Mental Health Institutes

The Mental Health Institute Division administers and oversees the State’s two Mental Health Institutes: the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo (CMHIP) and the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan (CMHIFL).  The Division is part of the Colorado Department of Human Services and is organized within the Department’s Office of Behavioral Health and Housing.  The Institutes succeeded in reducing the number of patients readmitted to inpatient psychiatric units within 180 days by 9.3 percent from FY 2008-09 to FY 2009-10.  In addition, the Institutes continue to expand the use of the evidence based recovery model.  Recovery is a collaborative, active growth process by which patients move towards increased independence, hope, personal identity and a goal driven and meaningful life not dominated by symptoms of mental illness.

Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo (CMHIP)

The Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo (CMHIP) operates 454 beds, including 144 beds for adult, adolescent and geriatric civilly committed patients and 310 forensic beds.  Referrals for civil commitments come from the state's community mental health centers.  CMHIP's Institute for Forensic Psychiatry (IFP) is the only forensic psychiatric hospital in the state.  IFP evaluates patients for competency to stand trial, restores patients to competency, and treats patients found not guilty by reason of insanity.  In June 2009 CMHIP opened a new, state of the art, 200-bed facility to treat maximum and medium security forensic patients.  Over the last several fiscal years, CMHIP has experienced a dramatic increase in number of forensics patients referred by the courts to CMHIP for inpatient competency evaluations and restorations.  For example, the number of inpatient competency examinations increased by 215 percent (from 102 to 321) between FY 2004-05 to FY 2009-10.

FY 2009-10 Clients Served: 1,951

FY 2010-11 Budget (Appropriated):
Amount:  $68,827,749
FTE: 923.0

Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan (CMHIFL)

The Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan operates 114 beds, including 94 inpatient psychiatric beds for civilly committed adults and 20 Therapeutic Residential Child Care Facility (TRCCF) beds for youth with mental illness.  Fort Logan receives its referrals from the community mental health centers, while county departments of social services and the Division of Youth Corrections refer youth to the TRCCF.  Effective January 1, 2010 the Department closed three inpatient treatment units (59 beds) for children, adolescent and geriatric patients at Fort Logan.

FY 2009-10 Clients Served: 975

FY 2010-11 Budget (Appropriated):
Amount:  $19,882,955
FTE: 252.2