Approximately 13% of youth ages 8 to 15 experience severe mental disorders in a given year; a rate that increases to 20% for youth ages 13 to 18. Rates increase to over 50% when mild and moderate mental disorders are also included. In Colorado and across the nation, uncoordinated care is consistently cited by consumers, families, practitioners and other stakeholders as being a primary barrier to quality and cost effective care. The COACT project also...

The Colorado Department of Human Services Division of Child Welfare, in partnership with the University of Kansas School of Social Work, created this educational website and the data center to share real-time data about the children, youth, and families involved in Colorado's child welfare system in an effort to engage communities in the unmet needs of abused and neglected children in their community and neighborhood. As a part of an on-going effort...

When an individual is experiencing a severe mental breakdown or substance abuse emergency, they may be involuntarily committed to a mental health institute, if they pose an immediate danger to themselves or people in their community. These involuntary commitments, used for treatment or care, are meant to be used a last resort when less restrictive alternatives are unavailable.

RED (Review, Evaluate and Direct) Teams are child protection professionals who consistently gather information from reports of abuse and neglect and consistently make decisions about whether or not to conduct an assessment or investigation. This collaborative approach brings multiple experts to the table and leads to more informed and shared decision making.