1) 2021 SAMHSA CCBHC Funding Announce 2) State Aid Letters 3) Use of MH Block Grant Funds

January 4, 2021

First,  Over the weekend SAMHSA announced that applications for FY21 CCBHC grants are now being accepted. The grants are available to community treatment providers in every stateQualified applicants must be a CCBHC or be able to meet the requirements of a CCBHC within four months of receiving a grant. Applicants must be either a nonprofit or local government behavioral health authority.  CCBHC Expansion grant recipients that received funding under CCBHCs Expansion FOA (SM-20-012, with funding announcements made in 2020) are not eligible to apply for funding under this FOA.

When these CCBHCs are funded, there will be more than 300 CCBHCs in the US. Once all the recent omnibus-related funds are released, we may surpass 400 CCBHCs. This is an exciting moment and we are so grateful for your advocacy in support of CCBHCs!

As always, the NYS Council is happy to help you navigate these applications. Call Lauri at 518 461-8200.

NOTE:  The National Council will be hosting a Q&A session with details to be announced soon, but in advance of that meeting, here are a few items we wanted to share:

  • SAMHSA is accepting 74 applications meaning that competition will be strong.
  • The amount of the grants will be $2 million per year for 2 years.
  • Applications are due March 1.

In addition, we understand that SAMHSA has approached unfunded applicants from the 2020 FOA to determine whether they remain interested in and capable of fulfilling the activities in their applications. Although this is not a guarantee that any particular applicant will be funded, we believe it is likely that SAMHSA may fund some of those applications “off the shelf” with additional CCBHC monies that were appropriated in the omnibus package.   

Next…2)  OMH has received approval to send counties their January 2021 State Aid Letters.  We assume the same is true for OASAS.  Counties have once again been required to waive the 20% withhold for residential providers. This is the 3rd quarter in which many BH providers will sustain a 20% withhold.  The NYS Council, along with our association colleagues from across the state will be sending all providers a quick survey seeking information as to how the withholds have impacted your ability to continue to provide access to and continuity of care to individuals who need your assistance.  Stand by. 

Content of January 2021 (De-identified) Letter to Counties

The purpose of this letter is to advise you of your current State aid funding levels for the period XXXX-XXXX. These levels are listed on Attachment A of this letter by funding source (Funding Source Allocation Table) and reflect the maximum aggregate XXXX-XXXX State Aid allocation of $X,XXX,XXX.

The OMH issued January 2020 State Aid Letter funding allocations for your county to support community mental health programs for the XXXXX period. However, pursuant Counties are instructed to to the authority set forth in Section 1(f) of the SFY 2020-21 Aid to Localities Budget Bill, the OMH has been instructed to withhold a portion of payments to Local Governmental Units (LGUs) for non-residential mental health programs and activities under funding code 910 to address unprecedented financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. If the State receives sufficient Federal relief to address current budget gaps, OMH expects to restore these funds to the County State Aid Letter and process full payments for the January 2020 Quarter.

OMH is directing all LGUs to continue to make full quarterly advances to community providers operating residential programs for residential programs and services. For all other community providers OMH is directing LGUs to make, at a minimum, quarterly payments equivalent to the proportional State Aid payments made to the LGUs to preserve access to needed services.

The Office of Mental Health understands that these withholds will necessitate difficult choices for the County Director of Community Services (DCS). OMH Field Offices will be available to assist LGUs in planning for continued preservation of access and supports within existing State Aid resources.  Further, OMH requests that the DCS continue to work with your OMH Field Offices on the development of a plan that would allocate these withholds on a recurring basis in the event sufficient Federal stimulus is not available for State and Local governments to address the revenue losses associated with the COVID-19 response.

Inherent in OMH’s budget and claiming policy is the expectation that your department will monitor expenditures against budgeted costs throughout the year. Please notify your OMH Field Office of any significant fiscal or programmatic problems as soon as they become known. If you have questions regarding any local mental health fiscal issues, including questions regarding the information or instructions that are included in this letter, please call {REGION_CONTACT_NAME} at OMH {@REGION_NAME} Field Office at {@REGION_CONTACT_PHONE}.

Fund Code 910 Comment:

Pursuant to the authority set forth in Section 1(f) of the SFY 2020-21 Aid to Localities Budget Bill, OMH has been instructed to withhold a portion of payments to Local Governmental Units (LGUs) to address unprecedented financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. OMH has been authorized to provide full funding to LGU’s in all codes utilized to fund residential programs to ensure the health and safety of clients served in these programs. The 20% withhold to January 2021 Quarterly payment is applied to funding for non-residential programs and activities resulting in a reduction of $XXX,XXX. OMH is directing all LGUs to continue to make full quarterly advances to residential programs and services. For all other non-residential programs and services OMH is directing LGUs to make, at a minimum, quarterly payments equivalent to the proportional State Aid payments made to the LGUs to preserve access to needed services.

And finally…

3)  We wanted to share the following report from SAMHSA which outlines actions and recommendations arising from President Trump’s Oct. 5 executive order on behavioral health.  On page 22, the report notes: “States can also use [Mental Health] Block Grant funds to help convert community mental health centers (CMHCs) into CCBHCs to better meet the needs of those with SMI.”

In previous emails, the National Council has highlighted that CMS and SAMHSA have recently identified CCBHCs as an eligible provider type for grants. This report makes clear (in writing, for the first time) that the federal government is committed to supporting all states in their efforts to convert appropriate clinics to CCBHCs.  

The just-enacted FY21 package includes a major increase to the block grant funds, meaning our state may soon have some extra resources at its’ disposal. These resources could be a potential funding source to pay for various training or other necessary activities. The National Council plans to speak with these federal partners in the near future to have a clearer idea on where these dollars may be used as it relates to CCBHC efforts.

This report details many other relevant, top-of-mind topics for behavioral health including crisis care, criminal justice, homeless- and school-based programs, and quality SUD care. We encourage you and your clinics review the report. There’s new data and great citations to other research that may be helpful.

Here’s the Report:  https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/saving-lives-mental-behavioral-health-needs.pdf