Provider Updates on Community Mental Health
News and Information for the Week of October 23, 2023
Let’s Start With Some Good News …
Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are improving access to high-quality mental health and substance use care nationwide and alleviating the impacts of the behavioral health workforce shortage. CCBHCs provide comprehensive mental health, crisis care, and substance use disorder services, offer 24/7 access, and serve anyone who walks in the door, no matter their ability to pay. These help address unmet needs in our community. Despite CCBHCs’ success, millions still don’t have access to one in their community.
Sen. Stabenow recently introduced the Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act (S.2993), which,
Establishes CCBHCs formally in federal law and creates infrastructure to build upon the model's current success
Creates ongoing technical assistance infrastructure to enhance and improve new and existing CCBHCs
Authorizes new enhancement and improvement grants to support activities to strengthen the CCBHC workforce
Please reach out to Senator Debbie Stabenow to thank her for her ongoing support of behavioral health.
Here is more good news …
Peters Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Access to Opioid Addiction Treatment for Adolescents
Senator Gary Peters introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize funding for a grant program that expands access to opioid addiction treatment for adolescents. Peters’ bipartisan Youth Prevention and Recovery Reauthorization Act will build on previous legislation he introduced that was signed into law in 2018 as part of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act that established the Youth Prevention and Recovery Initiative to make an existing substance abuse program available for young adults. The legislation will reauthorize funding for the initiative within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure this critical resource remains available to adolescents, families, care providers, and communities. See News Release for additional background, and reach out to Sen. Peters, thanking him for his support.
Other Legislative + Congressional Updates
According to the MI Health is Health Coalition, in the Michigan House of Representatives, HB 4707, the Mental Health Access Act, may be on its second reading tomorrow, Oct. 24! The Coalition encourages its supporters to contact their lawmakers to support the legislation and pass HB 4707 off the House floor. Find your legislator here and email and call them. You can also share Allyson’s story in this video.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has made a difference in countless lives by connecting those in crisis with trained counselors. Its rapid growth and success have highlighted the urgent need for greater infrastructure and funding to meet the increasing service demand. If passed, the 988 Implementation Act of 2023 (H.R. 4851) and the Local 988 Response Act (H.R. 4974) will bolster this lifeline. Here's how:
Increase Accessibility to Crisis Services: Funding for mobile crisis response teams will help reach underserved communities, ensuring that more individuals can access timely and appropriate care.
Strengthen Workforce & Infrastructure: By expanding behavioral health training and capital improvement grants, we can ensure that crisis centers are equipped to handle the surge in demand.
Ensure Quality of Care: National standards will be established, guaranteeing consistent and effective care across different healthcare plans.
Expand Coverage: Extending Medicaid coverage will provide financial support for 988 call centers, mobile crisis teams, and crisis centers, ensuring sustainable operations.
Faster Response Time: The Local 988 Response Act will improve call routing based on the caller's location, reducing unnecessary delays and ensuring faster assistance while maintaining user privacy.
Take Action Now on Building on the 988 Crisis Care Continuum (link to sign a letter)
Here are three more bills that aim to bridge the gaps in substance use disorder services:
Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4531):
Addresses the funding shortfall in substance use services.
Reauthorizes essential provisions, notably extending Medicaid's commitment to covering all opioid use disorder medications.
Grants the option to mitigate the IMD exclusion for inpatient substance use disorder treatment.
Due Process Continuity of Care Act (H.R. 3074/ S. 971):
Ensures incarcerated persons don't lose their Medicaid benefits before official legal decisions.
Reentry Act (H.R. 2400/ S. 1165):
Recognizes the vulnerability of individuals post-incarceration, particularly during the initial fortnight when overdose risks skyrocket.
Facilitates Medicaid's coverage of medical services for those incarcerated in the 30 days leading up to their release, ensuring they receive essential community-based care as they transition.
The Improving Access to Mental Health Act (H.R. 1638 / S. 838) and the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act (H.R. 4933/ S. 462) will also address workforce and access issues:
The Improving Access to Mental Health Act (H.R. 1638),
Bolsters recruitment and retention of providers in the Medicare workforce by increasing reimbursement levels for Clinical Social Workers.
Expands treatment options for Medicare beneficiaries seeking access to care by allowing Clinical Social Workers to provide psychosocial services to patients in skilled nursing facilities and provide the full range of Health and Behavior Assessment and Intervention (HBAI) services within their scope of practice.
The Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act H.R. 4933,
Reauthorizes and expands the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program (STAR LRP), providing funding for the program through 2032 at increased funding levels.
Makes mental health care providers eligible for loan forgiveness under the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program.
Provides up to $250,000 in loan repayment for providers who work in mental health professional shortage areas for up to six years.
These two legislative proposals will help address the workforce shortage by increasing access to mental health and substance use treatment providers and organizations under the Medicare program and incentivizing providers to work in mental health professional shortage areas.
Now the bad news….
Police and sheriff departments have been lobbying to secure opioid settlement money to buy more cars and body scanners. According to NPR, this story includes Kalamazoo County and St. Clair County.
Here is what else I am reading …
Appeal Panel Denies Muskegon County's $12.2M Medicaid Claim Against State.
Muskegon County and its mental health provider, HealthWest, sought to recover a $12.2 million deficit for Medicaid services from 2018 and 2019. An appeal panel ruled against them, stating the responsibility lay with Lakeshore Regional Entity (LRE), their prepaid inpatient health plan. The court found no constitutional violation by Michigan or the Department of Health and Human Services. The dispute originated from a contractual issue between the state and LRE. HealthWest provides various health services to over 7,000 individuals.
Events we are thinking about going to
November 2023
NOV 6, 11:00 AM, Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) - A virtual meeting to learn about two initiatives to build a strong talent pipeline for a skilled workforce. This includes,
Social Worker Career Pathway for High School Students (SWCP), scheduled to launch in Fall 2024
Community Health Worker Foundations in Behavioral Health Micro-credential (syllabus is attached) (Certification is provided through the Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance (MiCHWA))
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