August 1, 2019

PUBLIC NOTICE: Request for Comment on the Combined 2020-21 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Block Grant Application 

Background

The Commonwealth of Virginia, through the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), uses the Mental Health (MH) and Substance Abuse (SA) block grants for treatment, recovery support, and other services to supplement Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance services. Specifically, block grant recipients use the awards for the following purposes:

·       Funding priority treatment and support services for individuals without insurance or for whom coverage is terminated for short periods of time.

·       Funding those priority treatment and support services that demonstrate success in improving outcomes or supporting recovery that are not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance.

·       Collecting performance and outcome data to determine the ongoing effectiveness of behavioral health promotion, treatment, and recovery support services.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) intends for the FY 2020-21 Combined Block Grant Application to provide an overview and current updates for the behavioral health system and State Plan in the Commonwealth.

Comment

Federal law, in Title XIX, Subpart III, section 1941 of the PHS Act (42 U.S.C. § 300x-51), requires as a condition of the funding agreement for the grant that states provide an opportunity for the public to comment on the state block grant plan by making the plan public in such a manner as to facilitate comment from any person (including federal, tribal, or other public agencies) both during the development of the plan (including any revisions) and after the submission of the plan to SAMHSA.

The draft FY 2020-21 Combined Mental Health and Substance Abuse Block Grant Application documents are posted for comment. Individuals interested in making comments on the DRAFT FY 2020-21 Combined Mental Health and Substance Abuse Block Grant Application prior to submission may do so on the Town Hall website through 12 p.m. on Monday, September 2, 2019. You must first be registered as a public user to make comments on Town Hall. Comments may also be made by email nathanael.rudney@dbhds.virginia.gov, fax 804-786-9248, TDD 804-371-8977, or hard copy mail (Attn: Nathanael Rudney, Office of Adult Community Behavioral Health Services, DBHDS, Post Office Box 1797, Richmond, Virginia 23218-1797.) The public comment window will remain open for 60 days, including after submission of the plan to SAMHSA. All comments must be received by 12 p.m. on Monday, September 30, 2019.