Larimer County Behavioral Health Services is moving forward with a key strategic goal: to strengthen our community investment approach by allocating a portion of funding to support multi-year, cross-organizational system improvement projects. This will be done through the design of a Multi-Year Funding Framework.
The department is working with Corona Insights to facilitate community engagement, synthesize input, and collaborate with stakeholders on implementation and evaluation plans.
Implementing a multi-year funding model is about deepening community-driven investments in things that lead to system-wide change in behavioral health care.
In 2018, 61% of voters approved a 20-year, 0.25% sales tax to improve behavioral health services. That means for every $100 spent, 25 cents go toward these efforts. Since 2019, the tax has raised about $128 million.
So far, the tax dollars generated have gone to:
- Building and operating the Acute Care facility at Longview campus,
- The annual Impact Fund Grant Program,
- Regional co-response team of clinicians and law enforcement responding to mental health calls.
Since 2019, 72 local organizations have received $14.7 million through yearly grants. The annual grant program will NOT go away; instead, the county also wants to support projects that last several years and promote collaboration.
Using community input and health data, BHS will identify key issues and fund organizations that will address them over time.
This multi-year approach has long been advocated for and supported by BHS advisory groups and aims to use tax dollars wisely for the greatest impact. We are thankful for the groups’ feedback that has shaped our department’s evolving investment strategy. BHS staff discussed this complementary investment approach with county commissioners in April. You can watch the meeting on YouTube at: youtu.be/DU0F6siG-Vw.
The behavioral health tax runs through Dec. 31, 2038, and would need voter approval to be renewed.
