Your state › Colorado
State addendum · first edition, October 2026 Ready
Employment Services in Colorado
Colorado moved individual supported employment to an outcome-based payment model in September 2026, with a referral to vocational rehabilitation required first.
Colorado at a glance
| Agency for employment services | Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), with Case Management Agencies |
|---|---|
| How employment is funded | DD Waiver; Supported Living Services Waiver |
| Vocational rehabilitation | Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) |
| Medicaid agency | HCPF (Health First Colorado) |
| Minimum wage | $15.16 statewide; Denver $19.29 |
The three biggest differences
- Paid on outcomes. A lump-sum Career Profile, coaching paid on hours worked, monthly maintenance and milestone payments.
- DVR referral first. A documented referral is required before waiver supported employment, even with a waitlist.
- No subminimum wage. Banned for all employers since July 2025.
What the full addendum gives you
Twelve sections, filed directly behind Volume 0 and adopted by a single change request. Every rule cites its official source; anything not yet confirmed is marked for verification, never guessed.
- How to use the addendum, and the three biggest differences
- At a glance: every Maryland role and its local equivalent
- Crosswalk: each Maryland reference, its replacement, and where it is amended
- Waiver (or local) employment services: codes, units, rates, limits
- Vocational rehabilitation: becoming a vendor, fees, invoicing, fading
- Provider certification and staffing
- Incident reporting and protection from harm
- Billing, records and retention
- Local law that changes the package: wages, recording, false claims, safety, breach
- State-use purchasing and contract sites
- Volume-by-volume amendments, 0 to 15
- Open items to verify, and the official sources
The addendum is issued with the Adoption License. Ask for it here and the Adoption Office replies within one business day.