CYF

The goal of this course is to help assessors and others involved in the Enhanced Standardized Assessment (ESA) process understand Children and Youth Mental Health Treatment Act (CYMHTA) specific requirements for completing an ESA. This course also describes the role that ESAs play in accessing funding for behavioral health treatment through CYMHTA.

This course is designed to teach behavioral health providers about Colorado’s Enhanced Standardized Assessment (ESA) for children, youth, and families. Participants will learn the reasons Colorado is implementing the ESA, the required components of the ESA, and the process for conducting the ESA. Behavioral health providers are required to take this course to conduct ESAs.

This course is designed to teach behavioral health providers about Colorado’s Enhanced Standardized Assessment (ESA) process for young people involved with child welfare or the Division of Youth Services (DYS). Participants will learn how Colorado is implementing the ESA in accordance with the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), the additional required components of the ESA when completed for child welfare and DYS, and the process for conducting the ESA for child welfare and DYS. Behavioral health providers are required to take this course to conduct ESAs for young people involved with child welfare and DYS.

In late 2021, the Surgeon General declared a mental health crisis among adolescents in the United States. This crisis has been slowly building for some time, which is evident from trends in adolescent suicide rates over the past two decades. Between 2008 and 2017, the rate of suicide in individuals ages 10 to 24 increased by 60%, and suicide is now a leading cause of death for Colorado adolescents between the ages of 10-24. Risk factors for suicide and other complex behavioral health concerns (e.g., anxiety, depression) differ based on childhood developmental stage, and early identification and treatment may be key to impacting what could otherwise be an unstable or worsening trajectory over the lifespan. In this course, you will discover how measurement-based care and structured screening tools can be used to help these deserving children and youth get the care they need.

This course aids learners in writing robust assessments that accurately and holistically capture a client's strengths and needs while incorporating historical information and current presentation in a culturally, linguistically, and trauma-informed manner.