HHS www.hhs.gov awarded up to $22.9 million for “Planning Grants for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics” to clinics in 24 states. The HHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) www.samhsa.gov, CMS www.cms.gov, plus the HHS Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) http://aspe.hhs.gov made the funding available to provide additional community-based mental and substance use disorder treatments.
The population to be served includes adults with serious mental illness, children with serious emotional disturbance, those with long term and serious substance use disorders, as well as individuals with substance use disorders.
The grants will help states certify community behavioral health clinics, solicit input from stakeholders, establish prospective payment systems for demonstration reimbursable services, and prepare an applicant to participate in the demonstration program.
The 24 states received $728,054 to $982,373 for the first phase of a two phase process. When the planning grant phase ends in October 2016, awardees will be able to apply to participate in a two year demonstration program to begin January 2017.
Under the demonstration program, no more than eight states with certified community behavioral health clinics will provide behavioral health services to eligible beneficiaries and be paid using an approved prospective payment system.
For more information on the Planning Grants for Certified Community Behavioral health Clinics, go to www.samhsa.gov/grants.