Leading the Conversation: Julissa Soto Moderates Panel at Colorado’s Behavioral Health Action Summit

Date of Event: Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Location: Colorado Community Behavioral Health Action Summit 25
Session: “Regional Approaches to Behavioral Health”
Hosted by: Colorado Behavioral Health Administration (BHA)

On May 27, 2025, leaders, advocates, and behavioral health experts from across the state gathered for a groundbreaking event: the Colorado Community Behavioral Health Action Summit 25—a summit designed not only to imagine change, but to promise it.

Julissa Soto was honored to serve as moderator for one of the summit’s most vital conversations:
🎤 “Regional Approaches to Behavioral Health.”

The session brought together a powerhouse panel of thought leaders and frontline experts:

• Daniel Darting

• Meg Taylor

• Xavier Crockett

• Dan Makelky

• Laura DiPrince

• Rebecca Gale

Together, they unpacked how a regionalized approach to behavioral health delivery can bridge service gaps, expand access, and drive long-term equity—especially for underserved communities in areas like Colorado’s Western Slope.

Panelists emphasized the critical role of Behavioral Health Administrative Service Organizations (BHASOs) and highlighted the importance of collaboration—not only across regions, but within them, ensuring that local wisdom and cultural relevance guide every policy and practice.

Exploring What Regional Care Really Means

As Colorado continues to reimagine its behavioral health system, Julissa helped steer the discussion through some of the most pressing and complex questions:

• 🔹 What does regional behavioral health care delivery actually look like in practice?

• 🔹 How can we center equity and lived experience in that structure?

• 🔹 What does meaningful partnership with Tribes, counties, and grassroots providers truly require?

“We’re not just talking about funding streams or frameworks—we’re talking about dignity, trust, and survival for communities that have been left out of behavioral health conversations for far too long.”

A Statewide Commitment to Bold, Inclusive Change

Julissa also had the opportunity to connect with leaders across Colorado’s behavioral health landscape, including her friend and colleague, Director Kim Bimestefer, who participated in the insightful session:

🧠 “BHA’s Past, the Taskforce, and Community Roots”
alongside:

• Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera

• Senator Cleave Simpson

• Senator Judy Amabile

• Commissioner Michael Conway

• Josh Winkler

• Robert Werthwein

Their dialogue reflected the state’s ongoing effort to build a behavioral health infrastructure that is accountable, people-centered, and rooted in justice.

Thank You to the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration

Julissa extends deep gratitude to Commissioner Dannette R. Smith and the entire team at the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA) for hosting a summit that was unlike anything Colorado has seen before.

“This wasn’t a panel for show. This was a room full of people ready to build the behavioral health system our state truly needs—one that works for every Coloradan.”