by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
New center will strengthen services for youth and families statewide, with key benefits for Northern Colorado
Colorado State University will launch a new Workforce Capacity Center after receiving a $6 million, two-year investment from the State of Colorado to expand behavioral health training and support statewide. The effort is expected to bring significant benefits to Northern Colorado, where demand for youth and family behavioral health services continues to grow—especially in rural communities.
Colorado has long faced shortages of behavioral health professionals, with gaps in access disproportionately affecting rural and frontier regions. The new Colorado System of Care Workforce Capacity Center, housed in CSU’s School of Social Work, will train and coach behavioral health providers to better meet the needs of approximately 1,000 youth and families in its first year.
The center is funded through the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration.
“This collaboration with the State of Colorado reflects CSU’s land-grant mission and commitment to supporting behavioral health across the state,” said CSU President Amy Parsons. “The new center combines our academic strengths and established community partnerships to grow a skilled workforce that can better serve the needs of Colorado families, particularly in rural communities.”
The initiative is designed to help more young people remain in their homes and communities rather than being placed in residential treatment facilities. Among the tools the center will support is High Fidelity Wraparound—an evidence-informed team-based approach that helps youth with complex behavioral health needs stay connected to their families, schools, and support systems.
For many families, the difference is life-changing. “Before Wraparound, I was overwhelmed and alone,” said one parent of a 14-year-old. “With Wraparound, we had a team that listened, planned together, and supported us. My son is thriving in school again, and I finally feel hope.”
Two CSU faculty members—Marc Winokur, director of the Social Work Research Center, and Nate Riggs, executive director of CSU’s Prevention Research Center—will co-direct the new center. Both emphasize that a coordinated, evidence-based approach can significantly improve outcomes for youth, families and providers.
The Workforce Capacity Center is part of the first phase of Colorado’s seven-year System of Care rollout. Over the next two years, the center will focus on building a stronger provider network, improving service consistency, and increasing capacity in rural and frontier regions—including communities across Northern Colorado.
“This is another perfect alignment of CSU’s land-grant mission and our expertise to meet the needs of people across our state,” said Lise Youngblade, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences.
More information about CSU’s behavioral health programs is available at https://colostate.edu.
Find more Northern Colorado news at northfortynews.com.
Attribution: Colorado State University
