[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 210 (Thursday, October 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64608-64610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25822]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Sec. 223 Demonstration Programs To Improve Community Mental 
Health Services--Criteria for Certified Community Behavioral Health 
Clinics

AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of Public Listening Session.

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SUMMARY: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 
(SAMHSA) announces that it will hold a public listening session on 
Wednesday, November 12, 2014, to solicit information concerning the 
Criteria for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) to 
participate in Demonstration Programs. The scheduled listening session 
provides an opportunity for SAMHSA to seek public input on the criteria 
development process. The scope of this session will be on the 
development of the Criteria only. The session will be held in 
Rockville, MD, to obtain direct input from stakeholders on the 
development of criteria for state certification of Community Behavioral 
Health Clinics.

DATES:  The listening session will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 
2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

ADDRESSES:  The listening session will be held at SAMHSA, 1 Choke 
Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857, Lobby-level Sugarloaf/Seneca 
Conference Rooms.

[[Page 64609]]

    The agenda and logistical information on how to participate via the 
phone or Internet are on the SAMHSA Web site at: http://beta.samhsa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/laws-regulations/section-223.
    The session will be open to the public and the entire day's 
proceedings will be webcast, recorded, and made publicly available. 
Interested parties may participate in person or via webcast and 
registration is required. In person seating is limited. To register, go 
to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/listening-session-sec-223-criteria-for-state-certified-behavioral-community-behavioral-health-tickets-13532338589?utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventurl_text. Registration will be open until November 5, 
2014.. The listening session location is accessible to persons with 
disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation, please send your 
request to: [email protected].
    Comments at the listening session will be limited to three minutes. 
In addition to providing oral comment at the session in person or via 
webcast, individuals and organizations may submit comments to SAMHSA 
using any of the following methods:
    [squ] Mail: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857, Room 6-1019. 
Attn: Certified Behavioral Health Clinic Comments.
    [squ] Hand Delivery or Courier: 1 Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 
20857, Room 6-1019 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., EST, Monday through 
Friday, except federal holidays.
    [squ] Email: [email protected].
    [squ] Fax: 1-240-276-1930.
    Each submission must include the agency name and the Federal 
Register docket number (FR Doc.) found at the end of this notice. 
Comments must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, November 26, 
2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information concerning the 
listening session or the live webcast, please contact Cynthia Kemp, 
Supervisory Public Health Advisor, SAMHSA, by mail at: 1 Choke Cherry 
Road, Rockville, MD 20857, Room 6-1019 or by email at: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    On March 31, 2014, Congress passed the Protecting Access to 
Medicare Act (Pub. L. No. 113-93), which authorized Demonstration 
Programs to Improve Community Mental Health Services. Section 223 of 
Public Law 113-93 requires the Secretary to:
     Publish criteria for a clinic to be certified by a state 
as a certified community behavioral health clinic for purposes of 
participating in a demonstration program;
     issue guidance for the establishment of a prospective 
payment system that shall only apply to medical assistance for mental 
health services furnished by a certified community behavioral health 
clinic participating in a demonstration program;
     award planning grants to States for the purpose of 
developing proposals to participate in time-limited demonstration 
programs;
     select states to participate in demonstration programs 
that are developed through planning grants, meet specific requirements, 
and represent a diverse selection of geographic areas, including rural 
and underserved areas; and
     submit to Congress an annual report on the use of funds 
provided under all demonstration programs conducted.
    Per Section 223, demonstration programs shall be developed to 
improve community mental health services. No later than September 1, 
2015, the Secretary must publish the criteria for a clinic to be 
certified by a state as a certified community behavioral health clinic 
for purposes of participating in a demonstration program. The criteria 
published must include criteria with the following:
    Staffing requirements, including criteria that the staff has 
diverse disciplinary backgrounds, have necessary state-required license 
and accreditation, and are culturally and linguistically trained to 
serve the needs of the clinic's patient population.
    Availability and accessibility of services, including crisis 
management services that are available and accessible 24 hours a day, 
the use of a sliding scale for payment, and no rejection for services 
or limiting of services on the basis of a patient's ability to pay or a 
place of residence.
    Care coordination, including requirements to coordinate care across 
settings and providers to ensure seamless transitions for patients 
across the full spectrum of health services including acute, chronic, 
and behavioral health needs. Care coordination requirements must 
include partnerships or formal contracts with the following:
     Federally-qualified health centers (and as applicable, 
rural health clinics) to provide federally-qualified health center 
services (and as applicable, rural health clinic services) to the 
extent such services are not provided directly through the certified 
community behavioral health clinic.
     Inpatient psychiatric facilities and substance use 
detoxification, post-detoxification step-down services, and residential 
programs.
     Other community or regional services, supports, and 
providers, including schools, child welfare agencies, juvenile and 
criminal justice agencies and facilities, Indian Health Service (IHS) 
youth regional treatment centers, state licensed and nationally 
accredited child placing agencies for therapeutic foster care service, 
and other social and human services.
     Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, 
independent outpatient clinics, drop-in centers, and other facilities 
of the Department as defined in 38 U.S.C. Sec.  1801.
     Inpatient acute care hospitals and hospital outpatient 
clinics.
    Scope of Services--provision (in a manner reflecting person-
centered care) of the following services which, if not available 
directly through the certified community behavioral health clinic, are 
provided or referred through formal relationships with other providers:
     Crisis mental health services, including 24-hour mobile 
crisis teams, emergency crisis intervention services, and crisis 
stabilization.
     Screening, assessment, and diagnosis, including risk 
assessment.
     Patient-centered treatment planning or similar processes, 
including risk assessment and crisis planning.
     Outpatient mental health and substance use services.
     Outpatient clinic primary care screening and monitoring of 
key health indicators and health risk.
     Targeted case management.
     Psychiatric rehabilitation services.
     Peer support and counselor services and family supports.
     Intensive, community-based mental health care for members 
of the armed forces and veterans, particularly those members and 
veterans located in rural areas, provided the care is consistent with 
minimum clinical mental health guidelines promulgated by the Veterans 
Health Administration including clinical guidelines contained in the 
Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook of such Administration.
    Quality Reporting--Reporting of encounter data, clinical outcomes 
data, quality data, and such other data as the Secretary requires.
    Organizational Authority--Criteria that a clinic be a non-profit or 
part of a local government behavioral health authority or operated 
under the

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authority of the IHS, an Indian tribe or tribal organization pursuant 
to a contract, grant, cooperative agreement, or compact with the IHS 
pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.), 
or an urban Indian organization pursuant to a grant or contract with 
the IHS under title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).
    Once the Criteria for Criteria for CCBHCs are established, the 
planning grants will be awarded to states by January 1, 2016. By 
September 1, 2017 up to eight states will be selected from those states 
awarded planning grants to participate in a two year demonstration 
program to implement proposed approaches and assess their success. 
Finally, one year after the first state is selected and annually 
thereafter--reports will be submitted to Congress on the accessibility, 
quality, scope, and cost of services. A final report to Congress will 
be submitted by December 31, 2021, and will include recommendations to 
continue, expand, modify, or terminate the demonstration program.

Cathy J. Friedman,
Public Health Analyst, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-25822 Filed 10-29-14; 8:45 am]
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