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Community Services and Resources

Colorado insurance coverage for mental health and preventative health benefits

Learn more about Colorado insurance coverage for mental health and preventative health benefits.

A key part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the creation of “essential health benefits” that are required to be part of health insurance plans that meet the requirements of the ACA. And one of those essential health benefits are the preventive services that should be covered by such insurance plans WITHOUT additional cost to you if delivered by a doctor or other health care provider in the plan’s network of providers, including Mental /Behavioral Health services.

Mental Health Parity is about comparable treatment for people who need mental and behavioral health care. Both federal and Colorado law provide protections for consumers accessing mental/behavioral health services — requiring health insurance companies to cover services for mental/behavioral health conditions like they cover other medical conditions, like diabetes or heart disease — this is called “parity.” Parity laws prohibit health plans from being more restrictive with mental health, behavioral health, and substance use disorder benefits than they would be for medical and surgical benefits.

2-1-1

As of March, 26, 2020, the Colorado State Emergency Operations Center activated 2-1-1 Colorado to connect Coloradans with human service resources statewide.

Coloradans can reach 2-1-1 Colorado online at 211Colorado.org, by dialing 2-1-1 or texting your Zip Code to 898-211.

 

2-1-1 provides navigation services to resources such as: 

  • Housing, including shelters and transitional services

  • Rent and utility assistance

  • Applying for SNAP benefits by phone

  • Childcare

  • Food/meals

  • Transportation

  • Clothing/personal/household needs

  • Mental health and substance use disorders

  • Employment

  • Education

  • Medical clinics

  • Dental clinic

  • Other government/economic services

Mental health support

SAFE2Tell

Please still use SAFE2Tell if you want to report a student in crisis or connect with crisis response services.

 

Axis 24 hour Crisis

  • 970-247-5245. Call and talk with a local therapist 24 hours/daily.

  • Axis Crossroads (Crisis) is still seeing patients in person.

  • Address: Medical Center at 1125 Three Springs Blvd. Durango, CO 81301

Colorado Crisis Services

  • 24/7 support

  • 1-844-493-TALK  or for text support text “TALK” to 38255

Food assistance

Manna Soup Kitchen

  • Serving meals 7days/week

  • Manna will continue to partner with Durango 9-R on their backpack program to provide families meals outside of child meal plan

  • Address: 1100 Avenida Del Sol

Durango Food Bank

  • Contact: 970-375-2672

  • Call the number provided if you need assistance.

Shelter

VOA Shelter

  • Currently accepting men.

  • Address: 1055 Avenida Del Sol (across the street from Manna Soup Kitchen)

SAFE house (battered women’s shelter)

  • Currently accepting all women and children.

  • Be honest about experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms because they will screen upon arrival and are accepting sick patients. They have a separate quarantine room.

Other services

La Plata Youth Services

  • Serving youth and families with challenges in school system, home, or court.

Grief Center of SW Colorado

As school nears it's end, we at The Grief Center of SW CO are accepting referrals for our summer grief programs for children and teens. We have scheduled two week-long grief camps for La Plata County and one for Montezuma County at the end of the summer. We are preparing for the possibility of a different approach this year, and our child therapists are currently holding our ongoing groups online and meeting with bereaved kids by phone or video in many creative and successful ways.

Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you or your child would benefit from grief services at this time. Although we work primarily with children bereaved by death of a loved one, we are expanding our services to include children bereaved by family illness, abandonment, deportation and loss of homes during this challenging time.

Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing

Please see the included informative handout for families to reference should they need health care coverage during this time. This includes links to further information regarding enrollment in Medicaid through Health First Colorado, Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) or support for financial assistance to buy private health insurance.

You, or members of your family, may qualify for Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program), Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) or financial assistance to purchase private health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado. You and members of your family can apply for Health First Colorado and CHP+ any time of the year. Unlike employer-sponsored coverage or the Connect for Health Colorado marketplace exchange, there is no “enrollment period.” There are several ways to apply: 

  1. Visit healthfirstcolorado.com/apply-now/. Apply online any hour of the day, upload needed documents with your application, and track the status of your application. 

  2. You can find information on how to apply by mail at colorado.gov/hcpf/how-to-apply#by-mail. 

  3. You can apply through your county’s department of health and human services. Find your nearest office by visiting colorado.gov/cdhs/contact-your-county

  4. Apply over the phone by calling 1-800-221-3943, option 1 (State Relay: 711); hold times may be long.