New Workforce Capacity Center at Colorado State University to Enhance Behavioral Health Services for Youth and Families
In a significant initiative aimed at addressing the growing need for mental health services, Colorado State University (CSU) has announced the establishment of a new Workforce Capacity Center. This center, which is set to launch with the support of a million investment from the State of Colorado, is poised to enhance behavioral health training and support services across the state, with particular emphasis on the Northern Colorado region and its rural communities.
The need for expanded behavioral health services in Colorado has become increasingly critical due to longstanding shortages of qualified professionals. These shortages have disproportionately impacted rural and frontier areas, where access to care can be quite limited. The Colorado System of Care Workforce Capacity Center, based in CSU’s School of Social Work, aims to address these gaps by training and coaching behavioral health providers. In its first year, the center is expected to directly impact approximately 1,000 youth and families, equipping providers with the skills necessary to deliver effective support.
Funded through sources including the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration, this initiative represents a collaboration aligned with CSU’s land-grant mission. CSU President Amy Parsons stated, “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.”
One of the primary objectives of the Workforce Capacity Center is to keep children and adolescents within their home environments whenever possible, thereby avoiding the unnecessary placement of youth in residential treatment facilities. The initiative will utilize evidence-based practices, including High Fidelity Wraparound—a team-oriented approach designed to assist youths with complex behavioral health needs in remaining engaged with their families, schools, and other support systems.
Feedback from families who have benefited from such programs underscores their importance. One parent of a 14-year-old shared, “Before Wraparound, I was overwhelmed and alone. 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.”
The center will be co-directed by two prominent CSU faculty members, Marc Winokur and Nate Riggs, who emphasize the importance of a coordinated, evidence-based approach in improving outcomes for youth and families. Their vision aligns with the first phase of Colorado’s seven-year System of Care rollout, which aims to strengthen service delivery through improved provider networks, enhancing service consistency, and increasing capacity in underserved areas.
Lise Youngblade, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, remarked, “This is another perfect alignment of CSU’s land-grant mission and our expertise to meet the needs of people across our state.”
For more information about CSU’s behavioral health programs and initiatives, interested parties can visit PLACEHOLDERb20e76118ec070b9. Additionally, updates and news specific to Northern Colorado can be found at PLACEHOLDERc5e29ac32d83e2ba.
By focusing on comprehensive training and collaboration, the new Workforce Capacity Center is positioned to make a meaningful difference in the lives of many Colorado families, reinforcing the commitment to enhance mental health care across the region.
