CMS $50 Million in Grants for School-Based Health Services, Particularly for Mental Health
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this week announced $50 million in state grant funding to connect millions more children to critical healthcare services, especially mental health, in schools.
The funding comes through the
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act and will provide 20 states up to $2.5 million each in funding that can help states implement, enhance, and expand school-based health services through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP.
“This funding will be transformational for states at any stage in developing school-based health services programs, which represent one of CMS’ most powerful tools for expanding access to care for our children,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in an announcement about the funding. “Medicaid and CHIP cover over 39 million children. This targeted support is one way CMS can help kids get the health care they need by meeting them where they are — in school.”
CMS said it anticipates a total of 20 grant awards, with a minimum of 10 awards to states that have yet to cover school-based health services for all children covered under Medicaid or CHIP. In addition, the agency said up to 10 grants are intended for states that have taken initial steps to expand school-based health services, with the hope that these grants will enhance or refine their existing programs.
Applications for grant funding are due by March 25 and funding is expected by this summer. Click
here for more information.
National Academy for State Health Policy Updates State Opioid Settlement Tracker
The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) this month updated its tracker to show how states are implementing administrative structures to disburse an expected $50 billion awarded to states and localities from opioid-related
lawsuits, which includes $26 billion awarded to 46 states as part of the
National Opioid Settlement.
These structures include strategies for engaging a wide variety of stakeholders on priorities for reducing opioid-related deaths and investing in SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery infrastructure.
NASHP released an issue
brief about its tracker in December 2022 to show funding allocated to each state through the National Opioid Settlement, as well as laws, agreements, and processes that states have established for allocating the funds.
Now Available: NABH Education and Research Foundation Webinar Resources and Interview
Thank you to all who joined or watched our foundation’s webinar, Redesigning the Present and Future Behavioral Healthcare Workforce, on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
NABH regrets that we were unable to hear from NABH Education and Research Foundation President and co-presenter Don Parker soon after the webinar began due to a power outage in Parker’s service area. Below is an exchange between Parker and co-presenter Beth Kuhn, principal at workforce consultancy Stonegate Strategies, in a post-webinar interview.
BK: Don, what can you tell us about the top workforce challenges you experienced at Hackensack Meridian Health System?
DP: At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hackensack Merdian Health System asked the system’s Behavioral Health Care Transformation Services to develop a post-pandemic strategy recognizing that we would have two major problems to deal with: a rapidly increasing demand for behavioral healthcare, given all of the fear, loss, isolation and uncertainty our citizens were experiencing, and an unpredictable reaction from our staff who had the same fears but just multiplied given the nature of their jobs in health care.
Although we slowed our feared staff exodus, similar to every other hospital in America, it increased and has led to shortages across the professions. As we now face both supply (under staffing of all levels of professionals) and demand (unprecedented demand for behavioral health from every age cohort) our HMH team has turned its focus to improving retention and attracting new recruits to bolster our veterans.
BK: Your system has been especially focused on building partnerships to support your talent supply efforts. What can you tell us about your approach?
DP: Knowing we would face a shortage of psychiatrists, HMH initiated 64 psychiatry resident slots and 16 fellowships (heavily weighted to children). Our first class graduated last year and began to fill our ranks. For the many residents and fellows we recruited to stay at HMH, we engaged them in an “Earn While You Learn” program for their final year. They received what would be equal to a signing bonus in monthly increments for the year. It provided great recruitment and retention.
Our health system created two new nursing school partnerships with all the nurses rotating through the HMH psychiatry locations. The exposure has proven to be highly beneficial to our nursing recruitment.
On the Mental Health Technician front, we have initiated several programs in partnership with the Local Workforce Investment Boards and the Community Colleges. I have had more than a 30-year history of working closely with WIBs.
I also served as chairman of the WIB in my county in New Jersey for several years. I have been a Board Member of the Community College in my County for 17 years and personally started my education in a Junior College.
BK: One webinar participant asked for information on what “resiliency investments” look like. It seems to me that you have some answers within your overall retention strategy.
DP: Our administrative staff were deeply concerned that we would experience an exodus of our staff due to the sheer everyday extreme stress they were experiencing. During the pandemic HMH engaged in multiple staff support strategies, from shortened schedules, on the spot individual and group counseling, integrative medicine delivered remotely or on the spot, as well every morale booster we could engage in.
In addition, as a retention strategy, HMH has shifted to a Strength-based motivational system (our version of Strength-based therapy). We expect that the focus on creating a mindset as a Survivor as opposed to being a victim of the pandemic will have a major impact on improving retention.
BK: Apprenticeship seems to hold a lot of potential, both in bringing more professionals into your system and in prompting workforce redesign. Tell us about HMH apprenticeship efforts.
DP: Our post-pandemic initiatives have featured two collaborations with Middlesex Community College in New Jersey and the WIB Board. In Fall 2023, we worked with Middlesex to develop and deliver a certification as a Mental Health Technician. While not specifically designated as an apprenticeship, it served the purpose, as the academics, designed in collaboration with the HMH staff, were delivered to the college, with the on-the-job at HMH Psychiatric Hospitals.
HMH has engaged in designing a second MHT Certification with a specialization in Integrative medicine. Each of our four psychiatric inpatient hospitals at HMH provide a daily curriculum filled with options for patients to engage in relaxation exercises, music therapy, yoga, Qigong, exercise programs, and a substantial exposure to art therapy. We expect this initiative will expand our recruitment pool to all the integrative medicine providers who practice in the community and can blend their practices with a job that offers steady income and benefits.
Reminder: SAMHSA Releases Updated 988 Partner Toolkit
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released an updated 988 Partner Toolkit that the agency says is designed to help users better navigate the bank of materials available to promote the lifeline in communities.
The toolkit has the same video PSAs, social media promotions, FAQs, and print materials, and is now available to search by target audience, population, language, and resource type.
Click
here to access the toolkit.
Reminder: NABH’s Enhanced Denial-of-Care Portal is Now Available
NABH thanks all members who have submitted data to the association’s
Denial-of-Care Portal. You have provided critical information that expands the portal and helps NABH strengthen its advocacy efforts related to erroneous prior-authorization denials.
With guidance from our members, NABH has improved the portal by adding two elements:
- Time-based data on the number of days between a request for coverage and a plan’s denial, which improves our ability to assess and compare health plan responsiveness.
- The gap between days of provided care versus days of covered care to quantify and compare uncompensated days per health plan.
We strongly encourage all NABH members to submit their denial-of-care data in the portal. If you need help starting, or if you have other questions, please e-mail NABH Associate Manager for Congressional Affairs
Emily Wilkins.
Save the Date for the NABH 2024 Annual Meeting!
Please plan to join us at the Salamander Washington, DC from
May 13-15, 2024 for this year’s Annual Meeting,
The Future of Behavioral Healthcare. Registration will open in February.
Fact of the Week
Semaglutide, a highly popular medication that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved to treat obesity and manage type 2 diabetes, was associated with a 49% to 73% lower risk of first-time or recurring suicidal ideations compared with other medications for controlling obesity and type 2 diabetes that work via different mechanisms, according to a recent NIH-funded
study.
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.
