2012
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 12-012
       
       
       BY SENATOR(S) Nicholson, Aguilar, Bacon, Boyd, Brophy, Cadman,
       Carroll, Foster, Giron, Grantham, Guzman, Harvey, Heath, Hodge,
       Hudak, Jahn, Johnston, King K., King S., Lambert, Lundberg, Mitchell,
       Morse, Neville, Newell, Renfroe, Roberts, Scheffel, Schwartz, Spence,
       Steadman, Tochtrop, White, Williams S., Shaffer B.;
       also REPRESENTATIVE(S) DelGrosso and Lee, Acree, Balmer, Barker,
       Baumgardner, Becker, Beezley, Bradford, Brown, Casso, Conti, Coram,
       Court, Duran, Ferrandino, Fields, Fischer, Gardner B., Gerou, Hamner,
       Holbert, Hullinghorst, Jones, Joshi, Kagan, Kefalas, Kerr A., Kerr J.,
       Labuda, Levy, Liston, Looper, Massey, McCann, McKinley, Miklosi,
       Murray, Nikkel, Pabon, Pace, Peniston, Priola, Ramirez, Ryden, Schafer
       S., Scott, Singer, Solano, Sonnenberg, Soper, Stephens, Summers,
       Swalm, Swerdfeger, Szabo, Todd, Tyler, Vaad, Vigil, Waller, Williams
       A., Wilson, Young, McNulty.
       
       
          CONCERNING RECOGNITION OF COMMUNITY
       BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS IN COLORADO. 
       
       
          WHEREAS, Mental illness and substance use disorders, together
       referred to as behavioral health, are treatable and recovery is possible
       when appropriate treatment services are available and accessible; and 
       
          WHEREAS, Behavioral health is a key component to a person's
       overall health, and any effort to reform the health care system must
       comprehensively include behavioral health in order to realize marked
       improvements in access, cost, efficiency, quality, and sustainability; and
       
          WHEREAS, Community mental health providers are advancing an
       integrated health care approach by addressing behavioral health needs
       with improved physical health to realize better patient outcomes, reduced
       health care costs, and greater patient satisfaction; and 
       
          WHEREAS, Persons with mental health and substance use disorders
       who have access to local, community-based prevention, intervention, and
       treatment services are much less likely to require the more expensive
       alternatives of hospitalization or incarceration, and their chances of
       becoming homeless are greatly reduced; and 
       
          WHEREAS, Community mental health centers, working with
       behavioral health organizations, are the health care homes for many
       children and adults with behavioral health needs who would otherwise be
       unable to access much-needed behavioral health treatment; and
       
          WHEREAS, Investing in community-based behavioral health services
       has been proven to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and save
       taxpayer dollars; and
       
          WHEREAS, The demand for mental health and substance use disorder
       treatment has reached record levels in Colorado, and for more than
       forty-five years, nonprofit community mental health centers and clinics
       have provided comprehensive behavioral health services to indigent and
       underinsured citizens of Colorado by partnering with the state to best
       utilize available local, state, and federal funding; and
       
          WHEREAS, Behavioral health organizations have successfully
       administered the mental health benefits of the state Medicaid program for
       more than fifteen years, saving Colorado millions of dollars while
       connecting clients with available community mental health services and
       thereby improving treatment outcomes; now, therefore,
       
          Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-eighth General Assembly of
       the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:
       
          That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly, hereby:
       
          (1)  Recognize the vital role played by community mental health
       centers and behavioral health organizations in Colorado's system of health
       care; and 
       
          (2)  Express our appreciation and gratitude to all those individuals
       who dedicate time, energy, and hard work to this challenging but critical
       area of health care.
       
          Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to
       the Honorable John Hickenlooper, Governor of Colorado, and to the
       directors of the Colorado Department of Human Services and the
       Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Brandon C. Shaffer                     Frank McNulty
       PRESIDENT OF                    SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES
       
       
       
       
       
       
       ____________________________  ____________________________
       Cindi Markwell                        Marilyn Eddins
       SECRETARY OF                CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
       THE SENATE                        OF REPRESENTATIVES