Thursday, May 15, 2025
5/15/2025
Planning for the certification of five to ten CCBHCs in Maryland. - The Maryland Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Planning Grant project is an initiative of the Maryland Department of Health (the Department) to establish uniform requirements for Medicaid covered services and payments provided by CCBHCs. In recent years, Maryland’s behavioral health delivery system has made significant strides in becoming more recovery-oriented and person-centered. The Department has also advanced regulatory reforms by moving away from discrete program types, each with separate regulatory standards, to a model in which national accreditation plays a role in licensing providers. Most recently, to further build out the behavioral health continuum of care, the Department has been investing in statewide crisis stabilization, mobile crisis units, and the scaling up of 988. Despite advances, the Department recognizes that service gaps remain that inhibit Marylanders with serious behavioral health challenges from accessing the comprehensive, coordinated quality care they need to maintain their overall health. This initiative will enable the Department to expand and enhance care coordination, including the expansion of peer-driven care navigation; provide technical assistance to improve the quality of peer and family support; offer enhanced services for youth, families, individuals with developmental disabilities, and veterans; enrich linkages between justice involved individuals and community-based systems; improve access to crisis support and more substantial crisis follow-up services; and more effectively reach out to individuals and families who have either not engaged with the system or are utilizing only emergency room services. The CCBHC Planning Grant Project will also provide opportunities for the Department to develop and extend service capacity, including in rural areas, and address service gaps related to the delivery of care. This includes: Supported Employment (SE) and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), which is currently limited to certain geographical areas where supply has never been sufficient to meet demand; Targeted Mental Health Case Management (TCM) which, although available in all jurisdictions, is underused; and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), an evidence-based practice (EBP) for individuals with opioid addictions that is underutilized due in part to stigma. The Department is also in the process of implementing Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), which will serve as another tool to build out the continuum and linkage to services within a CCBHC. The Department will use the one-year planning period to develop a payment system for CCBHCs following the Certified Clinic Prospective Payment System 3 (CC PPS-3) model. CC PPS-3 will allow for a daily rate for all non-Special Crisis Services (SCS), as well as a separate SCS daily rate, enabling a broad range of possible providers to pursue CCBHC designation, particularly in rural areas of the state. CC PPS-3 will also ensure that sufficient funding is available to providers to provide the high-quality coordinated service envisioned by the CCBHC initiative. At the end of the planning year, up to ten CCBHCs will be selected and certified around the state.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).