President Biden’s $6 Trillion Budget Proposal Includes Funding Increases for SAMHSA
President Biden’s $6 trillion budget proposal for 2022 includes significant funding increases for several Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) programs, including a $1.65 billion increase—including 10% set aside for recovery services—for the agency’s Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Block Grant for a total of about $3.51 billion in that program.
The president’s budget—notable for mapping out the president’s priorities—also includes:
- An $825-million funding increase for SAMHSA’s Community Mental Health Services Block Grant for a total of $1.58 billion, with $75 million set aside for crisis-stabilization services,
- $750-million increase in State Opioid Response grants for a total of $2.25 billion,
- An additional $125 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics,
- A $78-million increase for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for a total of $102 million to prepare for the nation’s “988” behavioral health crisis hotline, and
- $4.4-million increase for opioid treatment programs for a total of $13.1 million.
The budget also includes a $27-million increase for the U.S. Labor Department’s Employee Benefits and Security Administration to enforce the
Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.
CMCS Releases Bulletin on American Rescue Plan’s Medicaid, CHIP, and BHP Provisions
The Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services (CMCS) this week released a
bulletin that provides information to states on the Medicaid, CHIP, and Basic Health Program (BHP) provisions in the
American Rescue Plan.
Part of the guidance includes section 9813, the “State Option to Provide Qualifying Community-Based Mobile Crisis Intervention Services,” which adds a new section to the
Social Security Act and provides states the option to provide for certain “qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services” to be covered under the Medicaid state plan or a waiver of such plan during a five-year period beginning on April 1, 2022.
In addition, the bulletin said states will be eligible for a federal matching rate of 85% for qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services during each of the first 12 fiscal quarters between April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2027, in which a state meets the requirements in the statute. This provision also provides funding for the HHS secretary to issue planning grants to states to develop state plan amendments or waiver requests to provide such qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services.
CMCS said it plans to issue additional guidance in the coming months on certain provisions and is available to provide states with technical assistance as they begin to implement these changes.
EEOC Releases Updated Guidance Regarding Covid-19 Vaccinations, Incentives
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently released its first updated guidance about Covid-19 vaccinations since December 2020.
The new guidance addresses mandatory vaccination policies, employer-provided vaccine incentives, confidentiality, and accommodating workers who may be unwilling or unable to obtain a vaccination.
Click
here to read a summary of the provisions.
National Guard Officers to Provide Temporary Staffing at Oregon State Hospital
The Oregon State Hospital will begin training 30 members of the National Guard on Monday to fill an unprecedented staffing shortage at the Salem-based psychiatric hospital, according to a news report in
The Oregonian.
National Guard members will spend about two weeks learning how to work directly with patients, including training on de-escalation and behavioral emergencies. The story noted that the National Guard will help serve patient meals, escort patients to and from treatment, and with other activities on the unit.
The state hospital has faced a staffing shortage since last year when employees began taking Covid-19-related leave.
Kennedy Forum to Host June 7 Webinar on Future of Mental Healthcare
The Kennedy Forum will feature Mental Health America CEO Paul Gionfriddo and National Alliance on Mental Illness CEO Daniel Gillison, Jr. in a webinar about the future of mental healthcare on Monday, June 7.
Other panelists will include Kennedy Forum founder and former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.); Peter O’Brien, chairman of The Kennedy Forum Illinois; and Cheryl Potts, executive director at The Kennedy Forum Illinois.
The webinar will begin at 2 p.m. ET. Click
here to register.
DOJ Accepting Applications for Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program Training and Technical Assistance Program
The U.S. Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Assistance will accept grant applications for its Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP) Training and Technical Assistance Program through Monday, June 21.
The program’s purpose is to identify one provider to support a collaborative team and coordinate training and technical assistance for state, tribal, and local criminal justice and substance abuse treatment agencies and their partner agencies for more than 400 COSSAP site-based programs.
Click
here to learn more and to apply.
Registration Now Open for the NABH 2021 Annual Meeting
Registration is open for the NABH 2021 Annual Meeting from Wednesday, Oct. 6 – Friday, Oct. 8, 2021 at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC.
We hope you join us as we recognize our meeting theme,
Expanding Access: Right Care. Right Setting. Right Time.
Please visit our Annual Meeting
webpage to register for the meeting and to reserve your hotel room. We look forward to seeing you in Washington!
Fact of the Week
New
research from Athenahealth shows women were twice as likely as men to receive a diagnosis of anxiety from their primary care provider (6.5% versus 3.3%), and were also diagnosed with depression at twice the rate (4.2% versus 2.1%).
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.