HHS Announces Initiative to Improve Behavioral Care in Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care Facilities

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced a funding opportunity of nearly $15 million for a 3-year grant to establish a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) program to improve behavioral healthcare in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

The program will establish the Center of Excellence for Building Capacity in Nursing Facilities to Care for Residents with Behavioral Health Conditions. The center will be designed to provide direct consultation to facilities’ staff members to increase understanding, improve awareness, reduce stigmatization, and develop knowledge and skills for resident behavioral healthcare.

The center will aim to improve outcomes for nursing home and long-term care facility residents with mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, substance use disorders, or co-occurring mental health and substance use conditions. It will also expand access to training and technical assistance that is focused on mental health disorder identification, treatment, and recovery support services.

Funding of up to $4.96 million per year for 3 years will be awarded to 1 grantee later in fiscal year 2022. The program will be funded by civil money penalty funds collected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from nursing homes and long-term care facilities that have been found to not be in substantial compliance with at least 1 Medicare and Medicaid program participation requirement for long-term care facilities.

“Physical health and mental health are equally important and should be treated as such, including in our nation’s nursing homes and other long-term care facilities,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a news release. “The program’s goal reflects 2 commitments of the Biden-Harris administration—to transform our mental health and crisis care systems so this type of care is provided holistically and equitably, and to improve the quality of our nursing homes and other long-term care facilities so the people living there get the care they deserve.”

Reference

HHS announces new funding opportunity to strengthen behavioral health services in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. News release. Department of Health and Human Services. May 16, 2022. Accessed May 18, 2022.