Licensure and requirements
Behavioral Health Entities include acute treatment units, community mental health centers, community mental health clinics, and crisis stabilization units.
CDPHE maintains a Behavioral Health Entity website, please visit the BHE page for more information
Patients are individuals seeking community behavioral health services and supports. Patients are also people in need of crisis intervention, as well as people in need of short-term, acute psychiatric care, but who do not require inpatient hospitalization.
The services provided are outpatient services, inpatient services, partial hospitalization, emergency care services, consultative and educational services.
Staff are licensed professional counselors, licensed clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, licensed psychologists, certified addictions specialist, licensed addictions counselors, nurses.
These are presently licensed by CDPHE as Behavioral Health Entities under Chapters 2 and 3. Licensing authority of ATUs is transitioning to the Behavioral Health Administration as of January 1, 2025.
Patients are people in need of short-term, acute psychiatric care but who don't require inpatient hospitalization. The services provided are intensive and individualized services, such as crisis management and stabilization, in a secured residential setting. Nurses, social workers, professional counselors are the license staff who are routinely on-site.
Joint agency oversight
We issue licenses on the basis of program approval in the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) and compliance with our regulations. The facility must be designated to initiate an involuntary hold on a person with a mental illness (also termed "27-65 designation").
Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) (303-866-7400) oversees the clinical and treatment components, these include: Admission and discharge, Staffing, Treatment Medical records, Client rights.
Our Health Facilities’ Behavioral Health and Community Services team ensures facility compliance with non-clinical and physical plant requirements: Emergency preparedness, infection control, dietary services, linen and laundry services, interior and exterior environment, fire safety.
Search for inspection and occurrence findings on our find and compare facilities page. You can search by city or county.
We issue licenses on the basis of program approval in the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) and compliance with our regulations.
The facility must be designated to initiate an involuntary hold on a person with a mental illness (also termed "27-65 designation").
Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) (303-866-7400) oversees clinical and treatment components:
- Admission and discharge
- Staffing. Treatment
- Medical records
- Client rights
Our Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division ensures facility compliance with non-clinical and physical plant requirements:
- Emergency preparedness.
- Infection control.
- Dietary services.
- Linen and laundry services.
- Interior and exterior environment.
- Fire safety.