COCAF Mission Statement

We believe that all children have the right to a permanent loving family. We are dedicated to improving services for every pre- and post-adoptive family and to increasing the knowledge and accountability of public systems. We are committed to advocacy in state and local service planning and delivery, in support of all pre and post adoptive families.

Welcome to the COCAF web site!

Submitted by cocaf on Thu, 11/20/2008 - 14:02

The Colorado Coalition of Adoptive Families, COCAF, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, was formed in 1999 by a group of families who desired to increase the amount of information and resources available to Colorado’s pre- and post-adoptive and kinship families. Our primary goals are to provide information to and advocate for families at all phases of the foster-adopt/adoption/kinship process. If you are not able to find the information you are seeking on our site, please feel free to Contact Us – we will try to guide you to the community resources that will best meet your needs.

Accessing Intensive Mental Health Services (AIMS) for Children

Brief Description of the Project:

Funded by a University of Colorado Law School Judicial Fellowship, Colorado Legal Services is supervising this research project addressing the issue of obstacles to access of mental health services faced by parents of Medicaid-eligible children and adolescents.

Goals of the Project:

To determine the scope of the problem
How many children and adolescents are affected?
What percentage of Medicaid-eligible children and adolescents seeking mental health services is affected?
To determine the intensity of the problem
What is the degree of difficulty in accessing services?
What is the degree of hardship imposed by the obstacles faced?
To determine the nature of the problem
Where do the obstacles to access occur?
What form do the obstacles to access take?
What factors are prevalent when such obstacles are faced?
What categories of people are most affected?
What are the causes of these obstacles?
To determine the costs of the problem
What are the human costs to the individuals and families directly affected?
What are the social costs resulting from these services denied or delayed?
What are the economic costs due to reduced future productivity, increased future public dependence, and increased future burden on other public sectors (such as the criminal justice system)?
To determine possible solutions to the problem
What have other states, agencies, and organizations considered or implemented?
What other strategies for addressing the problem could be contemplated?