Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo

Mission, vision and values

Mission: We deliver exceptional mental health care for Colorado's forensic, geriatric and adolescent patients, in an environment that is safe for patients and staff.

Vision: At CMHHIP, we aspire to improve the quality of life for our most vulnerable populations in Colorado by advancing the best practices in behavioral health care.

Values:

• Physical and Emotional Safety
• Trust and Respect
• Camaraderie and Teamwork
• Empowerment
• Shared Leadership
• Acting with Intent
• Learning

Contact information

1600 W. 24th St.
Pueblo, CO 81003

Main Phone:719.546.4000
Admissions:719.546.4406
Media: 303.866.7505
Staff Education: 719.546.4339
Human Resources: 719.546.4611
Medical Records: 719.546.4184
Patient Representative: 719.546.4034
Purchasing: 719.546.5009
Volunteer Services: 719.546.4388
Crisis Services: 1.844.493.TALK (8255) or visit Colorado Crisis Services

For providers looking for forms related to CMHHIP admissions, visit the Mental Health Emergency Hold page.

Admissions

For providers looking for involuntary commitment forms, please visit the Involuntary Mental Health Treatment page.

The Colorado Mental Health Hospitals do not provide “shoppable” services as defined in Section 2718(e) of the Public Health Services Act. ‘Shoppable service’ means a service that can be scheduled by a health care consumer in advance.

For additional information on how to refer someone to the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo, please call the Admissions Department at 719.546.4406.

Civil adolescent transfers

If you know someone who may be at imminent risk of danger to themselves or others, or gravely disabled please dial 911 or take them to an emergency room for proper evaluation. 

CMHHIP provides inpatient treatment services for adolescent inpatients who emergency room professionals or law enforcement has identified to have a mental health disorder, and as a result of that disorder are currently an imminent danger to self, others or gravely disabled per Title 27 Article 65, Colorado Revised Statutes (referred to as civil patients). The Adolescent Behavioral Treatment Unit (ABTU) has ten beds dedicated to adolescent patients meeting these criteria. 

 

Transfers:

CMHHIP will accept patient referrals from a transferring hospital if they have an emergency medical condition that requires inpatient psychiatric care pursuant to Title 27 Article 65, Colorado Revised Statutes, in a high-security setting, when CMHHIP has the capacity and ability to treat the individual under the following conditions:

The ability to provide patients with the most appropriate level of care is the primary goal when accepting referrals. To ensure this standard, CMHHIP requires the following steps be completed before the transfer of a patient. 

• A written request for transfer from the individual or person legally responsible for the individual acting on the individual's behalf indicating the reasons for the transfer request and that the requestor is aware of the risks and benefits of the transfer including that the individual and/or guardian is requesting transfer to a high-security hospital serving forensic patients ordered to the hospital by the court and that there currently is no way to separate civil patients from forensic patients. 
  
  OR
   
• Certification by a Physician:
  1.  As required under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) indicating: The reason for the request and that he or she is aware of the risks and benefits of the transfer including that the Qualified Medical Professional (QMP) is aware that they are requesting a transfer to a high-security hospital serving forensic patients ordered to the hospital by the court and there is currently no way o separate civil patients from forensic patients; and
  2. Pursuant to Title 27 Article 93 Section 106: The transfer request is to the least restrictive level of care and the geographical location, current healthcare provider and payer type (type of insurance or lack thereof) are not the primary determining factors in whether an individual has access to a civil inpatient bed. 

AND following the submission above:

• A call from the transferring hospital to the CMHHIP Admissions Director or designee at 719.546.4406 who will either confirm acceptance or deny the request. 

Patients with these primary diagnoses are not appropriate referrals for admissions or transfers:

• Eating disorders
• substance / alcohol intoxication or withdrawal
• Mental disorders due to general medical conditions
• Austism spectrum disorder
• Brain injury
• Developmental diability
• Dementia
• Medical conditions and/or the intensity of treatment required interfere with or preclude psychiatric care or participation in a psychiatric program

Admissions transfer and contact information:

To begin the process for admissions/transfer or it you have questions please send a request or email to the CMHHIP Admissions team at cmhhip_admissions_referral@state.co.us

Interstate transfers:

If you are a state-operated psychiatric hospital outside of Colorado requesting an Interstate Transfer via the Interstate Compact Agreement please have your interstate compact coordinator contact out interstate compact coordinator, Samantha Garrett at samantha.garrett@state.co.us. 

See Interstate Compact Coordinator Directory for more information. 

 

Payment

Fees for service are assessed on a sliding scale, based on ability to pay. Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance pay hospital costs for eligible clients. No one is denied admission due to the inability to pay. Family and significant others are encouraged to visit the patient during hospitalization to aid in the reintegration of the patient into community life.

Compliance/QA information

CMHHIP is accredited by The Joint Commission. As such, patient safety concerns can be reported to The Joint Commission in the following ways:

• At www.jointcommission.org, using the "Report a Patient Safety Event" link in the "Action Center" on the home page of the website.
• By fax to 630-792-5636.
• By mail to The Office of Quality and Patient Safety (OQPS), The Joint Commission, One Renaissance Boulevard, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181.

Doctoral psychology internship at CMHHIP

Match for 2025-2025 Internship Year
APPIC Match Number: 196311

The doctoral psychology internship at Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo (CMHHIP) trains Health Services Psychology Interns in the nine profession-wide competencies of general clinical practice, with an emphasis on efficacious delivery of behavioral health services to forensic populations. Our program has been accredited by the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation since 2010 and we are scheduled for our next site visit in 2027.

Our program is now accepting applications for three doctoral internship positions for the 2024-2025 training year. Intern positions are full-time term-limited (12 months) employees of the State of Colorado. Interns are non-exempt employees and thus are eligible for comp time, a salary with state benefits to include medical, dental, and vision insurance, 12 state holidays, annual leave and sick leave.

Passing pre-employment background checks and drug screens is a condition of employment. Additional information about pre-employment requirements and employee benefits can be found on the webpage linked below.

Learn more and apply for the doctoral psychology internship at CMHHIP

Policies

The CMHHIP Nutrition Services Department participates in the School Breakfast and Lunch Program, as well as the Afterschool Snack Program, through the Colorado Department of Education and for residents on the Adolescent Behavioral Treatment Unit. A Local Wellness Policy is required to be available. View the policy.

Records requests

To request medical records from the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo, fill out the CMHHIP medical records request form and send it by email, fax or mail:

• Email: cdhs_releaseofinformation@state.co.us
• Fax: 719.546.4212
• Mail: Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo, Attn: Medical Records, 1600 W. 24th St., Pueblo, CO 81003

Careers

We want you on our team. The Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo has multiple positions to fill, including registered nurses, client care aides (full-time and part-time), and health care technicians (LPN or LPT). Check out our current openings.