Distribution of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Home and Community Based Service (HCBS) funding from the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) as well as Office of Developmental Programs (ODP)

PCCYFS learned last week how ARPA funds will be distributed to OMHSAS licensed providers. It was stated in a meeting by OMHSAS Deputy Secretary, Kristen Houser, that many mental health services are not eligible for ARPA funding under HCBS as they do not meet criteria. She did however list what the funding they are receiving from ARPA will be going to which is listed below:

• Minimum of $75 million one time payment will go to Mobile Crisis providers, Intensive Behavioral Health Service (IBHS) providers, Psychiatric Rehabilitation providers, and Family Based Mental Health Service (FBMHS) providers in order to assist these providers with workforce support and retention. OMHSAS will be awaiting attestation forms that providers will receive and will need to complete and return to OMHSAS. Payments will be made to providers ASAP after forms are received. OMHSAS will be in touch with providers on how these attestation forms will be delivered.
• $32 million will go to capitation rates increased to $160 million.
• $150 thousand will go towards supporting the cost of training for new Certified Peer Specialists (CPS) in order to bring additional CPS’s on board.
• $2 million over two years will go towards training clinicians in trauma treatment modalities (such as EMDR, DBT, etc.) which will be evidence based, known treatment modalities.
• $2 million will be to support the use of telehealth and purchasing telehealth technology and training providers in best practices of telehealth.
• $500 thousand will go to up to 60 Counties/Joinders that may want to begin Assisted Outpatient Therapy (AOT) and will assist with training judges and judicial staff.
• $29 million will be going to the state hospital system to implement Electronic Health Records (EHR) in order to help coordinate care.

Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) has also released information regarding ARPA HCBS one time funding for ODP licensed providers workforce recruitment/retention explained below. Their attestation form is also below if you would like to submit for this:

PCCYFS will update this post when/if we are made aware of any updates.