Aligning Behavioral Health Care Services for Low-Income New Yorkers

Grantee Name

Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc.

Funding Area

Primary Care

Publication Date

September 2017

Grant Amount

$75,478

Grant Date:

December 2015 – November 2016

Print

In 2014, Congress authorized the development of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) to provide mental health and addiction services for low-income Americans with serious behavioral health needs.

One-year federal planning grants were awarded to 24 states, including New York State ($982,373), to develop certification criteria and processes for designating CCBHCs, as well as to design a prospective payment system for reimbursing qualified providers. Given New York State’s multiple health care reform efforts—including the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment program, integrated managed care models, and value-based payment arrangements—it was important for the State to consider the CCBHC project in the context of its other reforms. NYHealth awarded a grant to the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) to provide New York State and other planning grant state officials with a platform to exchange best practices for aligning CCBHC implementation with efforts to integrate physical and behavioral health services.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

Convened 22 of the planning grant states to review key findings, recommend approaches, and put together a technical assistance agenda to support alignment efforts; and
Offered individualized technical assistance to New York State and several other planning grant states, including a series of webinars on addressing individual CCBHC alignment needs.

Following the planning period, CHCS helped New York State successfully assemble an application to participate in a follow-up federal two-year demonstration program to provide actual services through these newly certified CCBHCs. New York was among 8 out of the original 24 planning grant states selected to be part of the demonstration pilot. As a result, 13 CCBHCs were created across the State and received additional hands-on technical assistance in advance of their official start date of July 2017. As CHCS was involved in helping the State put together the grant application for the two-year demonstration, remaining NYHealth grant funds were allocated to convene the State’s 13 CCBHCs and discuss topics relevant to the clinics’ crisis service models and broader implementation issues in preparation for their start dates.

Under the federal demonstration, New York State will receive an enhanced Medicaid payment rate based on its anticipated costs of providing an expanded array of addiction and mental health services, along with basic primary care screening and coordination, for the 13 newly certified CCBHCs.

Co-Funding and Additional Funds Leveraged: This project was co-funded by the California Health Care Foundation ($150,000).

Back to Grant Outcomes

Aligning Behavioral Health Care Services for Low-Income New Yorkers

Grantee Name

Funding Area

Publication Date

Grant Amount

Grant Date:

Share this Grant Outcome Report

Print

In 2014, Congress authorized the development of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) to provide mental health and addiction services for low-income Americans with serious behavioral health needs.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

Related Links

Helping Nonprofits Navigate Medicaid Redesign

Gauging Payment Reform in New York State

Exploring Best Practices for Alternative Payment Methods