Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration

BHbusiness: Mastering Essential Business Operations

BHbusiness is a new initiative to provide targeted training and other supports to ensure that behavioral healthcare providers are ready to meet the demand for services in this new health reform environment.

The due date for applications is Feburary 4, 2013

• Application: BHbusiness: Mastering Essential Business Operations
• Frequently asked questions about BHBusiness

Project Overview

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will significantly enhance access to the prevention, treatment, and recovery support services for people with, or at risk of, mental and/or substance use disorders.  According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2010 National Survey of Drug Use and Health, there will be an additional 11 million previously uninsured people with behavioral health problems who will be eligible for coverage.  Behavioral health providers will face a number of business operations challenges to be able to meet the demand for services and participate in the new reimbursement structure.
 
Recognizing this need, SAMHSA developed a new initiative to provide targeted training and other supports to ensure that behavioral healthcare providers are ready to meet the demand for services in this new environment – BHbusiness: Mastering Essential Business Operations. Learning networks coordinated by the State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) and funded by SAMHSA will help behavioral health organizations improve their capacity to serve the new populations seeking mental health and addictions services.
 
SAAS will work in collaboration with NIATx, the National Council for Behavioral Health (National Council), and Advocates for Human Potential (AHP) to administer the learning networks.

Objectives

The BHbusiness Networks will work with behavioral health providers to enhance their capacities in the following critical areas, which each network focusing on a particular area:

• Strategic Business Planning will support providers in learning about the impact of ACA, identifying their market niche and completing an initial strategic business plan for positioning themselves in the narketplace.
• Practice Management/Billing, including providing the skills to implement third-party billing systems, improve existing systems, and identify core compliance measures and system designs that reduce risk.
• Third-Party Contract Negotiations, including educating providers about payers’ perspectives, demonstrating value, and attracting new payers using sales and marketing strategies.
• Eligibility and Enrollment will support providers in creating or enhancing eligibility determination and health plan enrollment processes to improve access to care, and increase potential revenue.
• Meaningful Use of Health Information Technology will walk providers through a process of understanding meaningful use criteria, its impact on their organization and identifying the organizational changes necessary before selecting and implementing an HIT program.

Learning Network Overview

BHbusiness Networks will consist of up to 30 organizations that are committed to participate in a range of educational activities, including e-learning, in person workshops, and small group consultation.
 
Up to 30 networks of up to 30 organizations each will be invited to participate.  Organizations that cannot find a learning network to join may apply as an individual organization and will be added to networks as available.
 
Selections will be based on (1) identified need to build capacity to work with third party payers, (2) organizational readiness to implement change, and (3) diversity of services and populations served.
 
All applicants will be notified of the success of their application status by February 28, 2013.

Application Submissions

Eligible applicants are those organizations whose primary services are mental health or substance use treatment and recovery support services. Organizations may apply either as a participant in a convener organized learning network or individually. Conveners may develop their pool of organizations according to their own needs and need not limit themselves to pre-existing affiliations (i.e., network applications are not limited to state associations). Individual applicants will be added to networks as feasible.  A complete application consists of:

• Convening organization information sheet if applicable
• Organizational Profile
• Letter of support from your Single State Agency for Substance Abuse Services or State Mental Health Agency

Review the application requirements below and complete and submit the application online using the links above. 

Last updated: 01/09/2013