The needs of individuals with serious mental illness are unique and often underserved. As a response to this issue, the statewide Home and Community-Based Services – Adult Mental Health (HCBS-AMH) program was created in Texas to support the long-term recovery of adults with mental illness. This program provides this population with an alternative to long-term residence in in-patient facilities by supplying a variety of home and community-based services. The HCBS-AMH Implementation Support project seeks to bolster the operation of the HCBS-AMH program by assisting organizations with the application to become providers through the state’s open enrollment process and to provide technical assistance and support throughout the implementation process.
The goal of the HCBS-AMH Implementation Support project is to prepare organizations to successfully apply to become HCBS-AMH care coordinators or provider agencies, and to help ensure organizations implement HCBS-AMH programming effectively. In the readiness approach of the project, organizations will be provided with a HCBS-AMH waiver starter tool kit, online training modules regarding HCBS-AMH wavier implementation, and a review as well as suggested revision of the state’s training curricula. The next approach of the project will involve two phases of implementation support. Organizations that successfully complete the open enrollment process will receive initial assistance in the form of organizational asset and process mapping, systematic gap analysis, stakeholder outreach, interpretation of state policies, procedures, and the development implementation strategies. Advanced support will involve assessment of practice changes, coaching on implementation strategies, and evaluation.
The HCBS-AMH Implementation Support project will expand research-based efforts on the use of implementation science in systems change and policy development. It will benefit a number of organizations working to become associated with the HCBS-AMH program, and positively impact the lives of individuals with intensive mental health needs by creating and implementing a coordinated effort of services and supports to help ensure they can remain in the community.