Leadership and organizational structure

Michelle Barnes
Executive Director

Read Michelle’s bio

Michelle leads CDHS to achieve our mission of empowering Coloradans to thrive. Her strategic oversight directs CDHS to provide a range of services to children, teens, families, adults of all ages, people with disabilities, detained and committed youth, veterans, and people with mental health needs including those involved with the justice system. Michelle brings a unique blend of innovation and passion to her work from extensive nonprofit executive experience, a decade in the technology sector and a life-long commitment to public service. Michelle holds an MBA from UCLA and a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary. Outside of her professional work, she’s usually plotting her next adventure or volunteering in the community.

Christina Beisel
Deputy Executive Director,
Financial Services

Read Christina’s bio

Christina leads CDHS’s legislative and financial strategy through oversight of its accounting, budget, and policy teams. A relationship-builder and people person, she also has a wealth of financial and budgetary expertise. Christina came to CDHS after more than six years at the Colorado General Assembly as a legislative budget and policy analyst with the Joint Budget Committee. Before that, she worked for a small nonprofit after starting her career at the City and County of Denver. Christina spent most of her childhood in southwest Colorado before moving to Boulder to attend the University of Colorado. Outside of work, she loves all things food related, traveling, rewatching “The West Wing” and over-quoting Taylor Swift lyrics.

Minna Castillo
Deputy Executive Director,
Community Partnerships

Read Minna’s bio

Minna leads the delivery of services to children, youth, families and adults of all ages by driving and maintaining effective relationships with our county, tribal and community partners. She’s a learner who uses data, research and evidence-based practices to guide problem-solving and drive innovative solutions. Before joining CDHS, Minna spent 20 years serving families in the nonprofit sector. She’s passionate about immigrant and refugee issues, substance use prevention, bicultural competence and mentoring. Minna enjoys spending time with her young adult children, two dogs, family and friends. She also loves going to concerts and theater, visiting museums, listening to books, running, knitting, sewing and trying new foods.

Katy Morrison
Deputy Executive Director,
Operations and Strategy 

Read Katy’s bio

Katy drives operational efficiency and strategy through oversight of CDHS’s support services — including Human Resources, Communications, Technology, Organizational Performance and Improvement, and Quality Assurance and Audit. A problem solver who thrives in leading high-functioning teams, Katy’s ability to analyze complex issues, identify areas for improvement and develop effective solutions positively impacts Coloradans. Guided by a passion for public service, she uses a strategic, bold and innovative approach to problem-solving to help CDHS better serve its clients. Katy has worked in public service for 18 years in Nevada and Colorado, and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and forensics from Jacksonville State University.

Leora Joseph
Deputy Executive Director, Civil and Forensic Mental Health

Read Leora’s bio

Leora directs CDHS programs that support Coloradans with acute behavioral health needs. This includes providing care to individuals at both the state’s mental health hospitals, supporting the restoration of competency for Coloradans awaiting trial and  providing high-quality step-down settings that help individuals transition back to the community. Leora has dedicated her career to fighting for justice for the most vulnerable. This passion is driven by her faith and the Jewish teaching of Tikkun Olam, the obligation to repair the world. In district attorney’s offices in Boston and Colorado, she has led units focused on family violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. The Colorado Woman Lawyer of the Year in 2016 and Ralph Martin Prosecutor of the Year in 2008, she’s also been a frequent university lecturer. Leora is most proud of her three children; motherhood continues to teach her about leadership, service and hope.

Erin Wester
Deputy Executive Director,
Residential and Reintegration Services

Read Erin’s bio

Erin leads delivery of high-quality residential and reintegration services for detained and committed youth, veterans and Gold Star families and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through 12 youth centers, five skilled nursing facilities and 40 group homes. Erin is committed to helping Coloradans thrive through collaborative leadership, an innovative approach to solving complex problems and solid partnerships. Previously, Erin served as deputy commissioner of the Behavioral Health Administration (BHA), where she worked to improve Coloradans’ access to affordable behavioral healthcare. Before BHA, Erin spent more than a decade in community mental health in a variety of clinical, operational and leadership roles. She’s passionate about supporting at-risk populations and improving the healthcare system. Erin’s been in Colorado for 30 years and enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, camping and traveling.

Chelsey Hall
Director of Operations,
Community Partnerships

Read Chelsey’s bio

Chelsey Hall drives efforts to include community voices and input in government systems. She leads a team focused on enhancing CDHS’s people-first culture and building relationships with counties, tribes and community-based organizations. Chelsey’s efforts ensure communities are engaged and connected to CDHS’s work and mission of empowering Coloradans to thrive. Chelsey previously spent a decade managing behavioral health grants. Before joining CDHS, she served as the state emergency response grant coordinator following the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri., leading community outreach and recovery efforts. Chelsey holds a master’s degree in public health from Missouri State University and a bachelor’s from Missouri Southern State University. In her free time, she enjoys renovating her home, practicing DIY skills and swinging for her first hole-in-one.

Jamison Lee
Chief Financial Officer

Read Jamison's bio

Jamison leads CDHS’s financial operations, including ensuring funding flows to hundreds of grantees and partner organizations that provide vital services to Coloradans. Using his financial expertise and state government experience, he helps maintain the Department’s overall financial strategy. Jamison previously served as chief financial officer for the Office of Children, Youth and Families, where he oversaw an approximately $850 million program portfolio and developed a statewide funding model for child welfare. Before joining CDHS, he spent over a decade in various finance roles at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and other agencies.

Thom Miller
Director, Office of Children, Aging and Community Services

Read Thom's bio

Thom Miller leads programs that provide services to children, older adults and community programs across Colorado. Thom brings a true passion for social justice and equity to his work. He joins CDHS from the Behavioral Health Administration. There he led the revision of the regulatory framework for behavioral health safety net facilities, ensuring Coloradans had access to standardized, high-quality behavioral health  services. Before joining state government in 2011, he led legal advocacy efforts for special education students. Thom earned his juris doctor from the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family and actively embraces all types of cycling in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.

Elizabeth Mullins
Chief Infrastructure Officer

Read Elizabeth’s bio

Elizabeth manages the physical and digital infrastructure that supports delivery of services to Coloradans. In this role, she oversees maintenance and improvement of CDHS’s 312 physical locations statewide, as well as the department’s technology and construction projects. She has led teams in healthcare and nonprofit organizations for 25 years. A servant leader who emphasizes stewardship and others

Elizabeth manages the physical and digital infrastructure that supports delivery of services to Coloradans. In this role, she oversees maintenance and improvement of CDHS’s 312 physical locations statewide, as well as the department’s technology and construction projects. She has led teams in healthcare and nonprofit organizations for 25 years. A servant leader who emphasizes stewardship and others’ growth and success, Elizabeth is also a certified life coach. She has a bachelor’s degree in communicative disorders from the University of Kansas and a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver.

Sandy Ho
Chief Human Resources and Access Officer

Read Sandy’s bio

Dr. Ho (they/them) drives policies, practices and environments that contribute to a barrier-free Colorado for CDHS’s clients, patients, communities, partners and employees. For almost two decades, Dr. Ho has championed accountability and access, improving workplace cultures and services to create a Colorado for ALL. They also lead the strategic efforts for the CDHS for ALL Action Plan to make sure that fairness, access, impact and relationships are at the center of everything we do. Dr. Ho holds a PhD in leadership, research and policy from the University of Colorado.

Shelley Banker
Director, Office of Economic Security

Read Shelley’s bio

Shelley leads CDHS’s efforts to improve policies and build support systems that lift Coloradans out of poverty. Passionate about disrupting social injustice and empowering communities, she has more than 15 years of experience in building equity and access in Colorado’s educational system beyond high school. Her key efforts included expanding the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative and establishing the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s Educational Equity Office. A second-generation Coloradan, Shelley received her master’s in social work from the University of Denver's Graduate School of Social Work and a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Colorado Denver. She serves on the Denver CASA Board of Directors and enjoys introducing her daughter to everything nature offers.

Kim Farestad
Director, Strategic Operations, Community Partnerships

Read Kim’s bio

Kim leads efforts to strengthen and maintain partnerships with CDHS teams and community organizations that provide vital services to Coloradans. Her work reflects a Theodore Roosevelt quote that has guided her career: “Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Before joining CDHS, Kim worked for 18 years at Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Colorado, driving effective operational strategies while doing what was best for the children they served. An innovative and effective leader, Kim drives greater efficiency while delivering high-quality services. She earned bachelors’ degrees in biology and psychology from the University of Denver.

Chris Frenz
Deputy Director, Operations and Legal, Civil and Forensic Mental Health

Read Chris’s bio

Chris oversees the budgeting and evaluation of programs that serve Coloradans with acute behavioral health needs. He also provides direct oversight for the police department at the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo and guides staff engagement in addition to several other operational roles. He’s dedicated to streamlining processes and reducing administrative obstacles to enhance support for vital services and staff to get the best possible outcomes for our patients. His more than 15 years of legal experience includes serving as CDHS’s contract and procurement director. Chris holds a juris doctorate from the University of Denver.

Jagruti Shah
Deputy Director of Clinical Services,
Civil and Forensic Mental Health

Read Jagruti’s bio

Jagruti oversees the clinical operations of CDHS’s mental health hospitals and step-down settings that help individuals with acute mental health needs return to the community. Her more than 16 years of behavioral health leadership experience includes implementing statewide jail-based behavioral health services as well as treatment and service programs guided by law enforcement. Jagruti started her career as a clinician and program administrator in correctional facilities before shifting her focus to public health policy and behavioral health. She has a master’s degree in forensic psychology from the University of Denver.

Mindy Gates
Deputy Director, Residential and Reintegration Services

Read Mindy’s bio

Mindy drives efficiency, making sure that CDHS programs that support at-risk adults and justice-involved youth operate as effectively as possible. Mindy has 30 years of experience in human services and public service administration, including various leadership roles at CDHS. Before joining CDHS in 2015, Mindy spent seven years with the Colorado Office of the State Auditor, where she audited state programs and developed reports for the Legislative Audit Committee. Mindy holds a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s in human development and family studies from the University of Vermont.

Haysel Hernandez
Chief Communications Officer

Read Haysel’s bio

Haysel develops and oversees an integrated communication strategy for the department. This includes setting department-wide communication standards, ensuring crisis readiness, and directing outreach to inform vulnerable Coloradans about essential programs, services and supports to empower them to thrive. A firm believer in the power of communication to advance organizational goals and create lasting social impact, Haysel brings to her role nearly two decades of experience in the government, nonprofit and corporate sectors. Throughout her career, she has blended analytical rigor with creative vision to lead communication campaigns dedicated to improving social good.

Residential and Reintegration Services

Residential and Reintegration Services (RRS) fosters independence and public safety for Coloradans by providing seamless, responsive and personalized services. RRS specifically supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, veterans and veterans’ spouses requiring skilled nursing or domiciliary services, and juvenile-justice involved youth. 

Divisions and programs

Division of Youth Services

Youth Services Centers

• Betty K. Marler Youth Services Center
• Gilliam Youth Services Center
• Grand Mesa Youth Services Center
• Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center
• Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center
• Phoenix Youth Services Center
• Platte Valley Youth Services Center
• Prairie Vista Youth Services Center
• Pueblo Youth Services Center
• Rocky Mountain Youth Services Center
• Spring Creek Youth Services Center
• Zebulon Pike Youth Services Center

Regional Offices

Division of Regional Center Operations

• Grand Junction Regional Center
• Pueblo Regional Center
• Wheat Ridge Regional Center

Veterans Community Living Centers

• Veterans Community Living Center at Fitzsimons
• Bruce McCandless Veterans Community Living Center at Florence
• Veterans Community Living Center at Homelake
• Veterans Community Living Center at Rifle
• Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center at Walsenburg
• Colorado Veterans Community Living Center Commission

Civil and Forensic Mental Health

Civil and Forensic Mental Health provides strategy, oversight, monitoring and operation of two Colorado Mental Health Hospitals, 15 Mental Health Transitional Homes, the Forensic Services division and the Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (scheduled to open in 2027).

Divisions and programs

Mental Health Hospitals

• Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Fort Logan
• Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo

Forensic Services

Mental Health Transitional Living Homes

Office of Children, Aging, and Community Services

The Office of Children, Aging, and Community Services (OCACS) promotes the safety, permanency and well-being of Coloradans of all ages. OCACS provides statewide leadership, funding, policy development and oversight in partnership with county human services departments, Tribes, Area Agencies on Aging and community organizations. OCACS oversees Child Welfare, Community Programs, and Aging and Adult Protective Services, which collectively ensure consistent and effective service delivery for vulnerable populations across their lifespans.

Divisions and programs

Division of Child Welfare

• Organizational Support
• Permanency
• Youth Services
• Finance
• Research, Analysis and Data
• Placement Services
• Child Protection Services

Division of Community Programs

• Colorado Sexual Health Initiative
• Domestic Violence Program
• Juvenile Parole Board
• Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program
• Collaborative Management Program
• MINDSOURCE Brain Injury Network

Medical Oversight Unit

Finance

Communications

Judicial and Legislation

Colorado Implementation Science Unit

Download a PDF of the Office of Children, Youth and Families organizational chart 

Office of Economic Security

The Office of Economic Security provides income, nutritional and support services to those in need. Primary programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP), and several employment programs.

Divisions and programs

Division of Child Support Services

Division of Food and Energy Assistance

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• SNAP-Ed
• Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)
• Food Distribution Programs
  • Household Programs
    • The Emergency Food Assistance Program
    • Commodity Supplemental Food Program
  • Child Nutrition and Schools
    • Summer Food Service Program
    • Child and Adult Care Food Program
  • Disaster Feeding and Commodity Alerts

Division of Economic and Workforce Support

• Colorado Works (TANF)
• Adult Financial Programs
• Colorado Employment First
• Colorado Works Subsidized Training and Employment Program
• ReHire Colorado
• Senior Community Service Employment Program

Staff Development Division

Community Partnerships

Community Partnerships builds relationships within the department and with communities across the state to serve Coloradans effectively. The office also oversees several CDHS offices, as well as Boards and Commissions, Community and Family Engagement, and County Services.

Divisions and units

Client Services

Community and Family Engagement

County and Tribal Liaisons

Implementation and Strategic Planning

Operations

Policy Advisory Committee

Operations and Strategy

Operations and Strategy provides support services to help CDHS's offices, divisions and programs achieve their goals and make our agency as efficient, effective and impactful as possible. It also oversees the Department's strategic plan and related workstream priorities.

Divisions and units

Human Resources

Business Innovation, Technology and Security

• Business Innovation
• Technology Product Owners
• Security/IT Compliance
• Technology Contract Management

Organizational Performance and Compliance

• CORA/records
• Office of Appeals
• Audit
• Administrative Review Division
• Facilities Quality Assurance
• Public Assistance Quality Assurance
• Strategic Operations and Solutions

Facilities Management

Communications

Policy

People-Centered Practices

Family and Community Engagement

Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind

Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council

Financial Services

Financial Services is responsible for CDHS's more than $2 billion budget. The office's primary functions are accounting, budgets and policy, and contracts and procurement.

Divisions

Accounting

Budget and Policy

Contracts and Procurement

Legislative Affairs