Weekly Health Care Policy Update – April 10, 2023

In this update: 

• Federal Agencies
  • CMS Finalizes 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rule
  • CMMI Issues More Details on MA VBID Model Extension
  • CMS Proposes 2024 Skilled Nursing Facility PPS Rule
  • CMS Proposes 2024 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS Rule
  • CMS Proposes 2024 Inpatient Psychiatric Facility PPS Rule
  • HRSA Publishes Policy Brief and Recommendations for PACE
  • HRSA Awards Funds for Community-Based Training of Medical and Dental Residents
  • AHRQ Seeks Nominations to National Advisory Council
  • AHRQ Announces Webinar to Launch Patient Safety Initiative
• Other Updates
  • Joint Commission Releases 2022 Sentinel Event Data
• New York State Updates
  • NYS Budget Deadline to Be Extended to April 17^th
  • OMH Releases Guidance on Post-PHE Flexibilities for Health Home Plus
  • OPWDD to Host Webinars on Proposed Amendment to 1915(c) Comprehensive HCBS Waiver
  • OMH to Host Webinar for Providers and Plans on Resumption of Medicaid Recertifications
  • OCFS Proposes Regulations for Foster Care Rate Increases
  • OSC Releases Audit Report of OPWDD Covid-19 Response
• Funding Opportunities
  • Mother Cabrini 2023 Grantmaking Cycle Begins May 1^st
  • DOH Releases RFP for Early Intervention Respite Services
  • HPD Releases RFA for Partners in Preservation Program
  • SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Community-Based Substance Abuse Prevention
  • OPWDD Releases Funding Opportunity for Telephone Triage Nursing Services in Capital District
  • OMH Releases Funding Opportunities for Home Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI) Teams

Federal Agencies

CMS Finalizes 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Rule
On April 5^th, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule with changes to regulations governing the Medicare Advantage (MA) program, the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D), Medicare Cost Plans, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). The finalized changes affect Star Ratings, marketing and communications, health equity, provider directories, coverage criteria, prior authorization, network adequacy, and other areas. Major provisions of the final rule include: 

• Utilization Management Requirements: In situations when no applicable Medicare statute, regulation, National Coverage Determination (NCD), or Local Coverage Determination (LCD) establishes when an item or service must be covered, MA organizations may establish their own coverage criteria. Such criteria must be “based on current evidence in widely used treatment guidelines or clinical literature made publicly available” to CMS, enrollees, and providers. In the final rule, CMS has more explicitly stated the circumstances under which MA plans may apply internal coverage criteria when making medical necessity decisions. CMS also finalized a requirement that when an enrollee is granted prior authorization approval, it will remain valid for the full course of treatment.
• Marketing Requirements: CMS finalized a prohibition on ads that do not mention a specific plan name as well as ads that use the Medicare name, logo, or products like the Medicare card “in a misleading manner.” CMS also finalized 21 of the 22 marketing provisions in the proposed rule, with modifications to just four proposed provisions. At this time, CMS is not finalizing a proposal to prohibit third-party marketing organizations from distributing beneficiary contact information, but it may address this in future rulemaking.
• Star Ratings Program Changes: CMS finalized a new health equity index (HEI) reward to replace the current high-performance reward factor, beginning with the 2027 Star Ratings. The HEI will be based on plans’ performance on Star Ratings measures for specific subsets of enrollees with social risk factors (SRFs). The initial set of SRFs would include dual eligibles, beneficiaries receiving the Low Income Subsidy, and disabled beneficiaries. CMS also finalized proposals to: 
  • Reduce the weight of patient experience/complaints and access measures by half; and
  • Adjust the extreme and uncontrollable circumstances policy by ending the 60 percent rule, which excludes contracts with more than 60 percent of enrollees in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated areas from the calculations.
• Star Ratings Program Policies Not Finalized: CMS did not finalize proposals to: 
  • Remove guardrails when determining measure-specific-thresholds for non-Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) measures; and
  • Modify the Improvement Measure hold harmless policy to include an additional rule for the removal of Star Ratings measures.
• Advancing Health Equity: CMS finalized its proposals to significantly expand the list of populations that MA organizations must provide services to in a culturally competent manner. CMS also proposes requiring MA organizations to develop and maintain procedures to offer digital health education to enrollees to improve access to medically necessary covered telehealth benefits, and to require MA organizations to include providers’ cultural and linguistic capabilities in provider directories.
• Improving Access to Behavioral Health: CMS finalized proposals to add network adequacy requirements for Clinical Psychologists, Licensed Clinical Social Workers, and Prescribers of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder. CMS will also include behavioral health services in general access to services standards and codify standards for appointment wait times for both primary care and behavioral health.
• LI NET: CMS finalized its proposal to make the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition (LI NET) Program a permanent part of the Medicare Part D program.
• LIS: CMS finalized a proposal required by the Inflation Reduction Act to expand full Low Income Subsidy (LIS) eligibility to all individuals with incomes up to 150% of the federal poverty level (FPL) who meet statutory resource requirements, beginning January 1, 2024.

The final rule is available here. A fact sheet is available here and a press release is available here.
 
CMMI Issues More Details on MA VBID Model Extension
On April 5^th, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced details of the MA Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) extension for calendar years 2025 through 2030. The changes are “intended to more fully address the health-related social needs of patients, advance health equity, and improve care coordination for patients with serious illness.” New policies in this third extension of the VBID program include: 

• Requiring participating plans to offer supplemental benefits to address health-related social needs (HRSNs) in at least two of the following three areas: 
  • Food;
  • Transportation; and
  • Housing insecurity and/or living environment.
• Allowing plans to target enrollees for based on the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) associated with their geography, rather than only based on the existing individual criteria (Part D LIS and dual-eligible status). This change is intended to help plans “address HRSNs in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.”
• Enacting related data collection requirements to help CMMI better understand usage of supplemental benefits and their impact on enrollee health.
• Aligning flexibilities for enrolled individuals to concurrently receive hospice care and curative care with similar flexibilities in other CMMI models. In addition, beginning in 2026, MA plans will have the flexibility to require enrollees to receive hospice services from in-network providers so long as network adequacy requirements are met.

A fact sheet outlining the MA VBID extension and changes beginning in 2025 is available here and more information on the model in general may be found here.
 
CMS Proposes 2024 Skilled Nursing Facility PPS Rule
On April 4^th, CMS issued a proposed rule to update the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Medicare payment policies and rates under the Skilled Nursing Facility Prospective Payment System (SNF PPS). Overall, CMS is proposing a net increase of 3.7%, or approximately $1.2 billion, in Medicare Part A payments to SNFs in FY 2024. This increase is the result of a 6.1% net market basket update (2.7% SNF market basket increase plus a 3.6% market basket forecast error adjustment and less a 0.2% productivity adjustment) as well as a -2.3% decrease to the FY 2024 SNF PPS rates as a result of the second phase of the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) parity adjustment recalibration. The proposed rule did not include regulations pertaining to minimum staffing requirements, though CMS is continuing to review stakeholder feedback.
 
Additional changes in the proposed rule include: 

• ICD-10 Code Mappings: In response to stakeholder feedback and to improve consistency between the ICD-10 code mappings and current ICD-10 coding guidelines, CMS is proposing several changes to the PDPM ICD-10 code mappings.
• SNF QRP: CMS proposes changes to a number of Quality Reporting Program (QRP) measures, including a new measure for Covid-19 vaccination and initiating public reporting for certain measures. It has also issued an RFI to solicit feedback on gaps in SNF QRP measures and to gather information on fully-developed SNF measures that are not currently part of the QRP.
• SNF VBP: CMS proposes to change a number of measures for the SNF Value-Based Payment (VBP) program, including adopting new measures for staffing turnover, discharge function score, and long-stay hospitalizations. CMS also proposes to: 
  • Adopt a Health Equity Adjustment in the SNF VBP Program, to reward high-performing SNFs with at least 20% dual eligibles; and
  • Increase the payback percentage policy under the SNF VBP program from the current 60% to a level such that bonuses provided to the high performing, high duals SNFs do not come at the expense of the other SNFs.
• Civil Monetary Penalties: CMS proposes to treat a failure to submit a timely request for a hearing, by default, as waiving this right. Facilities who do not request a hearing would therefore be eligible for the accompanying 35% reduction in the penalty.

The proposed rule is available here. A fact sheet on the proposed rule is available here. Comments will be accepted until June 5^th.  
 
CMS Proposes 2024 Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility PPS Rule
On April 3^rd, CMS issued a proposed rule to update the FY 2024 Medicare payment policies and rates under the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) PPS and the IRF QRP. Overall, CMS is proposing to update the IRF PPS payment rate by 3%. This update is based on a IRF market basket update of 3.2% and a 0.2% reduction due to a productivity adjustment. The rule also proposes an adjustment to the outlier threshold to maintain outlier payments at 3% of total payments, which would result in a 0.7% percentage point increase in outlier payments. The outlier threshold change would mean an overall increase in IRF payments for FY 2024 of 3.7% or a total of $335 million.
 
Additional changes in the proposed rule include: 

• Hospitals: CMS proposes to allow hospitals to open a new IRF unit and begin being paid under the IRF PPS at any time during the cost reporting period.
• Market Basket: CMS proposes to adopt a 2021-based IRF market basket and include proposed changes to the market basket cost weights, price proxies, market basket update, and labor-related share.
• IRF QRP: CMS proposes changes to a number of Quality Reporting Program (QRP) measures, including a new measure for Covid-19 vaccination and initiating public reporting for certain measures.

The proposed rule is available here. A fact sheet on the proposed rule is available here. Comments will be accepted until 5pm on June 2^nd.  
 
CMS Proposes 2024 Inpatient Psychiatric Facility PPS Rule
On April 4^th, CMS released a proposed rule updating the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility (IPF) PPS and Quality Reporting (IPFQR) program for FY 2024. Overall, CMS estimates that payments to IPFs will increase by 1.9%, or $55 million, in FY 2024 relative to FY 2023. This rate increase is the result of a 3.2% overall PPS rate increase reduced by a 0.2 percentage point productivity adjustment and a 1.0% reduction in aggregate payments due to an update in the outlier threshold (so that estimated outlier payments remain at 2.0% of total payments).
 
Additional elements of the proposed rule include: 

• Hospitals: CMS proposes to allow hospitals to open a new IPF unit at any time during the cost reporting people with 30-day advance notice to CMS and the hospital’s Medicare Administrative Contractor. CMS believes this proposal will help alleviate administrative burden and complexity in order to improve access to inpatient psychiatric beds.
• Market Basket: CMS proposes to rebase the IFP PPS market basket using 2021 data and to revise the market basket cost weights, price proxies, market basket update, and labor-related share (LRS).  The proposed FY 2024 LRS is 78.5%, which is a 1.1 percentage point increase relative to the FY 2023 LRS of 77.4%.
• RFI on Payment Revisions: An RFI to inform future payment revisions, particularly related to FY 2025, as required by the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2023.
• IPFQR Program: CMS proposes changes to a number of program measures, including a new measure for Covid-19 vaccination and initiating public reporting for certain measures, as well as adopting a new data validation prgram.

The proposed rule is available here and a fact sheet is available here. The rule is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on April 10^th and comments will be due June 5^th.
 
HRSA Publishes Policy Brief and Recommendations for PACE
On April 3^rd, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) published a policy brief entitled “Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in Rural America.” It presents the benefits and challenges of operating PACE models in rural areas, as discussed at the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services meeting in September 2022. PACE is a Medicare program and Medicaid state option intended to provide a community-based service option to enable seniors who have a nursing home level of need to continue to live at home. The brief notes that awareness of and access to PACE in rural areas is low, and that the “significant start-up funding and application process” required to operate a PACE program is a major barrier.
 
The brief presents the following eight policy recommendations: 

• Support a Medicare-only PACE pilot that addresses the often-prohibitive cost of standalone Part D coverage, to assess viability in rural areas and determine start-up capital needed for sustainability.
• Consider how to extend telehealth coverage to PACE organizations on a similar basis to other Medicare services (i.e., through December 2024).
• Support the development of a rural PACE resource guide to promote the model to rural and tribal communities.
• Support guidance to clarify the range of allowable shared space arrangements for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and encourage partnerships between CAHs and PACE organizations, including considerations for cost reporting that support these partnerships without excessively reducing CAHs’ cost-based reimbursement.
• Allow PACE sites to be eligible for loan repayment under the National Health Service Corps and the Nurse Corps.
• Encourage students trained through HRSA Health Profession and IHS training programs to rotate to rural PACE service sites.
• Allow PACE organizations to submit multiple applications simultaneously.
• Allow existing PACE sites to have an expedited approval process for expanding to new service area populations on a rolling basis.

The full report is available here.
 
HRSA Awards Funds for Community-Based Training of Medical and Dental Residents
On March 31^st, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded roughly $23 million to 46 grantees to “plan and develop Teaching Health Center residency programs in community-based settings.” The Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program was established over a decade ago to prioritize training residents in community-based outpatient settings such as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or community mental health centers. THCGME supports residency programs in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine-pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics and gynecology, general dentistry, and geriatrics. The new funding will support community-based providers who want to build primary care residency training programs, develop a curriculum, recruit faculty, retool workflow to integrate residents, and get accredited, but who have lacked resources to start such a program.
 
Funding recipients in New York include the Whitney M. Young, Jr., Health Center in Albany (general dentistry) and Urban Health Plan in the Bronx (psychiatry). More information is available here.
 
AHRQ Seeks Nominations to National Advisory Council
On April 4^th, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) announced that it is seeking nominations for new members of its National Advisory Council (NAC). NAC advises both the Director of AHRQ on priorities for a national health services research agenda. NAC is a 14-member panel of private-sector experts representing health plans, providers, purchasers, consumers, and researchers. Ex-officio members include representatives from CMS; the National Institutes of Health (NIH); the Department of Defense (Health Affairs) (DoD); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); the Office of Personnel Management (OPM); the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and the Assistant Secretary for Health. Members serve three-year terms and meet three times per year. AHRQ seeks “diverse representation geographically and across priority and underrepresented populations.”
 
A list of current National Advisory Council members is available here. Applications, including a resume and a statement of service, are due by May 27^th to Jaime Zimmerman, M.P.H., PMP, at NationalAdvisoryCouncil@ahrq.hhs.gov.
 
AHRQ Announces Webinar to Launch Patient Safety Initiative
On April 4^th, AHRQ announced the first in a series of webinars to support the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s initiative to move health care delivery systems toward “zero harm.” The webinar, entitled “Safer Together: A National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety,” will highlight the work of the National Action Alliance to Advance Patient Safety, established by AHRQ to “improve both patient and workforce safety across health care delivery settings.” The Alliance includes partners such as health systems, clinicians, patients, families, caregivers, professional societies, workforce safety advocates, health services researchers, payers, and others. The webinar will present responses to AHRQ’s Request for Information on the creation of the Alliance and allow Alliance participants to share insights.
 
The webinar will be held on April 25^th at 2pm. Registration is available here.

Other Updates

Joint Commission Releases 2022 Sentinel Event Data
On April 4^th, the Joint Commission released its Sentinel Event Data 2022 Annual Review on serious adverse events. The report covers calendar year 2022 and includes data on 1,441 “sentinel events,” which are patient safety events that result in death, permanent harm, or severe temporary harm. The most common events were: falls (42%), delay in treatment (6%), unintended retention of foreign object (6%), wrong surgery (6%), and suicide (5%). Most events (88%) occurred in a hospital, with 44% resulting in severe temporary harm, 20% resulting in death, and 13% resulting in unexpected additional care/extended stay. Failures in communications, teamwork, and consistently following policies were the leading causes of such events. Most sentinel events (90%) were voluntarily self-reported to the Joint Commission, with the remaining reported by patients or their families, or by employees of a health care organization.
 
The full data set is available here.

New York State Updates

NYS Budget Deadline to Be Extended to April 17^th
Today (April 10^th), New York State (NYS) is expected to pass a bill (S.6260) that will further extend emergency appropriations until April 17^th. Governor Hochul and the Legislature are still negotiating around policies to be enacted in the budget, with reports indicating that a wide variety of issues, including health care, have yet to be addressed in detail.
 
OMH Releases Guidance on Post-PHE Flexibilities for Health Home Plus
On April 4^th, the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) issued guidance regarding the transition out of the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) for Health Home Plus (HH+) members. OMH will grant Health Homes/Care Management Agencies a transition period of four months to resume the minimum in-person contact requirements for HH+ services. As such, effective August 1^st, the flexibilities granted to Specialty Mental Health Care Management Agencies (SMH CMAs) will discontinue and SMH CMAs will no longer be able to use audio or video contact in lieu of the in-person contact requirements for HH+ services. HH+ requires four core services per month, two of which must be completed in-person for HH+ members and all of which must be completed in person for members receiving Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT).
 
Guidance on requirements specific to Children’s Health Home Services and Care Coordination Organizations/Health Homes for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) will be issued separately.
 
The guidance is available here. Questions may be submitted here.
 
OPWDD to Host Webinars on Proposed Amendment to 1915(c) Comprehensive HCBS Waiver
On April 12^th at 1pm and 6pm, the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) will host webinars to discuss an amendment to the OPWDD 1915(c) Comprehensive Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver. The proposed amendment would permanently adopt some of the provisions that were temporarily authorized under Appendix K authority during the Covid-19 PHE. These flexibilities will otherwise sunset on November 11^th. The proposed amendment will also include other programmatic, fiscal, and administrative changes based on lessons learned during the pandemic.
 
Registration for the 1pm webinar is available here and registration for the 6pm webinar is available here. OPWDD will post the draft amendment on the OPWDD website and in the State Register on April 12^th. Public comment on the draft amendment will be due by May 12^th.
 
OMH to Host Webinar for Providers and Plans on Resumption of Medicaid Recertifications
On April 25^th from 10am-11am, OMH will host a webinar for providers, care managers, managed care organizations, and other stakeholders that will discuss the upcoming resumption of Medicaid Recertifications. The webinar will provide an overview of NYS’s process to resume Medicaid eligibility renewals and provide information about how stakeholders can assist individuals in maintaining their Medicaid enrollment.
 
The link to register is available here.
 
OCFS Proposes Regulations for Foster Care Rate Increases
On April 5^th, the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) proposed amendments that would require all local departments of social services (LDSS) to pay 100% of the applicable foster care board rate effective July 1^st. The proposal would also establish a new classification and payment rate for children and youth in foster care with extraordinary needs and would expand eligibility and the available duration for respite care and services.
 
The proposed regulation is available in the State Register here. Comments may be submitted to regcomments@ocfs.ny.gov through June 4^th.
 
OSC Releases Audit Report of OPWDD Covid-19 Response
On April 6^th, the Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC) released an audit report that reviewed whether OPWDD adequately addressed the needs of individuals with I/DD during the Covid-19 pandemic. The audit, which covered the period from January 2019 to April 2022, determined the following: 

• OPWDD did not provide consistent oversight and guidance to all types of residential facilities to ensure they were adequately prepared to manage public health emergencies;
• OPWDD did not take proactive steps to ensure that all homes (including those run by both State and voluntary agencies) had appropriately considered pandemics in their emergency plans;
• OPWDD Covid-19-related reviews did not adequately ensure that homes were in compliance with OPWDD guidance, including critical requirements for proper infection control; and
• OPWDD officials were uncooperative with the audit team.

OSC recommends that OPWDD review and update the Emergency Management Operations Protocol (EMOP) and ensure that facility-level emergency plans are adequate. OSC also recommends that OPWDD establish effective communication with individuals responsible for infection control policies and procedures and ensure that monitoring and review protocols are well developed and consistently applied when conducting reviews at residential facilities. The OPWDD response, which is included in the report, contains concerns about the methodology underlying the audit and the resulting conclusions.
 
The audit report is available here.

Funding Opportunities

Mother Cabrini 2023 Grantmaking Cycle Begins May 1^st
The Mother Cabrini Foundation will begin soliciting proposals for 2023 program grants beginning May 1^st and will accept Letters of Inquiry (LOI) through May 26^th. Through this program, the Foundation annually provides awards to support not-for-profit organizations based in New York that sponsor activities, programs, and initiatives to enhance access to affordable, high-quality health care and related services. The Foundation will generally consider grant proposals of $75,000 or more for up to 12 months.
 
Beginning in 2023, applicants can submit LOIs through the five new programs below:   

• Access to Healthcare
• Basic Needs
• Healthcare Workforce
• Mental and Behavioral Health
• General Fund (for projects that target the Foundation’s eight priority populations)

A full description of each program is available here. These programs replace the Foundation’s previous “Statewide” and “Regional” grant programs, and organizations interested in pursuing that funding should submit to one of these programs. Current Statewide grantees wishing to apply for renewal funding or for a new project should submit an LOI through the most appropriate program. Current Regional grantees do not need to submit an LOI and will be invited to apply by the Foundation. 

The Foundation will host an applicant webinar on May 4^th at 2pm. Registration is available here. Applicants will be notified in June if selected to submit a full proposal and final award decisions will be made in the fall. Additional information is available here.

DOH Releases RFP for Early Intervention Respite Services
On March 30^th, the New York City (NYC) Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the provision of in-home respite services to children ages birth to three years receiving services from the Early Intervention (EI) Program. The program provides evaluation, service coordination, and therapeutic services to children with developmental disabilities and/or developmental delays.
 
Through this opportunity, DOHMH will award up to four contracts and will pay the contractors a set rate per service hour of respite care provided, in addition to surcharge per hour for services provided to families living in hard-to-serve areas. Contractors will be reimbursed depending on whether services rendered are: 

• In-Home Respite Services for children with severe developmental delays without a disabling medical condition/diagnoses; or
• In-Home Respite Services for Specialized Care for children with severe medical, physical, or behavioral conditions.

Agencies may propose to provide one or both service options; however, a separate and complete proposal must be submitted for each option being proposed. Services must be provided in all five boroughs of NYC. Contracts will last for nine years, beginning on July 1, 2024. Applicants must have at least three years of experience providing relevant services to the target population.
 
The RFP is available here by searching “Early Intervention Respite.” Applications are due on May 15^th. There will be an optional virtual applicant conference on April 13^th at 9am. Interested parties must RSVP by sending an email to RFP@health.nyc.gov with the subject line “”Early Intervention Respite PPC Attendee” in the subject line by April 11^th. Questions may be submitted to the email address above with the subject line “Early Intervention Respite Question” through April 20^th.
 
HPD Releases RFA for Partners in Preservation Program
On March 15^th, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) issued an RFP seeking community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement the expansion of the “Partners in Preservation” program. Funding will support CBOs with the development and coordination of anti-displacement organizing strategies with local stakeholders, tenants, and government partners in the following NYC neighborhoods: 

• Northern Manhattan ($400,00-$800,000 in annual funding)
• The Bronx ($900,000-$1.3 million in annual funding)
• Central Brooklyn and Northern Staten Island ($600,000-$1 million in annual funding)
• North Queens, North Brooklyn, Lower East Side, and SoHo-NoHo ($400,000-$800,000 in annual funding)

Contracts will last for three years, with an option to renew for an additional three years. Eligible applicants must have a history of tenant organizing and significant experience managing a contract of similar size and scope.
 
The RFA is available here. Applications are due on May 3^rd.
 
SAMHSA Releases NOFO for Community-Based Substance Abuse Prevention
On April 3^rd, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support the development and delivery of community-based substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion services. Awarded applicants will be expected to identify underserved communities and sub-populations of focus, identify prevention priorities in their state, and develop and implement strategies to prevent the misuse of substances and promote mental health and well-being among youth and adults.
 
Through this opportunity, SAMHSA will award $16.5 million in total annual funding to 44 applicants (up to $375,000 annually per awardee) over a five-year program period. Eligible applicants are public or private non-profit entities, including community-based organizations.
 
The NOFO is available here. Applications are due on June 5^th. Questions may be submitted to Alexandria Washington CSAP.DPP@SAMHSA.hhs.gov.
 
OPWDD Releases Funding Opportunity for Telephone Triage Nursing Services in Capital District
On March 31^st, OPWDD released an Invitation for Bids (IFB) for one contractor to provide Telephone Triage Nursing in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington Counties. Telephone Triage Nursing is a service in which a Registered Nurse (RN) screens an individual’s symptoms during a telephone call and triages care. These services will support staff caring for individuals living in OPWDD Community Residences, comprising approximately 460 individuals living in approximately 80 homes throughout the identified region. OPWDD anticipates an average utilization of 190 calls per month.
 
Eligible applicants include not-for-profit or for-profit organizations. Applicants must employ RNs who are licensed to practice in NYS and who have any specialized training or qualifications necessary to perform the triage service. OPWDD will make payments to the contractor based on actual services rendered. Payment will be based on the monthly administrative fee plus a rate per call.
 
The IFB is available here. SPG’s summary of the opportunity is available here. Applications are due on May 10^th. Questions may be submitted to eny.nyc.li.contracthub@opwdd.ny.gov  through April 14^th.
 
OMH Releases Funding Opportunities for Home Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI) Teams
On April 5^th, OMH released an RFP for the procurement of pilot Home Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI) teams serving youth with co-occurring mental health and I/DD. HBCI teams will serve children/youth ages 5 to 21 years who are either at risk of entering or returning home from inpatient settings or residential services. The HBCI team is comprised of mental health interventionists and a clinical supervisor, and may include a consulting psychiatric prescriber and/or program assistant.
 
This RFP will provide funding to one HBCI team upstate and one HBCI team downstate (New York City/Long Island). HBCI teams will be funded via state aid contracts. The available annual funding per team, inclusive of one full-time supervisor and three full-time interventionists, will be $518,271. Eligible applicants are not-for-profit 501(c)(3) agencies with experience providing mental health services to individuals with serious emotional disturbance.
 
The full RFP is available here and SPG’s summary of the opportunity is available here. Applications are due on June 13^th.
 
OMH also released an RFP (available here) that seeks to procure 11 new HBCI teams in eight economic development regions upstate. These HBCI teams will follow the “traditional” HBCI model and target individuals only with behavioral health challenges rather than individuals with co-occurring mental health and I/DD conditions.