Events

Upcoming Events

Webinar: Implementing Mental Health Initiatives in Schools

January 16, 2025
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

State Medicaid Agencies (SMAs), State Educational Agencies (SEAs), and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) are invited to join Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on January 16, 2025, for a webinar.

This event will build on the information discussed during the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presentation held in the Spring of 2024, bringing together mental health professionals and education experts to discuss the implementation of evidence-based strategies to improve mental health in schools.

Objectives for this learning session are as follows:

Describe the components of comprehensive school mental health systems.
Recognize how school behavioral and mental health services and supports are aligned with the Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) framework.
Identify specific examples of Tier 1 and Tier 2/3 MTSS implementation in two States and resulting student impact.
Understand how to access action planning and implementation resources.

Questions for the panelists may be submitted through the registration process. Please direct any other questions to the SBS Mailbox at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov.

Webinar: Best Practices for Reimbursement and Service Documentation for Common Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS)

February 13, 2025
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This event will focus on the most common types of services that can be billed in Medicaid SBS, including mental and behavioral health services, PT, OT, and SLP. The event will focus on common challenges to billing documentation and associated best practices.

Examples of potential topics include:

Identifying medical necessity and service documentation requirements for SBS reimbursement.
Describing state best practices for service documentation and collaboration to minimize administrative burden, including using procedure and diagnosis codes.
Recognizing key strategies for LEA, SMA, and SEA collaboration.

Register for the webinar here. Questions for the panelists may be submitted through the registration process. Please direct any other questions to the SBS Mailbox at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov

Webinar: Unique Needs of Frontier/Remote/Rural Communities and LEAs in School-Based Health

March 20, 2025
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

State Medicaid Agencies (SMAs), State Educational Agencies (SEAs), and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), community mental health providers, and HRSA Rural School Service extension site staff are invited to join Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on March 20, 2025, for a webinar.

This event will include a short introduction and feature speakers from two to three States where the SMAs, SEAs, State public health agency, and rural LEAs have implemented approaches to school-based health services specific to the needs of rural communities. The purpose of the event is to share successes in school-based health, especially serving children and youth enrolled in Medicaid in rural areas. The event will include:

Description of the unique needs of rural communities in how Medicaid SBS are provided
Discussion about how these States are doing this work in compliance with CMS and other requirements
Resources available to States to promote the provision of services to rural communities

Registration for the event will be made available shortly.

Webinar: Children with Complex Health Care Needs (CCHCN) and Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS)

May 8, 2025
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

State Medicaid Agencies (SMAs), State Educational Agencies (SEAs), and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) directors are invited to join Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on May 8, 2025, for a webinar.

This event will include a short presentation on Medicaid requirements related to CCHCN followed by a panel of SMA officials to discuss the relationship between waivers, managed care, and Medicaid SBS. The panel will include States that are actively working on solutions to reduce the complexity of billing and improve continuity of care for CCHCN across home and community settings. This event will:

Describe the unique factors related to the billing for provision of care to CCHCN
Discuss Medicaid services across State lines as it relates to CCHCN
Identify the various types of funding available to CCHCN for receiving care in schools
Discuss how States have created solutions and coordinated care to address CCHCN care provision and billing

Registration for the event will be made available shortly.

Past Events

Webinar: Expanding Preventive Behavioral Health Services in Schools

November 14, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This webinar on November 14, 2024, provided State Medicaid Agencies (SMAs), State Educational Agencies (SEAs), Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) directors, and Local Education Agencies (LEAs), highlighted State initiatives to promote youth mental health and well-being in schools, focusing on promotion and prevention activities in the Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) framework. The webinar explained how States and school districts can expand behavioral health promotion and prevention activities by integrating Medicaid and CHIP funding. Speakers from Massachusetts and Maine described specific initiatives implemented in their States.

A recording of the webinar and presentation slides are available below. Please direct any questions related to the webinar or guidance to the SBS mailbox at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov.

Downloads

Expanding Preventive Behavioral Health Services in Schools Webinar Recording
Expanding Preventive Behavioral Health Services in Schools Webinar Slides

Webinar: Reviewing a Year of Progress and What’s on the Horizon: Increasing Access to Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS)

September 19, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This webinar on September 19, 2024, provided State Medicaid Agencies (SMAs), State Educational Agencies (SEAs), and Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) an overview of the progress in the 2 years since the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) was passed and in the inaugural year of the Technical Assistance Center (TAC). This included a review of existing technical assistance and resources provided by the TAC and the newly awarded Medicaid SBS grants provided by CMS. The webinar also featured panelists from Oregon and Alaska’s SMA, who discussed their State’s progress toward increasing access to health services. Finally, the webinar reviewed the TAC’s path forward, including upcoming events and reports States can expect in the next year.

A recording of the webinar and presentation slides are available below. Please direct any questions related to the webinar or guidance to the SBS mailbox at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov.

Downloads

Reviewing a Year of Progress and What’s on The Horizon Webinar Recording
Reviewing a Year of Progress and What’s on The Horizon Webinar Slides

Virtual Meeting: Introduction to the Readiness Checklist: A Comprehensive Tool to Assist with School-Based Services State Plan Amendment Submission and Compliance

June 13, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

During this virtual meeting on June 13, 2024, State Medicaid Agencies (SMAs) were introduced to the School-Based Services (SBS) Readiness Checklist.

The SBS Readiness Checklist can help states with five tasks—

Drafting a Medicaid State Plan amendment (SPA) to expand the scope of the population and services covered by the school Medicaid program, e.g., to include 504 populations, general education populations, and behavioral health services in addition to IEP students and services.
Adopting certain flexibilities, such as expanding Medicaid-eligible providers lists to include education-credentialed providers, modifying the methodology used to provide interim payments to school-based providers, or creating exceptions to third-party liability requirements for “never-covered services,” among others listed in the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Informational Bulletin and Comprehensive Guide.
Assessing whether the current Medicaid State Plan meets CMS requirements for the State’s payment methodology, SBS populations, and services; and drafting a SPA if needed.
Preparing additional documents, such as a Time Study Implementation Plan and Interagency Agreements for Medicaid Administrative Claiming or assessing whether the State’s current versions of these documents meet CMS requirements.
Discussing plans for SBS with CMS and across State agencies, including the SMA and SEA finance, policy, and managed care staff.

The virtual meeting provided an overview of the tool, a live demonstration of how the tool can be used, and a discussion with a State that helped to pilot the resource. By the end of this event, participants will have a better understanding of how they can use this tool in their State.

The release of the SBS Readiness Checklist coincides with the one-year anniversary of the SBS Technical Assistance Center and the two-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Please direct any questions related to the virtual meeting or guidance to the SBS mailbox at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov.

Downloads

Introduction to the Readiness Checklist Virtual Meeting Recording
Introduction to the Readiness Checklist Virtual Meeting Slides

Webinar: The Intersection of Medicaid Managed Care and School-Based Services (SBS)

May 23, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This webinar on May 23, 2024, explored how State Medicaid Agencies (SMAs) can work with their managed care plans (MCPs) to improve access to and quality of school-based services. The webinar explained how MCPs and local education agencies (LEAs) can partner to ensure delivery of high-quality SBS to children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP and described how these partnerships can benefit MCPs, LEAs, and SMAs. The role of the SMA in helping to establish contractual language that promotes collaboration between MCPs and LEAs were also discussed. Finally, the webinar included a panel discussion from States that have embarked on this work and who will discuss facilitators, barriers, and lessons learned.

A recording of the webinar, presentation slides, and summary handout are available below. Please direct any questions related to the webinar or guidance to the SBS mailbox at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov.

Downloads

The Intersection of Medicaid Managed Care and School-Based Services Webinar Recording
The Intersection of Medicaid Managed Care and School-Based Services Webinar Slides
The Intersection of Medicaid Managed Care and School-Based Services Summary Handout

Webinar: Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders

May 9, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This webinar on May 9, 2024, hosted alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), provided State Medicaid agencies (SMAs), State education agencies (SEAs), local education agencies (LEAs), and other stakeholders an introduction to the CDC’s Mental Health Action Guide, described the key strategies for promoting mental health and well-being in school, and considered promising practices and tools available to assist with the implementation of these strategies. The webinar included a panel discussion with the presenter from CDC, as well as a guest discussant from Connecticut who spoke about their efforts to support mental health practices in schools and the community.

Downloads

Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders Webinar Recording
Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders Webinar Slides
Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders

Webinar: Provider Billing for Mental Health Services within Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS)

April 25, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This webinar on April 25, 2024, provided State Medicaid agencies (SMAs) and State education agencies (SEAs) with an overview of provider considerations and best practices for Medicaid billing for Comprehensive School Mental Health. It included an overview of Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems, federal funding sources available to promote mental health, and how SMAs and SEAs can support LEA-level billing for mental health services. Finally, panelists from Colorado, Michigan, and Minnesota spoke about their States’ efforts to support behavioral health services in schools.

A recording of the webinar and presentation slides are available below. Please direct any questions related to the meeting or guidance to the SBS mailbox at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov.

Downloads

Provider Billing for Mental Health Within Medicaid SBS Webinar Recording
Provider Billing for Mental Health Within Medicaid SBS Webinar Slides

Virtual Meeting: Fostering Program Integrity for School-Based Services – How State Medicaid Agencies (SMAs) Can Help Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) with Compliance

February 15, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

During this virtual meeting on February 15, 2024, State Medicaid agencies (SMAs) and State education agencies (SEAs) had an opportunity to learn about program integrity in a school-based services (SBS) context, including local education agency (LEA) Random Moment Time Study participation and service documentation compliance.

The session featured background information about key facets of program integrity and offered a framework for mitigating common risks for noncompliance in school-based services. Additionally, the session highlighted opportunities for linking increased compliance with better quality of care. State- and local-level panelists from Michigan discussed key challenges and successes and offered ideas for how SMAs, SEAs, and LEAs can work together to support program integrity for SBS.

A recording of the virtual meeting and presentation slides are available below. Please direct any questions related to the meeting or guidance to the SBS mailbox at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov.

Downloads

Fostering Program Integrity for SBS Virtual Meeting Recording
Fostering Program Integrity for SBS Virtual Meeting Slides

Webinar: Primer for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) on Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS)

January 25, 2024
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

In this webinar, held on January 25, 2024, LEAs were provided with a high-level overview of the work that State Medicaid agencies (SMAs) and State education agencies (SEAs) may engage in to expand Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS). Recommendations for ways that LEAs can benefit from State support were offered and direct care service provision considerations were discussed. The webinar also included a panel discussion with speakers from various New Mexico LEAs. This presentation covered:

Ways LEAs can engage in State work to expand Medicaid SBS
Resources and solutions to support Medicaid SBS expansion

A recording of the webinar, presentation slides, and summary handout are available below. Please direct any questions related to the meeting or guidance to the SBS mailbox at SchoolBasedServices@cms.hhs.gov.

Downloads

Primer for LEAs on Medicaid SBS Webinar Recording
Primer for LEAs on Medicaid SBS Webinar Slides
Primer for LEAs on Medicaid SBS Summary Handout

Virtual Meeting: Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems

November 15, 2023
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

On November 15th, 2023, the National Center for School Mental Health (NCSMH) provided an overview of comprehensive school mental health systems (CSMHSs). CSMHSs provide a full array of tiered supports and services that promote a positive school climate, social and emotional learning, and mental health and well-being, while reducing the prevalence and severity of mental illness and substance use. CSMHSs are built on a strong foundation of district and school professionals, including administrators, educators, and specialized instructional support personnel, in strategic collaboration with students, families, and community health and mental health partners. Attendees learned about these systems, best practices, and key resources. The session also featured a panel of speakers from Massachusetts, who discussed their efforts to leverage Medicaid to support student mental health.

Downloads

Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems Virtual Meeting Recording
Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems Virtual Meeting Slides
Comprehensive School Mental Health Systems Virtual Meeting Handout

Webinar: Understanding Rate Setting and Cost-Based Interim Payment Methodologies for Direct School-Based Services (SBS)

November 14, 2023
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This webinar, held on November 14th, 2023, provided an overview of payment methodologies for Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS). The Technical Assistance Center (TAC) reviewed options for cost- and rate-based reimbursement and presented considerations in implementing payment methodology and rate setting. The webinar also included a panel discussion with speakers from Colorado’s State Medicaid agency. This presentation covered:

General process for paying for SBS through Medicaid
Key considerations and action steps for developing payment methodologies
Specific considerations for states using rate- or cost-based methodologies
Best practices and lessons learned from States that have embarked on offering expanded SBS in addition to IEP services

Downloads

Understanding Rate Setting and Cost-Based Interim Payment Methodologies for SBS Webinar Recording
Understanding Rate Setting and Cost-Based Interim Payment Methodologies for SBS Webinar Slides
Understanding Rate Setting and Cost-Based Interim Payment Methodologies Webinar Handout

Webinar: Medicaid Coverable and Administrative Services for Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS)

October 19, 2023
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This webinar, held on October 19, 2023, provided an overview of Medicaid coverable and administrative services and the options for billing for Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS). A summary of the new Medicaid SBS flexibilities, released in the Delivering Services in School Based Settings: A Comprehensive Guide to Medicaid Services and Administrative Claiming 2023, related to billing and service provision was highlighted. This presentation covered:

Context by which decisions to enhance Medicaid SBS should be considered.
Identified the types of direct and administrative services that can support Medicaid SBS.
Described the components of a state’s administrative and direct services claiming guide to help inform LEA billing.

Downloads

Medicaid Coverable and Administrative Services for SBS Webinar Recording
Medicaid Coverable and Administrative Services for SBS Webinar Slides
Medicaid Coverable and Administrative Services Handout

Webinar: Getting Started with Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS)

September 28, 2023
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

This webinar, held on September 28, 2023, provided a high-level overview of the general content for State Medicaid agencies (SMAs), State education agencies (SEAs), and local education agencies (LEAs) regarding how States can start or promote their current work on expanding Medicaid School-Based Services (SBS). Recommendations for implementation of expansion action items and strategies were also offered. The presentation covered:

Details regarding pre-implementation and expansion planning, including stakeholder identification, program goals (Medicaid and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act legal requirements), expectations, and evaluation process.
Recommendations for level-setting to inform all key State stakeholders of the State’s implementation or evolving plans for Medicaid SBS.
Suggestions for meeting topics and considerations to outline the purpose of team meetings.

Downloads

Getting Started with Medicaid SBS Webinar Recording
Getting Started with Medicaid SBS Webinar Slides
Getting Started with Medicaid SBS Summary Handout