Approximately 13% of youth ages 8 to 15 experience severe mental disorders in a given year; a rate that increases to 20% for youth ages 13 to 18. Rates increase to over 50% when mild and moderate mental disorders are also included. In Colorado and across the nation, uncoordinated care is consistently cited by consumers, families, practitioners and other stakeholders as being a primary barrier to quality and cost effective care. The COACT project also sponsored an evaluation to examine the service delivery that existed prior to the implementation phase of the system of care. The goal of this evaluation was to document high intensity service utilization and cost, system overlap, and outcomes for high utilizers of public services.
