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Prevention and Core Services Monthly Newsletter

May 2025

April snow showers bring May flowers, and the colors are starting to pop! Colorful Colorado is showing off and we are ready for it. May also serves as the observance month for several important initiatives, such as Mental Health and Foster Care Awareness.

Foster parents help families thrive by providing support for children and youth in foster care while their biological parents take the time, they need to learn skills to become the parents their children need. Each May we strive to raise awareness about the needs of children and youth in foster care and to recognize the contributions of foster parents, child welfare professionals, and others who support these young people. National Foster Care Awareness Month is also an opportunity to educate the community about the challenges faced by youth in foster care and encourage community involvement in supporting them.

May is also Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM). Observed since 1949, MHAM exists to help address mental health struggles that many Americans face, to educate people about resources available to them, and to reduce the stigma that keeps people from seeking support. Explore BHA’s MHAM toolkit (Google Doc) for sample communications you can share with your community about the importance of mental health for all people in Colorado! There are so many resources available to people in Colorado who may be struggling, or who have a loved one or community member that they know is in need of support. Be sure to look at this month’s resource section for mental health support.

We can’t send the May newsletter out and not acknowledge Mother’s Day. Thank you to all of the moms doing the hard work at their jobs and loving on their little ones, human and fur kids.

With gratitude,

Amy, Yerson, and Noelle

Family First News

• Noelle Smith has been meeting with our Prevention Plan program intermediaries and looks forward to sharing highlights of our 9 evidence-based services in future newsletters!
• Motivational Interviewing continues to be a hot topic in the Title IV-E prevention landscape, and we continue to meet with a variety of states to learn how they implement and track the use of this incredible tool. Stay tuned for future updates on training, monitoring, and new initiatives to lift up this well-supported program. If your county has recently implemented or trained staff on utilizing Motivational Interviewing with clients - we would love to hear from you! Contact Noelle at Smith@state.co.us
• The next Child Welfare Prevention Task Group (CWPTG) is scheduled for Friday, June 13 · 1:30 – 3:00pm. Google Meet call link: https://meet.google.com/eis-ipzd-day or join by dialing: ‪(US) +1 401-552-4087 PIN: ‪193 728 466#

Core News

• Core Services Contracts should be in Trails by May 31st for the 2025-2026 SFY. With the changes to contract entry regarding evidence-based service types, we recognize some counties may find themselves still seeking agreements and final signatures after June 1. Reach out to Amy Sciangula and Yerson Padilla if you have questions or would like to talk through your situation.
• *Important for SFY 25-26* Service Types that are rated on the Family First Title IV-E Prevention Services website must be selected in Trails by their evidence-based name (e.g., Multisystemic Therapy (MST), etc.) when entering Core Contracts and service authorizations for Core Services. Memo OM-OCYF-2025-0001 (in the Memo Spotlight) covers the importance of entering Core contracts when they are Evidence-Based Services (EBS) and includes a link to the step-by-step job aid. For a visual overview of entering Core Services EBS (video) Amy Sciangula walks you through the process in Trails. Here is the current list of Service Types that have recently been added to Trails by our outstanding Trails team:

• If you need to use Core Funds for out-of-state supportive services for potential adoptive families, please review the Request For Use of Core Funds Outside of Colorado form (Google Doc). As a reminder, 7.304.662 should be referenced when determining if Core should be used. Core Services may be purchased and provided for a child placed out-of-state with written state department approval. County Core Service Programs may only be used for a child in out-of-home placement when services are not available through the contract with the out-of-home provider or the county negotiates a lower rate with the provider. Core Service Programs may only be used for clients when the client’s private insurance and/or other funding sources are exhausted, insufficient, or inappropriate.

Program Area 3 News

• The Program Area 3 Work Group will be meeting on Monday, May 19th 11:00-12:00pm. This group will meet on the 3rd Monday every other month. Program Area 3 Work Group. Google Meet joining link: https://meet.google.com/xzu-uaer-pfz or join us by dialing: ‪(US) +1 516-261-2075 PIN: ‪948 430 953#
• PA3 use looks very different from county to county. It gives a county the freedom to design a response that fits their staffing availability, budget, and community. While PA3 is not as defined in Volume 7 as our other Program Areas, there are specific limitations spelled out. Please share and refer to the graphic below regarding the typical flow of a screened-out referral to PA3, as well as ways it is not used to support families. Remember, if a referral meets criteria for assessment, then screening out to PA3 is not appropriate.

Memo Spotlight

• **Memo number: OM-OCYF-2025-0001 (PDF)** - Core Contract and Service Authorization for Family First Claiming. The purpose of this memorandum is to advise counties of the need to correctly enter Core contracts and service authorizations, specifically in order to increase Federal reimbursement for evidence-based services (EBS) used and improve data collection of services to return or keep children and youth in their home. The memo contains a link to the job aid detailing each step in the Core Contract entry process, as well as service authorizations.
• Memo number: IM-CW-2025-0017 (PDF) - New Process to Request Initial Child Welfare Certification. This memo is to inform county departments and partner agencies of updates and expectations regarding the initial certification of child welfare hotline workers, caseworker trainees, caseworkers and supervisors.
• Memo number: IM-CW-2025-0024 (PDF) - Child Welfare Code of Ethics Workgroup Participation

County Space

Email Amy Sciangula or Yerson Padilla your news, ideas, or questions for the September edition.  County Question: We would like information/clarification on Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Core, and RAEs. Do counties have to contract with MSOs for services, in part to be able to draw down Additional Family Support (AFS) dollars for services. Answer: There has been a lot of confusion about AFS.  We recently learned that AFS is not tied to Core allocations or spending. Counties are NOT required to contract with their MSO, soon to be BHASO, regarding Core funds for substance abuse. There is a separate allocation formula that BHA uses to determine the AFS amount a county receives from dollars SAMHSA provides to the state. Those funds can be used for a wide variety of things in a child welfare assessment/case. Kacy Behrend (email) - Manager of Substance Use Services and Supports for High-Risk Families, can speak best about what AFS funds can and cannot do. AFS is NOT tied to anything we do with Core Service

County Information Share

Meet the Arapahoe County Community Development and Prevention staff. They are proud to share the components of their program and welcome you to contact them with any questions you may have.

Resources/Information

• The Communications Team has launched a new statewide campaign to help recruit foster families across Colorado! Check out the new videos: English, Spanish and share with your colleagues, as well as your social media.
• The Colorado Department of Human Services Division of Child Welfare is in the final stages of writing the 2026 Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR) for federal submission. CDHS values the input of our stakeholders and would like to invite you to review the draft APSR and participate in opportunities to provide feedback. Please email Katie Scherr, Federal Reporting Administrator, with any questions, concerns, or accommodations.
• In honor of Reunification Month, the Office of Respondent Parents' Counsel, the Office of Children, Youth, and Families, the Court Improvement Program, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and the Office of the Child’s Representative are coming together as One Team, One Family to recognize the power of partnership in keeping families together. Join them on June 12, 2025, at the Denver Zoo as they celebrate the collective impact of their shared mission—Partnering to Reunite Families. This year’s celebration will include special recognition of their Reunification Hero honorees, remarks from local leaders, family activities, and lunch. After that, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy the zoo for free with their families. Spots are limited! RSVP at this link By June 1. *Please note: Families who have had child welfare involvement and been reunified are invited to attend this event. Also note, they have a limited number of paid hotel rooms for families coming from greater than 60 miles away from Denver. If you are interested, please email cvangaasbeek@coloradoorpc.org. 
• The Child Welfare Sub-PAC Substance Use Work Group is shifting its focus to examine the impact of youth substance use on involvement and outcomes in Colorado's child welfare system, as well as its effects on child welfare staff and practice. The workgroup aims to:
  • Assess the prevalence and impact of youth substance use on child welfare cases.
  • Identify challenges faced by child welfare staff in managing cases involving youth substance use.
  • Develop actionable recommendations to improve outcomes for affected children and families.

If you are interested in participating in the Workgroup or would like more information, please reach out to Shannon Bryan to be added to the meeting invite. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday May 20th from 10 -1130 AM. 

Google Meet joining info:

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/fdr-swbn-dur 

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 567-297-2857‬ PIN: ‪944 318 540‬#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/fdr-swbn-dur?pin=8365449460462

• The 988 Colorado Mental Health Line’s trained specialists are available via call, text, or chat 24/7 for anyone struggling with an emotional, mental health, or substance use concern. 
• Children and youth 18 years of age or younger have access to up to six free sessions of therapy through I Matter! Youth or their parents and caregivers can visit IMatterColorado.org to find a therapist and schedule an appointment in just 10 minutes. Services are available in English and Spanish at YoImportoColorado.org.
• Colorado’s community of veterans has unique needs when it comes to mental health support. That’s why BHA supports Next Chapter. Through Next Chapter, veteran leaders, healthcare professionals, and community partners join in a collaborative team initiative to deliver the best support for the variety of challenges, including behavioral health challenges veterans and their families face as they write their next chapter. Visit NextChapterCO.org for more information about the services and resources it can provide in El Paso, Teller, and Pueblo Counties.
• Sometimes the helpers need help too. Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT) is a free resource that supports the family members and friends of people struggling with addiction, also known as a substance use disorder. Learn more about how CRAFT can support you in either English or Spanish at bha.colorado.gov/behavioral-health/CRAFT.

Training Opportunities

• Modernized Case is COMING!! Starting May 27th, the Trails Team will host several Modernized Case training sessions for caseworkers, support staff, supervisors, and anyone else who interacts with Case in their Trails workflows. Each day will consist of a morning and afternoon session, with the content of morning and afternoons always being consistent. This way, to get all the content you can either join them for a single day, or break it up as your schedule and workload requires. Whatever you do, make sure you attend at least one morning and one afternoon. You are welcome to attend as many you would like, with training credit hours offered. The first three weeks of training dates are listed below with more to come as the Trails Team gets started at the end of this month. Watch for an email in the coming weeks with the Google Meet links so that you can copy them to your calendar as needed. There is no sign up process for each session and no limit to the amount of participants.

What each full day's sessions will include:

● Part 1 - Morning

○ Case Fundamentals
○ Initial Data Entry

● Part 2 - Afternoon

○ Ongoing & Monitoring
○ Maintenance & Case Closure

Planned Training Dates:

May

Tuesday, May 27th, 8:30 am - 4 pm Thursday,

May 29th, 8:30 am - 4 pm

June

Monday, June 2nd, 8:30 am - 4 pm

Wednesday, June 4th, 8:30 am - 4 pm

Tuesday, June 10th, 8:30 am - 4 pm

Thursday, June 12th, 8:30 am - 4 pm

Monday, June 16th, 8:30 am - 4 pm

Wednesday, June 18th, 8:30 am - 4 pm

Tuesday, June 24th, 8:30 am - 4 pm

Thursday, June 26th, 8:30 am - 4 pm

• The Missing Piece: Courts Integrating Lived Expertise into Child Welfare System Improvement. Thursday, May 29, 2025 1 - 4 p.m. ET - Registration is free! Please Register if you’re interested in attending. 
• Social Media Recruitment, Grooming, and Exploitation, Jun 24, 2025 12:00 PM. Join the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking and our amazing panel of speakers for a powerful webinar on grooming and exploitation through social media. This discussion will explore how traffickers use online platforms to target individuals, leading to labor and sex trafficking in rural and urban Colorado communities. The session will cover key indicators, prevention strategies, and real survivor stories from Colorado.
• 2025 Summit in the Rockies on Domestic Violence and Sex Offender Management, July 8-11, 2025 at the Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center. Registration will open April 28, 2025. If you have any questions, please email cdps_dcj_training@state.co.us.

Funding Opportunities

• School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP)

Employment Opportunities

• Billing Specialist - External Reporting: Weld County Human Services
• Case Aide - Protective Services: Pueblo County Human Services
• Social Caseworker - Children, Youth & Family Services (Part-Time) - Law Enforcement Unit: El Paso County
• Case Manager I/II - Transition Services In-Reach Counselor: Larimer County Human Services
• Social Caseworker B - Permanency (Hybrid Work Model): Arapahoe County Human Services
• Social Caseworker B - Intake (Hybrid Work Model): Arapahoe County Human Services

As Seen Around Colorado

The 2025 CO4Kids Resource Fair was held on April 27, 2025, at the Denver Zoo. We appreciate everyone who participated in this event, highlighting Child Abuse Prevention Month and the services available for families in Colorado. The event was a HUGE success with just over 1,000 free admission tickets provided to families, 40+ community providers on-hand to share information critical to strengthening families, and entertainment throughout the day. If you would like to see photos from the event, visit the CAPM 2025 Resource Fair Photos or view the Instagram Reel for a compilation of the day.