HCBS: CMHC-BHC New Services

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) is issuing this Request for Applications (RFA) to solicit applications for funding from providers who are interested in establishing new Behavioral Health Clinics and/or Community Mental Health Centers and/or expanding the availability of Medicaid-covered behavioral health services across the State of Illinois. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) provided qualifying states with a temporary 10 percentage point increase to the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for certain Medicaid expenditures for home and community-based services (HCBS) provided between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022. Under ARP section 9817, states must use the federal funds attributable to the increased FMAP to supplement, not supplant, existing state funds expended for Medicaid HCBS in effect as of April 1, 2021. Additionally, states must use state funds equivalent to the amount of federal funds attributable to the increased FMAP to implement or supplement the implementation of one or more activities to enhance, expand, or strengthen HCBS under the Medicaid program. In accordance with these APRA requirements, HFS is releasing this NOFO to obtain funding applications to support the implementation of Medicaid-covered behavioral health services in underserved areas and to support further implementation of currently underutilized behavioral health services. This RFA is targeted toward providers who are interested in one or more of the following opportunities: 1) opening new Behavioral Health Clinics (BHC) or Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) in underserved areas of the state to offer Medicaid Community-Based Behavioral Services (CBS) and/or community-based services under the Pathways to Success program including Intensive Home-Based Services, Family Peer Support, Therapeutic Mentoring, and Respite; 2) existing CMHCs and BHCs who want to establish a new site in the state to offer Medicaid Community-based Behavioral Services who want to implement community-based Pathways to Success services; and/or 3) want to increase the availability of staff qualified to conduct clinical interviews to support the completion of the Illinois Medicaid – Comprehensive Assessment of Needs and Strengths (IM+CANS).

Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

305 ILCS 5/5-2.09

Title 44 Section 7000

The goal of the program is to increase access to Medicaid-covered behavioral health services in underserved areas and to support further implementation of currently underutilized behavioral health services. To measure performance, Grantor will use four measures: (1) Submission and completion of IMPACT enrollment modification; (2) staffing capacity development; (3) Medicaid-eligible individuals served for 36 months of implementation; and, 4) services provided for 36 months of implementation. Successful applicants will be expected to maintain sufficient documentation and data to report on such measures, as required by the grant agreement.

Yes

"Certifications: a. newly established BHC or CMHC site(s) will be enrolled in HFS’ Provider Enrollment System known as IMPACT OR existing sites will modify the IMPACT enrollment for the specific provider site indicating the specific new services that are to be implemented, b. all required provider and/or program approvals for the new BHC or CMHC site will be fully completed within eight months of receiving the grant award, c. applicant will operate the CMHC, BHC and new services in accordance with applicable standards in Rule 132 (CMHC Certification Requirements only), all applicable sections of Rule 140, all applicable sections of Rule 141, all requirements of the Community-Based Behavioral Services and other HFS policy guidelines, d. applicant agrees to maintain CMHC, BHC or new service operations for a period of 36 months after receiving the notification of grant award, e. applicant agrees to coordinate service implementation and fully collaborate with the Care Coordination and Support Organization in their Designated Service Area for any youth receiving services by that organization, f. applicant will work in good faith with all MCOs to execute provider network agreements to offer services for each MCOs enrollees, and g. applicant organization is currently financially sound and has long-term financial viability. Funds awarded through grants resulting from this NOFO may only be spent on the following: 1. Establishing operations as a BHC, CMHC or provider of new services including the development of program policies and procedures; 2. Staff hiring/retention bonuses, other staff recruitment efforts; 3. One-time costs of establishing or refurbishing office space; 4. Staffing costs during implementation, including staff attending required trainings, until such time as staffing costs are supported by service rate reimbursement; 5. One-time costs for purchasing or upgrading technology for new staff; 6. Printing / marketing costs to develop materials to be used in communication with community partners and families about new office locations and services; and/or, 7. Other costs associated with implementation included in the application that are expressly approved by the Department. Additionally, expenditures of funds are subject to Uniform Guidance Cost Principles, 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E. Other terms and conditions are expected to comply with the standard terms and conditions found in the Fiscal Year 2024 Illinois State Uniform Grant Agreement."

ALL;

"Initiative 1: 1. Applicant is not currently debarred from receiving federal funds. 2. Applicant has not been previously enrolled in HFS’ IMPACT enrollment system and had their enrollment terminated for cause. 3. Applicant requests funds to establish a new Behavioral Health Clinic or Community Mental Health Center, meaning that the applicant does not already have a BHC or CMHC enrolled through HFS’ IMPACT provider enrollment system. 4. Applicant identifies a specific location or locations where the new BHC or CMHC will be established. 5. Applicant identifies specific services that will be provided by the new BHC or CMHC. 6. Applicant provides a confirmatory statement(s) that: a. the newly established BHC or CMHC will be enrolled in HFS’ Provider Enrollment System known as IMPACT, b. all required provider and/or program approvals for the new BHC or CMHC will be fully completed within eight months of receiving the grant award, c. the applicant will operate the CMHC, BHC and new services in accordance with applicable standards in Rule 132 (CMHC Certification Requirements only), all applicable sections of Rule 140, all requirements of the Community-Based Behavioral Services and the Care Coordination and Support Organizations Provider Handbooks, d. applicant agrees to maintain CMHC, BHC or new service operations for a period of 36 months after receiving the notification of grant award; and, e. applicant agrees to coordinate service implementation and fully collaborate with the Care Coordination and Support Organization in their Designated Service Area for any youth receiving services by that organization, and f. applicant will work in good faith with all MCOs to execute provider network agreements to offer services for each MCOs enrollees. Initiative 2: 1. Applicant is not currently debarred from receiving federal funds. 2. Applicant has a currently enrolled BHC or CMHC in HFS’ IMPACT enrollment system. 3. Applicant requests funds to establish a new Behavioral Health Clinic or Community Mental Health Center site. 4. Applicant identifies a specific location or locations where the new BHC or CMHC site will be established. 5. Applicant identifies specific services that will be provided by the new BHC or CMHC site. 6. Applicant provides a confirmatory statement(s) that: a. the newly established BHC or CMHC site will be enrolled in HFS’ Provider Enrollment System known as IMPACT, b. all required provider and/or program approvals for the new BHC or CMHC site will be fully completed within eight months of receiving the grant award, c. the applicant will operate the new CMHC or BHC site in accordance with applicable standards in Rule 132 (CMHC Certification Requirements only), all applicable sections of Rule 140, all requirements of the Community-Based Behavioral Services and the Care Coordination and Support Organizations Provider Handbooks, d. applicant agrees to maintain CMHC, BHC site operations for a period of 36 months after receiving the notification of grant award; and, e. applicant agrees to coordinate service implementation and fully collaborate with the Care Coordination and Support Organization in their Designated Service Area for any youth receiving services by that organization, and f. applicant will work in good faith with all MCOs to execute provider network agreements to offer services for each MCOs enrollees.

Beneficiaries of the program are Medicaid eligible patients who require Mediacid approved services from Behavioral Health Clinics and/or Community Mental Health Centers.

Project Grants

Healthcare

Registration and pre-qualification through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, www.grants.illinois.gov/portal.

N/A

Submitted by electronic means through the HFS COVID-19 grants portal at https://caresapp.hfs.illinois.gov/

Grants will be awarded to the highest scoring applicants within each initiative, taking into consideration geographic distribution of proposed service locations indicated in the application, until available funds are exhausted. Please see Section E of the NOFO for the scoring rubric for each initiative with this program.

Merit based review per the evaluation criteria in the NOFO. Funding in advance with required quarterly and final reporting subject to monitoring.

April 1, 2024 at 12pm.

30-60 calendar days

The appeals process will conform with Section 7000.350 of Title 44 of the Illinois Administrative Code, section G. Appeals will be limited to appeals regarding the evaluation process only. Appeals may be submitted to the ARO at HFS.BBH@illinois.gov

Grants may be subject to extension, dependent on any changes or modifications in the allowable expenditure period allowed by the cognizant Federal Agency.

None

"1. Establishing operations as a BHC, CMHC or provider of new services including the development of program policies and procedures; 2. Staff hiring/retention bonuses, other staff recruitment efforts; 3. One-time costs of establishing or refurbishing office space; 4. Staffing costs during implementation, including staff attending required trainings, until such time as staffing costs are supported by service rate reimbursement; 5. One-time costs for purchasing or upgrading technology for new staff; 6. Printing / marketing costs to develop materials to be used in communication with community partners and families about new office locations and services; and/or, 7. Other costs associated with implementation included in the application that are expressly approved by the Department. Additionally, expenditures of funds are subject to Uniform Guidance Cost Principles, 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E. The State is not responsible for and will not pay any costs associated with the preparation and submission of applications or any other pre-award costs."

Quarterly reporting beginning no more than 9 months after award date and final reporting due upon the expiration of the allowable expenditure period.

As per JCAR Title 44 Illinois Administrative Code 7000.90

Grantees must maintain for three (3) years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report, adequate books, all financial records and, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to this Award, adequate to comply with 2 CFR 200.334 and 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.430(a) and (b).

0739-478-65-4900-00-99

PY: 0; CY: 25,000,000; BY: 25,000,000

10,000 - 500,000

N/A

https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/home-community-based-services/guidance-additional-resources/strengthening-and-investing-home-and-community-based-services-for-medicaid-beneficiaries-american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021-section-9817/index.html

N/A

201 South Grand Avenue East, Springfield, Illinois 62763

https://hfs.illinois.gov/medicalproviders/behavioral/communitybasedbehavioralhealthservices.html

N/A

N/A

2/1/2024

FY 2024 : $25,000,000