Section 1115 Demonstrations Learning Collaborative
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offers shared learning events for states with section 1115 demonstrations and other partners to highlight promising practices, provide targeted technical assistance, and support continuous quality improvement.
Upcoming Events
You are invited to join Closing the Gap in Care Transitions from Hospital to Community: Strategies for States with Medicaid Section 1115 SUD and SMI Demonstrations webinar on November 4, 2026, from 2:30 - 3:30pm ET/11:30am - 12:30 pm PT.
The webinar will feature representatives from Massachusetts and Kentucky sharing strategies for strengthening care transitions for individuals with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI) and supporting continuous improvement through their Medicaid section 1115 demonstrations. Building on the videos linked below, state partners will have an opportunity to discuss these approaches with one another. We encourage participants to watch the videos prior to the webinar but have also included a resource "State spotlights summary" below summarizing the content of the videos. CMS will also provide an introduction to the approach for monitoring and evaluating Medicaid section 1115 SUD and SMI demonstrations.
Learning Collaboratives Resources
Below are the past events and resources produced by the learning collaborative.
Learning Collaborative Series: Closing the Gap in Care Transitions from Hospital to Community
Description: This learning collaborative series includes two videos recorded in September 2026 that explore how states with Medicaid section 1115 serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorder (SUD) demonstrations approach strengthening care transitions while supporting continuous improvement over time.
Resources
- State spotlight on Kentucky's section 1115 SUD initiative (video)
- State spotlight on Massachusetts' section 1115 SMI initiative and the Behavioral Health Roadmap (video)
- State spotlights summary (resource)
- Related resource – Medicaid Section 1115 Substance Use Disorder and Serious Mental Illness Demonstrations: Findings from Monitoring Data Chartbook (resource)
American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Criteria Fourth Edition: Impacts on States with Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstrations
Description: This webinar was held on December 8, 2025, and featured experiences and recommendations from states with Medicaid section 1115 SUD demonstrations as they planned for and transitioned to the Fourth Edition of the ASAM Criteria.
Resources
- ASAM Criteria Fourth Edition webinar recording (video)
- ASAM Criteria Fourth Edition webinar slides (slides)
- ASAM Criteria Fourth Edition small group discussion summary (resource)
Data Sharing to Support Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstrations: State Experiences in Cross-Sector and Cross-Agency Data Sharing
Description: This webinar was held on September 12, 2024, and focused on states' experiences in cross-sector and cross-agency data sharing for section 1115 demonstrations.
Resources
- Data Sharing to Support Medicaid Section 1115 Demonstrations webinar recording (video)