Orchid Advocacy
  • Home
    • About Orchid >
      • Why Orchid?
      • ORCHID'S SYSTEMIC FOCUS & "ROOT CAUSE" ANALYSIS APPROACH TO PROBLEM SOLVING WITH A COMMITMENT TO CREATIVITY & INNOVATION
      • Disclaimers, Limitations and An Invitation
      • Orchid Board
      • Orchid Book Club
      • Conjecture, Science & Translational Research & Medicine
      • Orchid Themes & Symbols
      • The Tipping Point
      • Orchid's Website Advertising Policy
      • Statement for Potential Website Contributors
      • Contact
  • Blogs
    • Val's Blog
    • Val's Blog 2
    • ​TRANSLATIONAL/ ​TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE MONDAY
    • NEURO-DIVERSITY Wednesday
    • Olmstead Law & Order Thursday
    • Translational Medicine Friday
    • Translational Love, Relationships & Neuro-Diversity Saturday
  • Orchid's A-Z Index
    • Crisis Services in CO, the US & Around the World
    • Assertive Community Treatment & Flexible ACT Index
    • Housing & Homelessness Index
    • Criminal Justice
    • Innovation Index
    • For More: See the Main Orchid Index Page
  • US Federal
    • THE IMD RULE & ADMIN. ENFORCEMENT OF DISABILITY CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS
    • Medicaid & Supportive Housing & Housing-Related Services
    • CMS' FAILURE TO COVER HOUSING FOR LTC & THE IMD RULE: WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON IS DISCRIMINATION
    • National Take
  • Research & Translational Medicine
    • Immunology & Mental Health >
      • Alcoholism & the Immune System & Mental Health
      • Brain Injury, the Immune System & Mental Health
      • Celiac Disease & Sensitivities, the Immune System & Mental Illness
      • Mental Illness & The Immune System
      • Racial Discrimination & the Immune System & Mental Health
      • Trauma & the Immune System & Mental Health
      • ***Physical Health Issues, the Immune System & Mental Health Index
    • University of Chicago: Institute of Translational Medicine
  • Hot Topics
    • What We Want --- SAMHSA Grant Opportunities Due Jan. 22, 2019
    • Anti-Social Personality Disorder >
      • DECONSTRUCTING ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER AND PSYCHOPATHY: A GUIDELINES-BASED APPROACH TO PREJUDICIAL PSYCHIATRIC LABELS [Hofstra Law Review 2013]
      • Personality Disorders -- Unscientific & Vague -- Must Be Reformed
    • Executive Functioning & "Prison Brain" >
      • Job Accommodation Network on Executive Functioning Deficits
    • Medicaid & Medicare Network Adequacy >
      • OIG: STATE STANDARDS FOR ACCESS TO CARE IN MEDICAID MANAGED CARE (Sept. 2014)
      • OIG: ACCESS TO CARE: PROVIDER AVAILABILITY IN MEDICAID MANAGED CARE (Dec. 2014)
      • GAO 15-710: MEDICARE ADVANTAGE: Actions Needed to Enhance CMS Oversight of Provider Network Adequacy (Aug. 2015)
      • CMS: Promoting Access in Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care: A Toolkit for Ensuring Provider Network Adequacy and Service Availability (April 2017)
    • Medicaid Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Parity >
      • CMS Parity Compliance Toolkit Applying Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Requirements to Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs [Jan. 17, 2017]
      • Frequently Asked Questions: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Final Rule for Medicaid and CHIP [CMS October 11, 2017]
    • Olmstead Disability Rights >
      • Statement of the Department of Justice on Enforcement of the Integration Mandate of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Olmstead v. L.C. (2011)
      • Comprehensive Olmstead Planning
      • the Logical Long Term Consequences of our failure to provide Intensive Community MH Treatment
      • Olmstead Nation ---State Pages: How Far to Comply with Olmstead?
  • Take A Walk Around Orchid's Resource Block
  • Colorado Abuse & Neglect Scandals Involving People with Disabilities
  • Mental Health By The Numbers
  • New Science Is Amazing AND It Has HUGE Moral Implications for Our Society: NOW
  • Olmstead & Homelessness
  • Double V
  • " 'Defund the Police" Means 'Invest in the Resources Our Communities Need' " or Don't Cost Shift to the Police
  • VAGUE OLMSTEAD PLANS, EXPENSIVE LITIGATION
  • Updating & Reforming our Understanding & Treatment of "Anti-Social Personality Disorder" Blog
  • Reform of " Anti-Social Personality Disorder" in Criminal Justice
  • CO HB22-1278
  • New Understandings Matter
  • Mental Health, Ethics & Law
  • CO Olmstead Disability Homeless Law & Policy Project
  • Inflammation, the Immune System, Neuro-Developmental Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders, Substance Use Issues & Chronic Disease
  • Microglia and the Brain's Immune System
  • Substance Issues & the Immune System

​Take A Walk Around Orchid's Resource Block
(for more info on issues see the Orchid ​A-Z Index or the Search Icon)

Colorado Crisis Services ------- 1-844-493-8255 Text “TALK” to 38255
Partnership for Prescription Assistance
Colorado Fund for People with Disabilities -- Rep Payee Services, Supplemental Needs Trust Services, etc.
The ADA National Network Disability Law Handbook
Community Supportive Housing
Private Law Firms that MAY Take Civil Rights Cases Resulting from ​Incarceration
CDPHE's Office of Health Equity
"Involuntary Treatment" for Coloradans with Disabilities -- Theoretically, also available for those in the Criminal Justice System
Mental Health Colorado's Data DashBoard
CO Ombudsman for Behavioral Health Access to Care

Colorado Medicaid Regional Criminal Justice Contacts

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Other Legal Resources
Other Advocacy Resources
CO Dept. of Corrections
CO Community Corrections
SB 17-19: Medication Consistency for people going in and out of Jails, Prisons, Mental Health Facilities, etc.
Gov. Polis' Behavioral Health Task Force -- Members Have Been Selected

Federal resourceS

CMS

CMS Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight: The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA)
The Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) is a federal law that generally prevents group health plans and health insurance issuers that provide mental health or substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits from imposing less favorable benefit limitations on those benefits than on medical/surgical benefits.
CMS Long-Term Services and Supports Technical Assistance Center
The Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Technical Assistance Center guides American Indian and Alaska Native audiences in planning and implementing programs to care for their elders and people with disabilities.
CMS Office of Minority Health
The CMS Office of Minority Health offers a comprehensive source of information on eliminating health disparities and improving the health of all minority populations, like racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, and rural populations.
CMS Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC)
The Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC) provides free assistance to academic and non-profit researchers interested in using Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP, and Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) data for research. Primary funding for ResDAC comes from a CMS research contract. ResDAC is a consortium of faculty and staff from the University of Minnesota, Boston University, Dartmouth Medical School, and the Morehouse School of Medicine.

ResDAC offers a number of services for researchers with all levels of experience using or planning to use CMS data. Services include technical data assistance, information on available data resources, and training.
CMS: State Medicaid Plans & Waivers
State Medicaid Plans and Waivers
State Medicaid plans or state plan amendments often indicate what types of services are covered under Medicaid.  [F]ind more information about state Medicaid plans on Medicaid.gov.

​You can also contact your state's Medicaid office and ask them about LTSS coverage. To find contact information for your state's Medicaid office, visit the State Resources Map, click on your state, and click the Medicaid agency link.


State Medicaid Waivers
LTSS can be covered by waiver. Under a Medicaid waiver, a state can waive certain Medicaid program requirements, allowing the state to provide care for people who might not otherwise be eligible under Medicaid.

SAMHSA

Samhsa's Gains Center for Behavioral Health & Justice Transformation

Hud

HUD: Information for People with Disabillities
HUD: Homeless Assistance


US Interagency council on Homelessness

Fulfilling the Dream: Aligning State Efforts to Implement Olmstead and End Chronic Homelessness
Ending Long-Term Homelessness for People with Complex Needs

CO Dept. of Health Care Policy & Financing [CO Medicaid] 

CO Medicaid's Community Mental Health Benefit
CO's Dept. of Health Care Policy & Financing has a pretty misleading description of the services available.  Specifically, CO offers Assertive Community Treatment  (ACT), Residential Services & Intensive Case Management as ALTERNATIVE SERVICES that are artificially capped based on the savings of the Managed Care Program.  This means that even if someone meets REASONABLE MEDICAL NECESSITY -- there may be NO SERVICES AVAILABLE.  This is NOT Parity or Medicaid Network Adequacy.
CO Medicaid's Long Term Care Community Mental Health Supports [CMHS] Waiver
This waiver has A LOT of problems -- not least of which it is targeted to people with Mental Illness who need help with at least 1 Activity of Daily Living.  This is going to have to be revamped to be effective.  


HCPF's Info doesn't appear to track the Law:

The US Supreme Court's decision in Olmstead (1999) appears to DENY a FUNDAMENTAL ALTERATION DEFENSE to the State under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the State's responsibility to prevent unnecessary institutionalization of individuals with disabilities and provide "reasonable accommodations."

Specifically, the DEFENSE is only available IF:
  • the State is currently providing adequate services, OR
  • has a Comprehensive, Effectively Working Plan for people with Disabilities to prevent unnecessary institutionalization that has:
    • ​Measurable Goals
    • Reasonable Time Frames, &
    • Funding to Support the Plan
 COLORADO DOESN'T HAVE SUCH A PLAN -- & HAS GREATLY RESISTED IT.   NOW AFTER GREATLY RESISTING IT, THE STATE'S 2018 COMMUNITY LIVING REPORT RECOMMENDED MEASURABLE GOALS.

 At whatever level of government or political subdivision, we're looking for policymakers who address issues affecting the Disability Community with:
  • Honesty, 
  • COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW,
  • acknowledgment of mistakes & substantive & complete re-dress of those mistakes, &
  • rigorous inclusion of people who are going to be affected by the policies.

ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT CAN ADMINISTRATIVELY & EFFECTIVELY ENFORCE CRITICAL DISABILITY LAWS, REGULATIONS, & GUIDANCE, INCLUDING:
  • the Americans with Disabilities Act & Olmstead
  • the 2008 Mental Health Parity & Addiction Equity Act
  • Medicaid Network Adequacy

WE DON'T HAVE EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT NOW.
CO Medicaid's Long Term Care Waiver for People with Developmental Disabilities [DD]
CO Medicaid's Long Term Care Brain Injury [BI] Waiver
HCPF Rules & Regulations
CDPHE's Directory of Assisted Living Residences & Mental Health Residential Treatment Facilities-- identifying those certified by CO Medicaid

​-HCPF's INFO on Requesting "Reasonable Accommondations"

Requesting Reasonable Modifications


The Department shall make reasonable modifications to policies, practices and procedures to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, unless a modification would fundamentally alter the nature of the program, service, or activity or a modification causes undue burden.

If you need a Reasonable Modification to policies, practices or procedures, contact the 504/ADA Coordinator or use the Reasonable Modifications Request Form.  Reasonable Modification requests are processed as quickly as possible.  Timing may vary depending on the nature and complexity of the request.

Complaints and Grievances

If you feel you have been discriminated against, individuals with disabilities can file a complaint within 60 days of the incident. Complaints should be in writing whenever possible, however, if you are unable to write your complaint due to disability, alternatives are available.

Please use the Discrimination Complaint Form or contact the 504/ADA Coordinator to discuss alternate methods for filing a complaint.  The Department will respond to the complaint within 120 days.

If this does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, qualified individuals may appeal the decision. Submit appeals within 15 days of the decision.  Appeals should be in writing addressed to the 504/ADA Coordinator. Within 30 days, the Department will respond to the appeal.

More Information

More information is available in the Department’s Disability Rights Notice (en Español: Aviso De Derechos De Discapacidad) and the Department’s Disability Rights Policy and Grievance Procedure [60-day time limit from date of incident].

If you still have questions, please contact the 504/ADA Coordinator:
504/ADA Coordinator
Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
1570 Grant Street
Denver, Colorado 80203-1818
Phone:  303-866-6010
FAX:  303-866-2828
State Relay:  711
Email:  [email protected]

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/hcpf/americans-disabilities-act


​resources for children, youth & families

CO's Child Mental Health Treatment Act
CDHS Division of Youth Services [formerly Division of Youth Corrections]
Youth Seclusion Working Group [Oversees CDHS Division of Youth Services' use of confinement for administrative purposes]
CO Child Protection Ombudsman
CO's Family Advocacy Programs
2017 Psychotropic Medication Guidelines for Children & Adolescents in Colorado's Child Welfare System


​resources for Employment

CO Dept. of Labor & Employment, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
Canada: Rise Asset Development -- Supports Entrepreneurs Overcoming Mental Health & Addiction Challenges
CO Office of Behavioral Health - Individual Placement Supports (IPS) - Supported Employment -- Dartmouth Model
IPS [Individualized Placement Support] Employment Center -- located @ Dartmouth College in New Hampshire


​Some official reform efforts

Samhsa's Gains Center for Behavioral Health & Justice Transformation
STEPPing UP Initiative-- getting people with MI out of Jails, supported by law enforcement, counties, & other stakeholders around the country
CO JOINT Legislative COMMITTEE Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal Justice System
CO Criminal Justice Commission: Mental Health/Point of Contact Through Jail Release Task Force
CO Interim Legislative Committee: Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee


Misc. CDHS Resources

CO Office of Behavioral Health Fact Sheets
Sign Up for CDHS Office of Behavioral Health E-mail Updates
CDHS MINDSOURCE BRAIN INJURY NETWORK
CDHS Publications & Reports, including the Office of Behavioral Health
CDHS Healthcare Innovation Lab -- focus is on Technology -- It is NOT Inclusive
CDHS Forensic Services

University Institutes, Centers, etc.

CU School Of Medicine Health Care Policy & Research
CU National Mental Health Innovation Center
CU Integrative Physiology Research
Picture
Picture
Official Journal of PNIRS
Oregon Health & Science Univ. [OHSU] -- Psychoneuroimmunology Research Lab

Orchid:  Email

Crisis Services in Colorado, the US & Around the World

​Copyright 2025  Orchid Mental Health Legal Advocacy of Colorado, Inc.
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  • Home
    • About Orchid >
      • Why Orchid?
      • ORCHID'S SYSTEMIC FOCUS & "ROOT CAUSE" ANALYSIS APPROACH TO PROBLEM SOLVING WITH A COMMITMENT TO CREATIVITY & INNOVATION
      • Disclaimers, Limitations and An Invitation
      • Orchid Board
      • Orchid Book Club
      • Conjecture, Science & Translational Research & Medicine
      • Orchid Themes & Symbols
      • The Tipping Point
      • Orchid's Website Advertising Policy
      • Statement for Potential Website Contributors
      • Contact
  • Blogs
    • Val's Blog
    • Val's Blog 2
    • ​TRANSLATIONAL/ ​TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE MONDAY
    • NEURO-DIVERSITY Wednesday
    • Olmstead Law & Order Thursday
    • Translational Medicine Friday
    • Translational Love, Relationships & Neuro-Diversity Saturday
  • Orchid's A-Z Index
    • Crisis Services in CO, the US & Around the World
    • Assertive Community Treatment & Flexible ACT Index
    • Housing & Homelessness Index
    • Criminal Justice
    • Innovation Index
    • For More: See the Main Orchid Index Page
  • US Federal
    • THE IMD RULE & ADMIN. ENFORCEMENT OF DISABILITY CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS
    • Medicaid & Supportive Housing & Housing-Related Services
    • CMS' FAILURE TO COVER HOUSING FOR LTC & THE IMD RULE: WHAT THEY HAVE IN COMMON IS DISCRIMINATION
    • National Take
  • Research & Translational Medicine
    • Immunology & Mental Health >
      • Alcoholism & the Immune System & Mental Health
      • Brain Injury, the Immune System & Mental Health
      • Celiac Disease & Sensitivities, the Immune System & Mental Illness
      • Mental Illness & The Immune System
      • Racial Discrimination & the Immune System & Mental Health
      • Trauma & the Immune System & Mental Health
      • ***Physical Health Issues, the Immune System & Mental Health Index
    • University of Chicago: Institute of Translational Medicine
  • Hot Topics
    • What We Want --- SAMHSA Grant Opportunities Due Jan. 22, 2019
    • Anti-Social Personality Disorder >
      • DECONSTRUCTING ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY DISORDER AND PSYCHOPATHY: A GUIDELINES-BASED APPROACH TO PREJUDICIAL PSYCHIATRIC LABELS [Hofstra Law Review 2013]
      • Personality Disorders -- Unscientific & Vague -- Must Be Reformed
    • Executive Functioning & "Prison Brain" >
      • Job Accommodation Network on Executive Functioning Deficits
    • Medicaid & Medicare Network Adequacy >
      • OIG: STATE STANDARDS FOR ACCESS TO CARE IN MEDICAID MANAGED CARE (Sept. 2014)
      • OIG: ACCESS TO CARE: PROVIDER AVAILABILITY IN MEDICAID MANAGED CARE (Dec. 2014)
      • GAO 15-710: MEDICARE ADVANTAGE: Actions Needed to Enhance CMS Oversight of Provider Network Adequacy (Aug. 2015)
      • CMS: Promoting Access in Medicaid and CHIP Managed Care: A Toolkit for Ensuring Provider Network Adequacy and Service Availability (April 2017)
    • Medicaid Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Parity >
      • CMS Parity Compliance Toolkit Applying Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Requirements to Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs [Jan. 17, 2017]
      • Frequently Asked Questions: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Final Rule for Medicaid and CHIP [CMS October 11, 2017]
    • Olmstead Disability Rights >
      • Statement of the Department of Justice on Enforcement of the Integration Mandate of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Olmstead v. L.C. (2011)
      • Comprehensive Olmstead Planning
      • the Logical Long Term Consequences of our failure to provide Intensive Community MH Treatment
      • Olmstead Nation ---State Pages: How Far to Comply with Olmstead?
  • Take A Walk Around Orchid's Resource Block
  • Colorado Abuse & Neglect Scandals Involving People with Disabilities
  • Mental Health By The Numbers
  • New Science Is Amazing AND It Has HUGE Moral Implications for Our Society: NOW
  • Olmstead & Homelessness
  • Double V
  • " 'Defund the Police" Means 'Invest in the Resources Our Communities Need' " or Don't Cost Shift to the Police
  • VAGUE OLMSTEAD PLANS, EXPENSIVE LITIGATION
  • Updating & Reforming our Understanding & Treatment of "Anti-Social Personality Disorder" Blog
  • Reform of " Anti-Social Personality Disorder" in Criminal Justice
  • CO HB22-1278
  • New Understandings Matter
  • Mental Health, Ethics & Law
  • CO Olmstead Disability Homeless Law & Policy Project
  • Inflammation, the Immune System, Neuro-Developmental Disorders, Psychiatric Disorders, Substance Use Issues & Chronic Disease
  • Microglia and the Brain's Immune System
  • Substance Issues & the Immune System