DENVER — Colorado’s Behavioral Health Administration has finalized a contract with an Arizona company to operate crisis line calls in Colorado.
The contract was awarded to Solari Health and Human Services, a Tempe, Arizona-based company with crisis call centers in Arizona and Oklahoma. The move means the state will sever ties with Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners, which plans to lay off 330 people.
“We have both a very human centered approach, but also a lot of technology and innovation that goes behind our operation,” said Solari CEO Justin Chase.
Solari’s proposed budget to the state came in at $19,977,255, compared to RMCP’s bid of $24,255,894, state records show.
Chase said the company plans to employ about 180 call takers in Colorado, with some based out of a Denver area call center. He said he hopes those positions will be filled by some of the 330 call takers who will lose their jobs with RMCP.
“We’re hoping to pull as many as we can from the current service array so they bring their local knowledge and expertise to the table,” Chase said. “It all comes down to trust, and that’s what’s critical. Colorado has a longstanding trusting relationship with these services as they’ve been delivered, and we want to make sure that’s continued and continues to enhance over time.”
The company's projections show the proposal will be enough to meet growing crisis call demand in Colorado, Chase said.
“We’re confident that the staffing level we’re proposing to bring is sufficient for where we are today, but as call volume continues to grow, we will absolutely increase staffing as needed to meet the needs of Colorado,” he said.
RMCP will continue to operate the crisis lines through Sept. 1, at which point Solari will take over operations.
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