Erin Downing

The 2024-2026 Strategic Plan for the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) focuses on empowering Coloradans to thrive through innovative health and human services. Key goals include supporting the well-being and safety of Coloradans by providing person-centered care and eliminating community-wide stigma, fostering a great place to work by improving employee engagement and culture, striving for operational efficiency through process improvement and technology leverage, promoting inclusivity by advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion, and challenging the organization to innovate by fostering creative problem-solving and adaptability. The plan aims to create a collaborative, multi-disciplinary service approach, improve employee value and empowerment, streamline processes, and ensure equitable access to services, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for Coloradans.

The board meeting included a work session on the Rural Communication Access Services Program and a rulemaking session. Rulemaking discussions covered the Old Age Pension and Aid to the Needy Disabled Colorado Supplement Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Increase 2024, the Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) Process, and the Rural Communication Access Services Program Rule. The session also included the adoption of rules regarding the Clean-up of Merit System Frequency of Attestation, Institutional Abuse Assessments - Medical Neglect in Facilities, and Institutional Medical Neglect. A departmental update included information on legislative hearings, the SMART Act Hearing, and recruitment for key senior positions. Open comments included concerns regarding child welfare investigations.

The board meeting covered updates on the implementation of new behavioral health rules, including the issuance of behavioral health entity licenses and safety net approvals. Discussion included challenges with the licensing platform, specifically electronic payment processing and the allocation of funds for platform improvements. The board also discussed the development of a system-wide behavioral health grievance system, the establishment of an administrative burden work group and a waiver advisory group (planned for the fall), and future rule revisions, including alignment with the American Society of Addiction Medicine's fourth edition and new federal regulations for controlled substance licensing. The meeting also included discussion of the board's role in responding to public comments and concerns, and a process for making a contribution to send flowers to a colleague.

The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) 2021-2025 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan outlines the agency's commitment to advancing EDI and accessibility. The Year 4 plan (2024-2025) prioritizes 12 EDI objectives across six key areas: Leadership, Family and Community Engagement, Policies and Programs, Learning and Growth, Communication, and Employee Lifecycle. The plan aims to embed equitable, accessible, and inclusive practices throughout the organization, leveraging diversity and lived experiences to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Key accomplishments from previous years include increased employee awareness of EDI initiatives, improved leadership support for EDI, increased diversity in applicant pools, and enhanced community engagement. Year 4 initiatives focus on measurable outcomes through specific strategies and activities designed to reduce inequities and disparate impacts in services and the workforce.

The Colorado Department of Human Services' (CDHS's) Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan 2021-25 outlines key activities to improve processes, culture, and engagement of employees and communities served. The plan is divided into six categories: Leadership, Family and Community Engagement, Policy and Program Assessment, Learning and Growth, Communication, and Employee Life Cycle. It aims to address barriers to equitable human services delivery. Year one accomplishments included creating an EDI director position, agency-wide EDI action plans, safe spaces for dialogue, EDI training, new communication forums, community conversations, improved policies based on client feedback, additional EDI positions, and key performance measures. Year one also showed improvements in employee engagement survey results, including increases in valuing diverse opinions, sense of belonging, incorporating client feedback, and leadership support for EDI. The plan details initiatives for the next four years to embed EDI into the organizational culture, focusing on leadership accountability, communication, and employee well-being to reduce inequity in programs and services.