Minnesota DHS Mental Health System Redesign Hits Snags

After opening 10 small 16-bed Community Behavioral Health Hospitals (CBHH) in August 2008, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has faced a series of setbacks, which led it to close one of the facilities and change the focus of two others. Although the facilities are small enough to be eligible to participate in Medicaid, as of early 2010, only four had been certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to accept Medicare or Medicaid, and as of February 4, 2011, certification for the last facility was still pending. The initial goal for the CBHHs had . . .