OBH-Designated Clinics-Behavioral Health Entity Licensure Requirements

 

House Bill 19-1237 was signed into law on June 3, 2019. This legislation created a new Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) license type, Behavioral Health Entity (BHE), which covers community-based behavioral health facilities. The Division began issuing BHE licenses on July 1, 2021and continues to work to bring all covered facilities into compliance.  The following community-based behavioral health facilities are obligated to apply for and obtain a license as a BHE by July 1, 2022: Facilities previously licensed by the Department as: community mental health centers, community mental health clinics, acute treatment units, and crisis stabilization units; and Facilities currently designated by the Office of Behavioral Health as either a community mental health center or community mental health clinic.  These facilities must hold a BHE license no later than the July 1, 2022 date, in accordance with C.R.S. 25-27.6-104 (1). As a point of clarification, Residential Child Care Facilities are excluded from this requirement, unless they are also designated by the Office of Behavioral Health as a community mental health clinic. As a designated mental health clinic, your facility has been identified as one that is statutorily obligated to obtain a BHE license by July 1, 2022.  In order to initiate your facility's application for a license as a Behavioral Health Entity, you will first need to submit a Letter of Intent, in the google form template provided. Following the submission of your Letter of Intent, someone from our Certification, Licensing, and Records (CLR) team will reach out to you via email. This email will contain your facility's login information to our Colorado Health Facilities Interactive (COHFI) webpage, where you will navigate and complete your licensing application. For general information about licensing and certification with the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division, please click here. Facilities are considered to be in substantial compliance with Behavioral Health Entity license requirements if they have submitted their Letter of Intent, and a completed licensing application, which includes the following components: A completed and signed application in COHFI All supporting documentation required as a part of the application uploaded to COHFI Initial BHE licensing fee. In order to be considered complete, a license application should be accompanied by the appropriate non-refundable application fee. Please note that CDPHE’s licensing-related work is funded through application fees, and therefore fee waivers are not available.  In an effort to streamline information sharing for potential Behavioral Health Entity applicants, we will be continuing to hold one-hour virtual technical assistance meetings on Tuesdays, from 11 am to 12 pm, via this google link. Upcoming meeting dates that will be held at that link are listed below: May 31, 2022, 11 am-12 pm June 7, 2022, 11 am-12 pm June 21, 2022, 11 am-12 pm June 28, 2022, 11 am-12 pm For more information, please visit the Behavioral Health Entity website or contact Jane Flournoy at jane.flournoy@state.co.us or 303-910-6348.