Important Info re: SAMSHA CCBHC Expansion Grant Opportunities

January 23, 2020

As you know SAMHSA recently announced a second round of CCBHC Expansion Grants.  We want to make sure NYS Council members understand the main differences between the original CCBHC Demo Initiative that resulted in the selection of 13 agencies around the state that we now refer to as the ‘Demo’ agencies, and the SAMHSA CCBHC Expansion Grant model.

While there are many differences between the original CCBHC Demo Program and the CCBHC Expansion Grants Program, we want to point out a few critical differences that may inform your decision-making:  

·         The original CCBHC Demo model reimburses awardees for services utilizing a Prospective Payment System (PPS) rate that is tailored to their unique costs impacting the individual agency. This methodology gets the provider (on average) close to a cost-based rate, but the SAMHSA CCBHC Expansion Grants does not reimburse via a PPS reimbursement model.

·         The original CCBHC Demo required NYS to identify and then work with each of the (eventual) 13 awardees to set a rate that was specific to the individual agency based on numerous factors.  In my mind the funding provided with the SAMHSA Expansion Grants is more like a deficit financing grant.  This can be very helpful but it’s not the same as the reimbursement methodology for the original 13 CCBHC Demo Clinics.   

·         The initial SAMHSA Expansion Grants (let’s call them Round I) required the provider to sign an attestation that the provider met the CCBHC certification requirements.  SAMHSA has indicated the same process will take place with Round 2.  

·         With the SAMHSA Expansion Grants model awardees have a direct contract with SAMHSA.  Currently there is no specified role for the state agencies by SAMHSA.  They are not being reimbursed to provide support to applicants or awardees and while it is always possible that this could change, it is important for NYS Council member agencies to understand this point.  

Note:  Regarding the section in the SAMHSA (Round Two) Expansion Grant RFA that discusses potential awardees needing to be ready for ‘certification’ within 4 months of notification of an award: SAMHSA is requiring clinics to demonstrate through completion of the checklist in Appendix M that they are ready or will be ready within 4 months to meet all certification criteria, but formal certification by the state is not required. SAMHSA has indicated that the community based behavioral health clinic, at the time of application, needs to make the assurance that within four months of award they will be able to meet the criteria for certification (Appendix M). 

If you have further questions or just want to talk it over, please feel free to call me at (518) 461-8200 or write me a note:  lauri@nyscouncil.org