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Latest News & Information

OMH AND OASAS ANNOUNCE RATE INCREASES

OMH School-Based Mental Health Service Rate

Per the Enacted 2023-24 State Budget and effective July 1, 2023, the Ambulatory Patient Group (APG) Peer Group Base Rates for School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) Services in MHOTRS Programs will increase by 25 percent. In order to receive the enhancement, services must be billed using new rate codes 1030 (Non-Hospital) and 1033 (Hospital). These rate increases are subject to federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and NYS Division of the Budget approval.

Additional details are available online here.

OASAS Rate Increases for Certified Treatment Providers

The New York State (NYS) Division of the Budget has approved Medicaid rate package(s) to establish new levels of reimbursement for the following Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) programs:

  • OASAS Part 822 Outpatient Addiction Services, both freestanding and hospital; including Clinic, Outpatient Rehabilitation, and Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs).
  • OASAS Part 820 Residential Services: Stabilization, Rehabilitation, Reintegration.
  • OASAS Part 818 Freestanding Inpatient Rehabilitation.
  • OASAS Part 816 Freestanding Inpatient Withdrawal and Stabilization.
  • OASAS Part 817 Residential Rehabilitation Services for Youth. 

Additional details are available online here.

SAMHSA ANNOUNCES CCBHC AWARDS

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced awards for its Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Planning, Development, and Implementation Grant.

The purpose of this program is to transform community behavioral health systems and provide comprehensive, coordinated behavioral health care by: (a) assisting organizations in the planning for and development and implementation of a new CCBHC that meets the CCBHC Certification Criteria (b) providing a comprehensive range of outreach, screening, assessment, treatment, care coordination, and recovery supports based on a needs assessment that aligns with the CCBHC Certification Criteria, and (c) supporting recovery from mental illness and/or substance use disorders (SUD) by providing access to high-quality mental health and SUD services, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay.

A full list of awardees is available online here.  Congratulations to all NYS Council members awarded a grant!

NYS CCBHC EXPANSION GRANT PROPOSALS
DUE SEPTEMBER 28

The NYS Council is grateful to NYS leaders for responding to our request to expand the current NYS CCBHC federal Demonstration Program.  The recently enacted NYS Budget includes funding for 26 additional CCBHC Demo Clinics over two years. 

OMH, OASAS, and DOH have announced the first of two RFPs for the development of 13 new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) within the ten economic development regions (EDRs) of New York State which will participate in the federal CCBHC Demonstration. The development of 13 CCBHCs statewide will take into consideration counties identified as high needs based on Medicaid data within the EDR, specifically on the metrics of: mental health hospitalization, mental health emergency department visits, suicide attempt or self-harm behavior, and overdose. Each awardee will be authorized to implement the full CCBHC model (i.e. providing all 9 core services) at an existing clinic site located within the proposed borough for NYC or the proposed EDR for the rest of state. 

The CCBHCs will have a contract start date of January 1, 2024 and must be operational by July 1, 2024. CCBHCs will be jointly selected for participation in the federal CCBHC demonstration by the NYS OMH and OASAS.

The full RFP is available online here.

CCBHC DEMO EXPANSION AND
NEW INDIGENT CARE POOL FOR CCBHC

Federal Demo Clinics
The NYS Council is deeply gratified that Governor Hochul acted on our request to expand the federal CCBHC Demonstration Program in NYS.  Our association submitted proposed budget language in November 2022, and in December we promulgated a CCBHC Financial Analysis, performed by actuaries at Health Management Associates (HMA), that demonstrated expansion of the Program would be budget neutral for NY.  Since the CCBHC Program also increases access to care and improved outcomes for New Yorkers receiving the services, the NYS Council requested a significant statewide expansion. 

The new state budget agreement includes an expansion of the number of CCBHC federal Demo Clinics here in New York, taking the number from 13 to 39 over two years.  We expect the state will seek to implement 13 new Demo Clinics by the end of this year, with another 13 coming online next year, although this is subject to change.  

In addition to the planned CCBHC federal Demo Clinic expansion, there is also language in the new budget that requires NYS to apply for federal participation in a new Indigent Care Pool for CCBHC federal Demo Clinics. The amount of funds to be made available for this new Pool will depend on whether the federal government kicks in a federal share.  Otherwise, the Indigent Care Pool will be state funds only and the state has made some accommodations in the budget, for this possibility.

Finally, there is a provision in the final budget that creates a formal CCBHC certification program in which OASAS and OMH work together to jointly certify the CCBHC Clinic.  

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