In this issue

• Transition Assistance Program
• New Medicaid option promotes enhanced mental health, substance use crisis care
• HB 1528 Update: SUD recovery support services and referrals

February Trainings

Supportive housing supervisor learning community call: 

Boosting resilience to mange work-related stress, burnout and compassion fatigue

• Monday, Feb 14
  2 to 3 p.m.
  Register

Supported employment monthly topical webinar:

Introduction to Washington State Department of Services for the Blind 

• Thursday, Feb 17
  8:30 to 10 a.m.
  Register

Buried in Treasures Learning Community 2022: 

Supporting people to address hoarding behaviors 

• Tuesday, Feb 22
  9:30 to 11 a.m.
  Register

Fair housing updates:

• Thursday, Feb 24
  8:30 to 10 a.m.
  Register

Transition Assistance Program information sessions: 

(This 90-minute webinar session is offered multiple times to allow everyone to attend.) 

• Register for Tuesday, March, 8 at 3 p.m.
• Register for Thursday, March 17 at 10 a.m.
• Register for Tuesday, March 29 at 3 p.m.
• Register for Tuesday, April 12 at 10 a.m.
• Register for Thursday, April 28 at 3 p.m.
• Register for Tuesday, May 10 at 10 a.m.
• Register for Thursday, May 26 at 3 p.m.

Transition Assistance Program

Foundational Community Supports is thrilled to announce the launch of the Foundational Community Supports Transition Assistance Program (FCS TAP) is coming soon! This enhancement will offer flexible, time-limited funding support to FCS supportive housing enrollees with behavioral health treatment needs who are seeking longer-term rental assistance. 

For more information regarding program eligibility, duration, and access points, watch the recording of "Introduction to FCS TAP,” an information session that aired on Thursday, January 27. 

Sign up today for an upcoming information session by clicking a link in the Transition Assistance Program information session sidebar. Stay tuned for more exciting details!

New Medicaid option promotes enhanced mental health, substance use crisis care

The department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), is working with states to promote access to Medicaid services for people with mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) crises. 

Authorized under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP), states have a new option for supporting community-based mobile crisis intervention services for individuals with Medicaid. Mobile crisis intervention services are essential tools to meet people in crisis where they are and rapidly provide critical services to people experiencing mental health or substance use crises by connecting them to a behavioral health specialist 24 hours per day, 365 days a year.

Read the full article

HB 1528 Update: SUD recovery support services and referrals

HCA has contracted with the Washington Alliance for Quality Recovery Residences (WAQRR) to communicate important information to you about the upcoming referral mandate required by the legislature in HB 1528 passed in 2019. The mandate goes into effect January 1, 2023; however, steps must be taken ahead of this date to ensure minimal disruption to your referral practices and client care. This new law created chapters 41.050.760 RCW and 71.24.660 RCW and applies to the following settings:

• Outpatient treatment centers
• Inpatient treatment units
• Any other location such as an outpatient clinic where staff may assess or refer a patient to a recovery residence for a substance use disorder

As of January 1, 2023, referrals to recovery residences can only be made to residences that are listed on the recovery residence registry maintained by HCA. 

Read the mandate letter