MassHealth Fact Sheet – FY2011 H.2
Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI)

CBHI supports certain child-centered family-focused case management and 
behavioral health services for eligible MassHealth-enrolled youth under 21, 
which are tailored to the strengths and needs of the individual youth and 
family.  The initiative focuses on early identification and intervention by 
requiring primary care providers to offer children a behavioral health screening 
using a standardized tool.  It encourages more effective and efficient delivery 
of behavioral health services by requiring behavioral health specialists to use 
a standardized tool to provide  behavioral health diagnosis and needs assessment 
before beginning treatment services. CBHI engages culturally competent community 
resources to deliver effective treatment and to support community living and 
normal social development to the greatest extent possible.  Through case 
management activities, CBHI pays for intensive care coordination (case 
management) for youth with demonstrated need for assistance accessing and 
coordinating public and private services.

In order to implement the judgment in Rosie D. v. Patrick, during FY2010, 
MassHealth requested authorization from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services (CMS) to claim federal financial participation (FFP) for seven home- 
and community- based behavioral health services for eligible youth under 21. CMS 
approved six of the seven services: Intensive Care Coordination, Family Support 
and Training, In Home Behavioral Therapist, Therapeutic Mentors, In Home 
Therapy, Mobil Crisis, Behavioral Health Screenings and Child and Adolescent 
Needs and Strengths (CANS).  In accordance with the judgment, the six services 
approved are now covered MassHealth services.   

During FY2010, MassHealth also continued to work with its health plans and other 
contractors to support ongoing implementation of the provisions of the judgment 
related to the use of a standardized behavioral health screening tool in primary 
care and a standardized behavioral health clinical assessment tool for use by 
specialists. All major provisions of the judgment have been implemented in 
compliance with the schedule established by the Court.  MassHealth’s ongoing 
work to support implementation of the judgment by its health plans and other 
contractors is overseen by the Court’s Monitor for the “Rosie D” case.   

FY2011 Initiatives 

107M Investment for Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative 

These funds are necessary to pay for the delivery of the following court-ordered 
improvements to MassHealth’s behavioral health services for children and youth 
under 21: standardized behavioral health screening in primary care; standardized 
clinical assessments in all behavioral health services; six new home- and 
community-based behavioral health services; and collection of service and 
outcome data.  

There has been a strong response by children and youth who demonstrate medical 
need for these new services.  From initial indications, the demand for these 
services is meeting or exceeding current capacity. 

Implementation of the provisions of the judgment furthers the mission of the 
Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative, which is to strengthen, expand, and 
integrate Massachusetts state services into a comprehensive, community-based 
system of care and to ensure that families and their children with significant 
emotional and behavioral health needs obtain the services they need for success 
in home, school, and community.