Family Guide · The CCB & Case Management System

Families searching "developmental disability agencies near me" or "what is developmental disability services" usually land on a directory, not an explanation. A Community Centered Board, usually shortened to CCB, is the single point of entry into Colorado's system of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. If your family is new to this system, the CCB is very likely the first agency you will deal with, and understanding what it does (and does not do) will save you real time and real frustration.

This guide focuses specifically on how the CCB system works today, including a change many longtime families still find confusing: the difference between a CCB and a Case Management Agency. If you are looking for the broader picture first, including the Medicaid waivers a CCB connects to, start with Getting Started: Waivers, CCBs, and Admission in Plain English.

What a CCB Actually Does

Colorado has 20 Community Centered Boards statewide, together covering nearly the entire state's population of people with developmental disabilities. In the Denver metro, Developmental Pathways serves Arapahoe and Douglas counties and the City of Aurora. A CCB's core responsibilities include:

• Serving as the single entry point into Medicaid-funded and state-funded IDD services.
• Determining eligibility for those services.
• Assigning a case manager to assess needs and build a Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) plan.
• Authorizing, coordinating, and periodically reassessing services once a person is enrolled.

CCB vs. Case Management Agency: What Changed

Colorado went through a significant shift called the Case Management Redesign, built around a principle known as conflict-free case management. In simple terms: the agency managing a person's case should not also be the same agency directly providing their day-to-day services, since that overlap can create a conflict of interest.

In practice, this means your family may interact with both a CCB and a CMA, and it is entirely normal to ask directly which one is handling which part of your case.

Who Can Start the Process

Referrals into the CCB system can come from many directions: a school, a physician, another agency, a family member, a friend, or the individual themselves through self-referral. There is no single "correct" way in. If you are unsure where to start, contacting your local CCB's intake team directly is always a reasonable first step.

What to Expect, Timeline-Wise

The general target for completing intake and eligibility determination is around 90 days, though this depends heavily on how quickly documentation and outside approvals (medical records, school records, physician sign-off) come back. Families are typically given roughly 90 days to submit paperwork, with an extension available if genuinely needed. We will not promise you a faster timeline than this, because we cannot control it, but we can tell you that staying organized with documentation is the single biggest thing a family controls in this part of the process.

When to Start Engaging With Your CCB

For families with a student transitioning out of high school, the honest answer is: earlier than most people expect. Colorado schools are required to begin transition planning at age 14, and building a relationship with your local CCB well before graduation gives your family a real head start rather than a last-minute scramble. We cover this timeline in more depth in When Should Our Family Start the CCB Process? A Timeline for Parents.

What the Human Rights Committee Does

One statutory responsibility that surprises many families is that every CCB is required to maintain a Human Rights Committee. This committee reviews practices that could restrict a person's rights, such as certain behavior support plans, and exists specifically to protect the individual at the center of the process, not just to move paperwork along. If you ever have a concern about how a right or choice is being handled within the system, asking about the Human Rights Committee process is a legitimate and useful question.

Staying Organized Across Multiple Touchpoints

Because a family may end up working with a CCB, a separate Case Management Agency, a residential provider, and sometimes a school district all at once, it is easy for information to get lost between agencies. A few habits make a real difference over the life of the relationship: ask each agency who your specific point of contact is and keep their information in one place, request a copy of your LTSS plan and any reassessment paperwork for your own records, and follow up in writing after important phone calls so there is a clear record of what was discussed and agreed. None of this guarantees a faster process, but it does put your family in the strongest possible position to advocate for what your loved one needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources: Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, Case Management Redesign documentation (hcpf.colorado.gov); Developmental Pathways (dpcolo.org); Colorado Department of Education secondary transition resources.