Colorado Stackable Behavioral Health Pathway

Program Description: 

The Stackable program was designed to address a statewide shortage of behavioral healthcare workers by increasing and diversifying the workforce. By providing a modular, stackable education system for mental health professionals and a new Medicaid-eligible entry-level job in behavioral healthcare, Colorado was able to offer a more affordable path to a degree in mental health and accelerate students’ transition to the workforce. The goal is to allow workers to “work while they learn” while offering a linear pathway toward higher-level qualifications. There are multiple entry-points into the workforce along the pathway to a Bachelor’s of Applied Science. 
 
Students complete a series of micro-credientials in topics like Qualified Behavioral Assessment, Addiction Recovery, and Patient Navigator. These microcredientials build into Associates’ and eventually Bachelor’s degrees, so that students can advance in their careers while also furthering their education. The program was designed in conjunction with employers and the Education Design Lab. 
 
By offering these pathways via community colleges, financial impacts on students are reduced. Students are also able to learn where they live, rather than travel across the state to attend a four-year university. This also allows behavioral health care workers to stay and build practices within their community, ensuring they represent the people they treat. Students can also begin pursuing micro-credentials as high schoolers. 

Impact:

In the 2025-2026 school year, 1,311 learners were enrolled in these new pathway across nine community colleges. A majority of the people pursuing education in this pathway were first generation students and students of color. A third were eligible for Pell grants. 
 

Population Served: 

Students who wish to learn in their communities, students who wish to work while furthering their education, low-income students, students of color, first-generation college students, and people in search of behavioral healthcare. 

Key Steps for Implementation: 

• Passing Senate Bill 22-181, which required the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration and Department of Human Services to create a plan to increase and diversify the behavioral healthcare provider workforce. 

• Collaborating with higher ed institutions, community colleges, and the dept. of Higher Education 

• Collaborating with the Education Design Lab 

• Creating a new Medicaid-eligible entry-level role in behavioral healthcare 

• Leveraging one-time funds from the American Rescue Plan Act 

Learn more here.

Page last updated in August 2026