Best Practice County Behavioral Health Contracting: A Case Study
1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
Health care contracting has entered a new era of complexity. As more payers accelerate the move toward value-based reimbursement (VBR) models, the field must adapt to new expectations for quality, outcomes, and fiscal accountability. State and local governments are also facing mounting pressure to evolve as funding models change for behavioral health and for intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) services.
In this one-hour live presentation, OPEN MINDS Senior Associates Margaret Mays and Sharon Hicks, and OPEN MINDS Executive Vice President Michael Allen, will examine how a local county government is reshaping its contracting approaches to better align with modern performance and outcome standards. The session will feature a real-world case study illustrating one county’s transition from legacy contracting models to performance-driven agreements that support sustainability and improved consumer care.
They will also present practical frameworks, checklists, and tools that local counties can use to evaluate contracting readiness and highlight strategies for operationalizing the move away from cost reimbursement and fee-for-service to VBR structures.
Key Takeaways For Attendees
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of the organizational, financial, and operational shifts required when moving to new contracting methods.
- Learn best practices for local county contracting in behavioral health and I/DD services.
- Identify how to apply proven checklists and evaluation tools to improve contracting outcomes.
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Featured Speakers
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Margaret Mays, Ph.D., Senior Associate, OPEN MINDSMargaret Mays brings over 20 years of health care industry experience to the OPEN MINDS team. Dr. Mays currently serves as a Senior Associate at OPEN MINDS. Her areas of expertise include health plan contracting and reimbursement, quality program design and metrics-based programs, training development, health care processing systems, policy development, and accreditation/regulatory requirements. -
Michael Allen, Executive Vice President, OPEN MINDSMichael Allen brings over 30 years of experience in the non-profit behavioral healthcare industry to the OPEN MINDS team. He currently serves as an Executive Vice President in our consulting practice, where he provides executive oversight and leadership to provider and payer client engagements for OPEN MINDS. -
Sharon Hicks, MBA, MSW, Senior Associate, OPEN MINDSSharon Hicks, MBA, MSW, has more than 20 years of experience in the health and human service field. She has extensive expertise and a wide range of experience in health plan management, clinical operations management, and technology. A recognized thought leader among her peers, Ms. Hicks is a regular keynote speaker at industry conferences and association meetings, as well as an author of hundreds of articles and resources for professionals in both clinical and executive roles.
Registration is free and requires an OPEN MINDSÂ Circle account, which you consent to OPEN MINDSÂ creating on your behalf if one does not exist. For access to the full line of market intelligence, including executive briefings, industry news, state and organizational profiles, RFPs, and datasets from the specialty health and human services market, contact us at 855-559-6827 or info@openminds.com to become an OPEN MINDS member.