Team is offering a SUD documentation standards training opportunity to providers and staff to assist in meeting the standards required by HCPF and Medicaid. Click here for more information.

America continues to struggle with a public health crisis that remains overshadowed: Overdose deaths increased last year in all but three states, a fact obscured by the COVID-19 pandemic. In our new blog series, we share insights from public health experts and harm reduction advocates about the overdose increase occurring across the country. Read part one and part two of this blog series.

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced that the vaccine data dashboard includes county-level vaccine administration data in beta. The goal of the expanded data dashboard is part of the state's commitment to prioritize data transparency throughout the COVID-19 response, to inform an equitable vaccine distribution process, and ensure accountability. Continue to stay up to date by visiting the Colorado COVID-19 website. 

For vaccine information from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, visit this webpage.

RAE ROUNDTABLE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH---2nd Fri of every month at 11am

Please click here to join the webinar:

Visit the HCI website for details on previous calls.

SUD EXPANDED BENEFIT PROVIDER FORUM--3rd Tues of every month at 10am

Please click here to join the webinar:

Visit the HCI website for details on previous calls.

In a national assessment of 600 youth (ages 13-18) conducted in January 2021, nearly a quarter of the respondents reported that accessing substances was easy or very easy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear Thomas E. Freese, PhD, co-director for the UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs and the Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center, address the effects of the pandemic on youth and why it is more important than ever to understand youth substance use.

This course will challenge providers to examine their personal and professional frameworks as they relate to: Gender; sexuality; and the intersections of race, religion, and power, while enhancing their knowledge, skills, and cultural competence when working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) youth, adults, couples, and family systems. Please visit the program web page to learn more and register for the training.