ALABAMA MEDICAID AGENCY
AWARDED MOBILE CRISIS INTERVENTION GRANT
Expanding the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s Crisis System of Care
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded the Alabama Medicaid Agency, along with 19 other State Medicaid Agencies, a planning grant funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) to develop and implement community-based mobile crisis intervention services for people experiencing a substance use-related or mental health crisis. Alabama was awarded $953,336.00 for use over a twelve-month period effective September 30, 2021, through September 29, 2022. This award will benefit the Alabama Department of Mental Health’s Crisis System of Care.
Commissioner Stephanie Azar said, “Alabama Medicaid is happy to partner with the Department of Mental Health on this initiative to plan for emergency behavioral health services with increased access to care and resources in our state.”
“We are excited to receive the CMS State Planning Grant and grateful to partner with Alabama Medicaid. This grant is critical to expanding crisis services and access to care, particularly in our rural communities,” said Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Kim Boswell.
With the support of this highly competitive CMS State Planning Grant, Alabama will coordinate longstanding efforts to expand access to robust and timely crisis behavioral health services. Crisis services which include evidence-based best practices found in SAMHSA’s “National Guidelines for Behavioral Health Crisis Care” will be used in preparation for developing and submitting to CMS, a State Plan Amendment (SPA), section 1115 demonstration application, or section 1915(b) or 1915(c) waiver request to provide qualifying community-based mobile crisis intervention services.
The grant allows for the continued planning and expansion of the Alabama Crisis System of Care. This system overseen by the Alabama Department of Mental Health diverts more individuals from civil commitments, expands access to care, reduces the number of arrests, decreases the frequency of admissions to hospital emergency departments, and promotes sustained recovery.
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