State Vision for a Transformed Behavorial Health System

A project at the Department of Health and Human Services goes beyond ambitious: some call it visionary.

The Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment Medicaid waiver program (also called 1115 waiver) builds capacity for behavioral health reform. Collaborative members are involved in discussions with DHHS, to assure that children’s services are given due priority, and children’s projects are included throughout the proposed program for regional networks to offer.

The goal of the waiver program is prevention, early diagnosis, and integrated care, all accessible in the community as much as possible. The priority of this waiver is strengthening the NH behavioral health system by:

  • Improving care transitions, such as youth transitioning from New Hampshire Hospital to their home communities and schools

  • Promoting integration of physical and behavioral health, through programs such as school-based screening and intervention. Integration is a critical goal of the Collaborative strategic plan.

  • Building mental health and substance use disorder workforce. A key goal of the Collaborative strategic plan is to build the Children’s Behavioral Health workforce, and the Workforce Development Network has a number of initiatives to develop in-service capacity, align higher education programs with core competencies, and to promote evidence-based practices. The waiver program provides an opportunity to further these initiatives.

A networks of providers—including community mental health centers, hospitals, community health centers, schools, regional public health networks, social service agencies, and others—from the seven regions of the state will develop proposals over the coming weeks. The DSRIP program plans to get funds out to communities this summer.