Ombudsman offices

Several ombudsman offices provide independent oversight of various aspects of the Colorado Department of Human Services’ work.

Child Protection

The role of the Office of Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman is to ensure the state’s child protection system consistently provides high quality services to every child, family and community in the state. The ombudsman remains independent from the state and county agencies that work on behalf of children and families. The ombudsman listens to the public about their experience with and concerns about child protection. That advocate then researches and investigates those concerns.

Behavioral Health

The Behavioral Health Ombudsman of Colorado (BHOCO) works with consumers and providers to solve problems with access to care and insurance coverage. We can:

• Answer questions about getting mental health or substance use care.
• Help you report a concern or file a complaint.
• Work with you and your provider to resolve access or coverage issues.
• Connect you with other state and federal agencies when another office is a better fit.

Long-Term Care

In Colorado, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program features steadfast champions of the state’s older population. They fight for nursing home and assisted living residents, as well as anyone else residing in similarly licensed adult long-term care facilities. They work to resolve individual resident issues and to bring about changes at the local, state and national level to improve long-term care.

Trained ombudsmen, whether they’re paid or work as volunteers, regularly visit these facilities, monitor conditions and care, and ultimately provide a voice for those unable to speak for themselves.