HHSC Behavioral Health Services section is seeking feedback from stakeholders on priorities for the 2018-19 combined Mental Health and Substance Abuse Block Grant Plan. The Block Grant plan focuses on state priorities within the grant period. As such, it will not reflect all aspects of behavioral health services funded by the block grant and other sources. Ideally itwill highlight the state’s efforts to address both the federal initiatives and the state’s strategic plan. While not the sole focus of the Block Grant Plan, it is important to note that states must include at least one priority for each required target population. The required target populations and other priority populations are listed at the end of this crosswalk.
CrosswalkSAMHSA’s Six Strategic Initiatives and the Texas Statewide Behavioral Health Strategic Plan (FY 2017 – 2021)
SAMHSA’s Six Strategic Initiatives / Texas Statewide Behavioral Health Strategic Plan – Goals/Objectives / Potential Goals/Objectives for the 2018-2019 Block Grant Plan
1. Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness:Focuses on the prevention of substance abuse, SMI and severe emotional disturbance (SED) 6 by maximizing opportunities to create environments where individuals, families, communities, and systems are motivated and empowered to manage their overall emotional, behavioral, and physical health. This SI will include a focus on several populations of high risk, including college students and transition-age youth, especially those at risk of first episodes of mental illness or substance abuse; American Indian/Alaska Natives; ethnic minorities experiencing health and behavioral health disparities; military families; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. / 1. Program and Service Coordination: Promote and support behavioral health program and service coordination to ensure continuity of services and access points across state agencies.
- 1.1 – Increase statewide service coordination for special population by fiscal year 2018
- 2.1 – Expand the use of best, promising, and evidence-based behavioral health practices across services agencies by fiscal year 2019
- 2.3 – Ensure prompt access to coordinate, quality behavioral health services by fiscal year 2021
- 2.5 – Address current behavioral health service gaps and needs across program and service agencies by fiscal year 2021
- 3.1 – Expand the use of best, promising, and evidence-based practices
2. Health Care and Health Systems Integration: Focuses on health care and integration across systems including systems of particular importance for persons with behavioral health needs such as community health promotion; health care delivery; specialty prevention; treatment and recovery; and community living needs. Integration efforts will seek to increase access to appropriate high-quality prevention, treatment, recovery and wellness services and supports; reduce disparities between the availability of services for persons with mental illness (including SMI/SEDs) and substance use disorders compared with the availability of services for other medical conditions; and support coordinated care and services across systems. / 1. Program and Service Coordination: Promote and support behavioral health program and service coordination to ensure continuity of services and access points across state agencies.
- 1.1 – Increase statewide service coordination for special population by fiscal year 2018
- 2.3 – Ensure prompt access to coordinate, quality behavioral health services by fiscal year 2021
- 2.5 – Address current behavioral health service gaps and needs across program and service agencies by fiscal year 2021
- 4.2 – Reduce utilization of high cost alternatives, such as institutional care, criminal and juvenile justice incarceration, inpatient stays, emergency room visits, and foster care by fiscal year 2019
3. Trauma and Justice:Focuses on trauma and justice by integrating a trauma-informed approach throughout health, behavioral health, human services, and related systems to reduce the harmful effects of trauma and violence on individuals, families, and communities. This SI also will support the use of innovative strategies to reduce the involvement of individuals with trauma and behavioral health issues in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. / 1. Program and Service Coordination: Promote and support behavioral health program and service coordination to ensure continuity of services and access points across state agencies.
- 1.1 – Increase statewide service coordination for special population by fiscal year 2018
- 2.3 – Ensure prompt access to coordinate, quality behavioral health services by fiscal year 2021
- 2.5 – Address current behavioral health service gaps and needs across program and service agencies by fiscal year 2021
- 4.2 – Reduce utilization of high cost alternatives, such as institutional care, criminal and juvenile justice incarceration, inpatient stays, emergency room visits, and foster care by fiscal year 2019
4. Recovery Support:Emphasizing person-centered planning, this Strategic Initiative promotes partnering with people in recovery from mental and substance use disorders and their family members to guide the behavioral health system and promote individual, program, and system level approaches that foster health and resilience (including helping individuals with behavioral health needs be well, manage symptoms, and achieve and maintain abstinence); increase housing to support recovery; reduce barriers to employment, education, and other life goals; and secure necessary social supports in their chosen community. / Goal 2. Program and Service Delivery: Ensure optimal program and service delivery to maximize resources in order to effectively meet the diverse needs of people and communities.
- 2.3 – Ensure prompt access to coordinate, quality behavioral health services by fiscal year 2021
- 2.5 – Address current behavioral health service gaps and needs across program and service agencies by fiscal year 2021
5. Health Information Technology:Ensures that the behavioral health system – including states, community providers, patients, peers, and prevention specialists – fully participates with the general healthcare delivery system in the adoption of health information technology (Health IT). This includes interoperable electronic health records (EHRs) and the use of other electronic training, assessment, treatment, monitoring, and recovery support tools, to ensure high-quality integrated health care, appropriate specialty care, improved patient/consumer engagement, and effective prevention and wellness strategies. / Goal 5. Statewide Data Collaboration: Compare statewide data across state agencies on results and effectiveness
- 5.1 – Develop statewide data across state agencies on results and effectiveness
- 5.2 – Establish a system to allow near real-time limited data exchange of identified client data in targeted agencies by fiscal year 2020
6. Workforce Development:Supports active strategies to strengthen the behavioral health workforce. Through technical assistance, training, and focused programs, the initiative will promote an integrated, aligned, competent workforce that enhances the availability of prevention and treatment for substance abuse and mental illness; strengthens the capabilities of behavioral health professionals; and promotes the infrastructure of health systems to deliver competent, organized behavioral health services. This initiative will continually monitor and assess the needs of peers, communities, and health professionals in meeting behavior health needs in America’s transformed health promotion and health care delivery systems. / Goal 2. Program and Service Delivery: Ensure optimal program and service delivery to maximize resources in order to effectively meet the diverse needs of people and communities.
- 2.4 – Strengthen the behavioral health workforce by FY 2021
Block Grant Targeted/Required populations.Population(s) required in statute for each block grant and other encouraged populations:
- SMI–Adults with Serious Mental Illness
- SED–Children with a Serious Emotional Disturbance
- FEP–Individuals who are diagnosed with their first episode of psychosis
- PWWDC–Pregnant women and women with dependent children
- PP–persons in need of primary substance misuse prevention
- PWID–Persons who inject drugs (formerly known as intravenous drug users (IVDU))
- EIS/HIV–Persons with or at risk of HIV/AIDS who are receiving SUD treatment services
- TB–Persons with or at risk of tuberculosis who are receiving SUD treatment services, and/or
- Other: In addition to the targeted/required populations and/or services required in statute, states are encouraged to consider the following populations, and/or services:
- Individuals with mental and/or substance use disorders who are homeless or involved in the criminal or juvenile justice systems
- Individuals with mental and/or substance use disorders who live in rural areas
- Underserved racial and ethnic minority and LGBT populations
- Persons with disabilities
- Community populations for environmental prevention activities, including policy changing activities, and behavior change activities to change community, school, family and business norms through laws, policy and guidelines and enforcement.
- Community settings for universal, selective and indicated prevention interventions, including hard-to-reach communities and “late” adopters of prevention strategies
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