HB25-1008

  • Current State: Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration currently runs a Jail-Based Behavioral Health Services Program, which funds some mental health and substance use services in county jails. These typically include standard treatment like screenings, therapy, or transition planning for inmates with behavioral health needs. However, “complementary” services – holistic or non-traditional supports such as yoga, meditation, art therapy, peer mentorship, etc. – are generally not funded or systematically provided in jails under current law. Jail staff may have limited training in these complementary approaches, and any such programs are ad hoc or locally funded. There isn’t a dedicated state funding stream specifically for expanding alternative behavioral health services in jail beyond the core program.
  • Proposed Changes: HB25-1008 expands the jail-based program to include funding for “complementary behavioral health services” for people in custody​
    leg.colorado.gov. These are services that supplement an inmate’s primary treatment for a behavioral health disorder. The bill requires the BHA to provide grants or funding to jails specifically for this purpose. In turn, a jail that receives the funds must train its staff to deliver those complementary services and offer them to inmates at no cost​leg.colorado.gov. Examples might include things like mindfulness training, exercise programs for mental wellness, vocational or life skills classes related to behavioral health, or other therapeutic activities that go beyond traditional counseling. The bill also mandates the General Assembly to appropriate up to $50,000 annually to support these services statewide​leg.colorado.gov. (This is a relatively small amount, likely to pilot the program or help a handful of jails initiate services.)
  • Impact on Providers: Jail administrators and health staff (which can include contracted behavioral health professionals) would get resources to implement innovative or holistic interventions. For instance, a jail could start a yoga therapy class for inmates with trauma, or bring in a peer specialist to run support groups – now with state support. Behavioral health professionals might be tapped to train jail deputies or other staff in trauma-informed care or mindfulness techniques as part of this funding. They might also be the ones delivering services like group therapy, meditation sessions, or art therapy programs in the jail setting. For community providers, this could open partnership opportunities with local jails to deliver these complementary services. The aim is to improve inmate mental health and skills, which could in turn reduce crises in jail and possibly lower recidivism. For behavioral health providers in the community, having inmates receive better care while incarcerated means they may re-enter society more stabilized, which can make any follow-up care easier. However, since the funding is modest (capped at $50k statewide), the impact may start small – perhaps a pilot in a few jails. Providers should nevertheless see this as a positive recognition of the value of holistic behavioral health care in criminal justice settings, and it may improve working conditions for those who serve jail populations (through additional tools and training).
  • Status: The bill is moving through the House. It was approved by the House Judiciary Committee (6–5 vote) and referred to House Appropriations on January 21, 2025​
    leg.colorado.gov. It is now in Appropriations, awaiting a funding decision. If funding is secured, it will proceed to full House debate. (The close committee vote indicates some partisan division, but it has advanced so far.)

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