Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act

The Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act (CYMHTA) (C.R.S. 27-67-101, et. seq.), also called House Bill 18-1094, allows for families to access mental health treatment services for their child or youth. CYMHTA is an alternative to child welfare involvement when a dependency and neglect action isn’t warranted. CYMHTA funding can be available when there is no other appropriate funding source for treatment, such as private insurance.

To be eligible for the Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act, a child or youth:

Must have a mental health diagnosis
Must be at risk of out of home placement
Isn’t eligible for Medicaid
Accesses the program prior to their 18th birthday
Doesn’t have a pending or current dependency and neglect action with child welfare

Contact

For additional questions or assistance regarding the Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act, please contact the CYMHTA Program Manager, Stacey Davis at 303.866.7468 or stacey.davis@state.co.us.

CYMHTA Data
Access CYMHTA FY 2017-18 Data

For Parents/Guardians

The parent(s) or the legal guardian(s) of a child or youth applies for services under the Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act by doing the following:

Contact your local Mental Health Agency’s CYMHTA Liaison
Request an assessment under CYMHTA
CYMHTA pays for the assessment and case management
Treatment services for your child or youth are recommended
The CYMHTA Liaison helps to find and set up treatment services
You can request an advocate at any point in this process

CYMHTA Liaison Contact List
CYMHTA Provider List
Montana Wilderness School and CYMHTA Flier 2020

For additional behavioral health resources, including residential treatment options, please consult our list of Residential Facilities Utilizing Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents.

Parents or the legal guardians are responsible for 7 percent of the total costs of the treatment services provided under CYMHTA, at minimum paying $50 per calendar month.

If the child or youth is placed in residential level of care under CYMHTA funding, the parent or legal guardian must apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) upon behalf of their child or youth within ten (10) business days.

For Medicaid-Eligible Children

For a Medicaid child or youth, a parent or legal guardian may request an objective third-party clinical review within five business days after all first-level Medicaid appeals processes for the residential denial are exhausted. This clinical review does not obligate the funding of services.

Program Rules and Statute

Please find relevant behavioral health regulations and statute listed below. The online versions of these behavioral health regulations and statute are the most current versions available. However, these are not the official versions. For official publication of these and all State of Colorado regulations, please consult the Code of Colorado Regulations (CCR) or contact Lexis-Nexis at 800.227.9597 or the Secretary of State, Information Center at 303.894.2200, x6418.

Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Rules (2 CCR 502-1)
Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act	21.200.4
Definitions	21.200.41
Program Description	21.200.42
Application for Funding	21.200.43
Process of Determining Ability to Pay and Adjusted Charge for Treatment Services	21.200.44
Appeal of the Reduction, Termination, or Denial of Mental Health Services Funded by the Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act	21.200.45
Third Party Review Process for a Medicaid Child or Youth	21.200.46
Dispute Resolution Process between County Department and Mental Health Agencies	21.200.47
Responsibilities of Mental Health Agencies	21.200.481
Responsibilities of the Department	21.200.482

Colorado Revised Statutes Title 27 - Behavioral Health
Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act House Bill 18-1094	Title 27 Article 76 101 et. seq.
Short title	27-67-101
Legislative Declaration	27-67-102
Definitions	27-67-103
Provision of mental health treatment services for children and youth	27-67-104
Monitoring - Reports	27-67-105
Funding - Rules	27-67-106
Dispute Resolution - Rules	27-67-107
Repeal of article (Repeal)	27-67-108
Child and youth mental health services standards – advisory board	27-67-109

For CYMHTA Liaisons and Mental Health Agencies

Standardized Risk Stratification Tool

The Office of Behavioral Health has identified The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment as the standardized risk stratification tool. The Mental Health Agency shall use the CANS when evaluating a child or youth for eligibility under the Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act to align with statute (C.R.S. 27-67-101, et seq).

The purpose of the Standardized Risk Stratification Tool is to support the determination of the assessment for level of care and eligibility.

The Office of Behavioral Health will post more information, including training and materials, as it becomes available.

CYMHTA Liaison Contact List
CYMHTA Provider List
CMHTA to CYMHTA Changes and Updates Effective July 1, 2018 (webinar)
Montana Wilderness School and CYMHTA Flier 2020

For additional behavioral health resources, including residential treatment options, please consult our list of Residential Facilities Utilizing Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents.

Trainings, Announcements, and Resources

CYMHTA Liaison Contact List
CYMHTA Provider List
CMHTA to CYMHTA Changes and Updates Effective July 1, 2018 (webinar)
CYMHTA Handout
CYMHTA's Impact and Outcomes
Frequently Asked Questions
Montana Wilderness School and CYMHTA Flier 2020

For additional behavioral health resources, including residential treatment options, please consult our list of Residential Facilities Utilizing Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents.

The Child and Youth Mental Health Service Standards Advisory Board

The Child and Youth Mental Health Service Standards Advisory Board is responsible for recommending standards and rules relevant to the provision of mental health services to children and youth. Visit the Board's website to access meeting date/times, membership, and meeting agendas/minutes.