Behavioral Health Urgent Care Expansion Grant is a $7. 5 million one-time grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) that funds eligible community mental health centers (CMHCs) to achieve Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) designation in Massachusetts.

The grant supports CMHCs that are not yet BHUC providers in expanding access to non-emergency mental health care, including extending hours to nights and weekends, adding same-day and next-day appointments, enhancing scheduling and security technology, and increasing access to medication for addiction treatment or psychopharmacology. Only CMHCs that do not already hold BHUC provider status are eligible to apply.

Priority is given to CMHCs with strong ties to underserved communities and populations with underserved language needs, including individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Allowable costs include staff recruitment and retention, technology upgrades, professional development, and marketing. Ongoing operating costs and temporary salary increases are not eligible.

* This page, Behavioral Health Urgent Care Expansion Grant, is offered by * Executive Office of Health and Human Services The Behavioral Health Urgent Care Expansion Grant is a $7. 5 million program to help eligible community mental health centers (CMHCs) provide behavioral health urgent care (BHUC), especially to underserved populations.

Existing CMHCs who are **not yet**BHUC providers can access one-time funds to achieve BHUC designation in Massachusetts.

The focus of the grant is to provide more non-emergency options for care and treatment by: * Expanding hours to include nights and weekends * Adding more same-day and next-day appointments * Enhancing technology to improve scheduling capabilities or improve security for extended hours * Increase access to medication for addiction treatment or psychopharmacology Priority will be given to CMHCs with strong ties to underserved communities and populations with underserved language needs, including individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, or to CMHCs that can provide services to these populations as a result of this grant funding.

This funding is designed to help more CMHCs become MassHealth-recognized Behavioral Health Urgent Care providers. As a result, any community mental health center that is **not already** a behavioral health urgent care provider can apply. Applicants must explain how they will become a designated BHUC provider, according to the Provider Participation Requirements listed in MassHealth’s Managed Care Entity Bulletin 76.

Priority will be given to CMHCs with strong ties to underserved communities and populations with underserved language needs, including individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, or CMHCs that can provide services to these populations as a result of this grant funding. You can submit your application without being registered onSAM. gov, but you will need an active SAM.

gov account to receive program funds. Registering with SAM. gov is free.

The grant provides one-time funding to help more CMHCs become BHUC providers by: * Recruiting and hiring staff to expand hours, including nights and weekends * Recruiting and hiring staff to add more same-day and next-day appointments * Enhancing technology to improve scheduling capabilities * Enhancing technology to improve security for expanded hours Applicants can use grant funds to cover any reasonable direct cost associated with these goals.

That includes, but is not limited to, the following: * Staff recruitment and retention, including retention bonuses * Retention bonuses are capped at 5% of the total grant award and should be used specifically to improve the linguistic and cultural diversity of staff to reflect the community they serve.

* Physical security technology upgrades to support evening hours * Technology updates that enhance administrative efficiency * Provision of new roles on a temporary basis * Professional development or training programs * Marketing and advertising expenses associated with outreach or recruitment * Licensure or certification fees Because this is one-time funding, applicants cannot use grant funds for: * Ongoing operating costs * Temporary salary increases * Overtime associated with extending hours For questions about the grant program, please email MAHCBSGrants@pcgus.

com. You must submit any questions before the deadline, which is July 7, 2023 at 3:00 pm. Questions **will not** be answered individually.

Answers to all submitted questions will be posted on the EOHHS website. ## Help Us Improve Mass. gov with your feedback