History

For more than 40 years, the Association for Behavioral Healthcare (ABH) has been the leading advocacy organization in the Massachusetts mental health and substance use treatment arena. Fighting for high-quality, community-based care for families and individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, ABH provides leadership and statewide coordination on important public policy, financing, preferred clinical models, and quality assurance issues.

ABH History

1999

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corporations of Massachusetts, Inc (MHSACM) is created through the merger of the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Association and Mental Health Corporations of Massachusetts.
Elizabeth Funk is named President/CEO of MHSACM.
Phil O'Shea, President/CEO of Community Counseling of Bristol County, is elected Chair of the MHSACM Board of Directors.

2001

Jonathan Scott, President of Victory Programs, Inc., is elected Chair of the MHSACM Board of Directors.
MHSACM successfully preserves funding for methadone services and prevents the inclusion of budget language that would have barred the Department of Public Health from contracting with providers who offer methadone services or services to out-of-state residents.
MHSACM and partner organizations hold rallies to preserve mental health and substance use funding and seek additional revenue to save services.

2000

MHSACM, the Association of Developmental Disabilities (ADDP) and the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers join together to create the Purchase of Service (POS) Reform Provider Advocacy Campaign to seek fair and adequate rates for human and social services.
The Department of Mental Health implements redesigned Community Rehabilitation and Support Services programming across the Commonwealth.
MHSACM achieves rate increases for psychiatric day treatment, substance abuse residential, acute treatment services (ATS/detox), mental health outpatient, and psychological testing services.
The state passes the Massachusetts Mental Health Parity Law.
MHSACM holds its first annual Provider Celebration.

2003

Paul O'Shea, President/CEO of Health and Education Services, Inc., is elected Chair of the MHSACM Board of Directors.
Following deep budget cuts to substance use services, MHSACM successfully organizes the Massachusetts Coalition for Addiction Services (MCAS), a group of advocacy organizations formed to speak with one voice for the restoration and expansion of funding.
MHSACM and its Transitional Support Services (TSS) Committee works with the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services to revise the TSS staffing standards and to increase the rate per unit of service.

2004

MHSACM launches its e-Update, our monthly member newsletter.
The House and Senate override a gubernatorial veto of budget language requiring the state to adjust its contracts with providers to pay for any significant, new mandates it imposes, and also provides new procedural protections for providers.
The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership begins implementing an outcomes measurement requirement for all network providers. MHSACM successfully advocates for a provider subsidy to help defray costs.

2005

Ellen Attaliades, CEO of The Edinburg Center, is elected Chair of the MHSACM Board of Directors.
The Massachusetts Legislature creates the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, signifying its understanding of the importance of behavioral healthcare.
MHSACM joins forces with consumer, family, provider and other advocacy organizations in a Postcards for People campaign to educate our elected officials about the importance of protecting Massachusetts' unique behavioral healthcare system after learning that the Romney Administration planned to move 20,000 people out of their current specialty behavioral healthcare program into health plans not designed or equipped to serve them. The initiative highlighted the critical importance of the Medicaid behavioral health carve-out, the statewide care system that served the behavioral health needs of 300,000 children, adolescents and adults.
MHSACM members join the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare's first annual Capitol Hill Day.

2006

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Ponsor rules in Rosie D. v. Romney that the Commonwealth is in violation of federal Medicaid law for its failure to provide behavioral health services to 15,000 children with serious emotional disturbance.
MHSACM successfully advocates for the inclusion of mental health and substance use coverage in the state's landmark health care reform law. The law also requires the restoration of post-detox step-down services.
MHSACM successfully advocates for the restoration of $40 million in emergency budget (9C) cuts to behavioral healthcare services

2007

Elizabeth Funk, MHSACM's President and CEO, retires.
Vicker V. DiGravio III, MHSACM's Executive Vice President, is named President and CEO.
MHSACM convenes the Massachusetts Standardized Documentation Project (MSDP) to move beyond historic documentation models that recorded only the minimum level of information to one that supports a person-centered/recovery-oriented service delivery model in community settings.

2008

Deborah Ekstrom, President/CEO of Community Healthlink, is elected Chair of the MHSACM Board of Directors.
MHSACM and its partners in The Collaborative form The Campaign the Strengthen Human Services and successfully advocate for the passage of S. 65, An Act Relative to Rates for Human and Social Service Providers (Chapter 257 of the Acts of 2008).
The state's mental health parity law is expanded to include coverage for substance use disorders and An Act Relative to Children's Mental Health is passed by the Legislature and signed into law.
Congress passes the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPEA) law.

2009

Vic DiGravio, MHSACM's President and CEO, and Maryanne Frangules, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery, co-chaired the Campaign for Addiction, Prevention, Treatment, and
Recovery which successfully eliminates the sales tax exemption on alcohol purchased in stores.
MHSACM plays a leading role in United We Stand for Public Health, a coalition of 85 organizations dedicated to opposing budget cuts to public health programs.
MHSACM rebrands as the Association for Behavioral Healthcare (ABH)

2010

Kevin Norton, President/CEO of CAB Health & Recovery Services, is elected Chair of the ABH Board of Directors.
ABH receives the 2010 Award of Excellence for Grassroots Advocacy from The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare for its work leading the Campaign for Addiction, Prevention, Treatment and Recovery and the coalition's successful effort to repeal the sales tax exemption on alcohol.
Massachusetts celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the state's Mental Health Parity Law.
The Massachusetts Standardized Documentation Project (MSDP) certifies its first electronic health record vendor.
The alcohol tax is repealed following a ballot campaign in which The Committee Against Repeal of the Alcohol Tax was outspent 13:1 by the liquor industry. Despite this defeat, the Legislature and Administration pledge to maintain funding for addiction services.

2011

The ABH Board of Directors votes to replace the word substance abuse with addiction in ABH's lexicon.
The Collaborative (ABH, the Association of Developmental Disability Providers, and the Providers' Council) reach an agreement with the Commonwealth to extend the timetable for implementation of Chapter 257 of the Acts of 2008 (see 2008 tab) in exchange for placing a hold on procurements until rates are set.
Following years of advocacy by ABH, MassHealth implements changes to its mental health clinic regulations. These changes modernize the regulation of mental health clinics and align the regulations with those of the Department of Public Health.

2013

For the second consecutive year Governor Patrick and the legislature included funding in the state budget for Chapter 257 rate increases which was a major victory for ABH and The Collaborative (ABH, the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, and the Providers' Council).
ABH members continued to exercise their legal rights under Chapter 257 through ongoing rate appeals for acute treatment services (ATS) and Clubhouse services.
ABH successfully advocated for 20%-24% rate increases for Children's Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) Intensive Care Coordination (ICC) services.
ABH maintained its heavy focus on shoring up outpatient behavioral health services and pressed MassHealth to distribute $4 million in the FY13 state budget for outpatient services in a manner that benefitted as many outpatient providers as possible.
ABH worked with a number of our members on the Outpatient Access Redesign (OAR) project to increase access and promote administrative efficiencies for participating members. Funding for this project was provided in part by a $100,000 grant ABH received from MBHP to cover 50% of the consultant costs for participating providers.

2014

Daniel Mumbauer, President/CEO of High Point Treatment Center, is elected Chair of the ABH Board of Directors.
ABH secured passage of legislation to require MassHealth Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) pay a floor rate for all Evaluation and Management (E&M) codes in outpatient settings.
ABH promoted the adoption of language in the Fiscal Year 2015 budget to force MassHealth to collect and make public the financial terms of contracts between the MassHealth MCOs and companies whom they hire to manage behavioral health benefits.
ABH secured $10M to create new community placements for individuals "stuck" in Department of Mental Health continuing care facilities; $15M to expand community-based addiction treatment services for the uninsured, and $8M for increased MassHealth behavioral health reimbursement rates.
ABH secured passage of landmark legislation mandating that MassHealth and commercial insurers cover both ATS (detox) and CSS (detox step-down) services, Chapter 258 of the Acts of 2014.
The Collaborative (the Association for Behavioral Healthcare, the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers and the Providers' Council) along with the Children's League of Massachusetts, filed suit against the Patrick Administration after the state repeatedly failed to implement Chapter 257.

2015

A Suffolk Superior Court judge ruled that the Commonwealth had failed to meet its legal obligations under Chapter 257. That decision and the ensuing settlement negotiations with the new Baker Administration established that providers had been unfairly victimized by the Commonwealth's failure to fully implement Chapter 257. The resulting settlement also established that regular two-year rate reviews are an essential component of the law.
ABH received the National Council for Behavioral Health's Advocacy Leadership Award for our work relative to Chapter 258 of the Acts of 2014, An Act to Increase Opportunities for Long-Term Substance Abuse Recovery, which ensures greater access to substance use disorder treatment through insurance.
ABH successfully advocated with MassHealth to adjust Children's Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) reimbursement rates for non-Community Service Agency services, which had not been adjusted since they were set in 2009.
ABH provided support to our members around a number of new state regulations, most prominently Workplace Safety regulations governing EOHHS providers, and Earned Sick Time regulations promulgated by the Attorney General's office.

2016

Karin Jeffers, President/CEO of Clinical and Support Options, is elected Chair of the ABH Board of Directors.
ABH embarked on a series of meetings with newspaper editorial boards across the state to highlight and call attention to the ongoing deterioration of the outpatient behavioral health system. ABH also published three promotional videos on the importance of behavioral health outpatient care in the continuum of mental health and substance use disorder treatment services.
ABH worked to shape the ongoing MassHealth redesign and Section 1115 Demonstration (waiver) application. ABH and our members participated on eight MassHealth workgroups to inform the waiver submission.
ABH established a new committee for members titled: Partnering with Underserved Populations. Through discussion of best practices and challenges, the Committee's goal is to equalize service delivery for all local populations marginalized in the health care system.
Following provider rate appeals, Governor Baker's administration promulgated new Clubhouse rates retroactive to January 1, 2016, a 24% increase. The new rates were announced as part of a settlement of rate appeals filed in accordance with Chapter 257.

2017

ABH focused extensively in FY17 on the Commonwealth’s redesign and implementation of the 1115 Waiver concerning accountable care, including development of what came to be known as the Community Partners complex care management program.
ABH staff worked throughout the year to impact policy development related to the Medication Administration Program (MAP). This included working with DPH, DMH, DCF, and DDS staff to identify areas where MAP policies can be adjusted to reflect the challenges providers face in operationalizing mandates that are often antithetical to the concept of person-centered services and independent living.
ABH successfully advocated for the creation of a process by MassHealth to allow providers to receive reimbursement for payments previously recouped by Managed Care Organizations (MCOs).

2018

Diane Gould, President/CEO of Advocates, Inc., is voted in as ABH Board Chair
ABH led a coalition of 26 medical, patient, and legal advocacy groups to insert language into CARE Act legislation to expand access to medications for addiction treatment in state and county correctional facilities.
ABH advocated for legislation limiting the ability of insurers to retroactively “clawback” payments made to providers for services rendered in accordance with all relevant government and payer rules and regulations.
To ensure passage of the anti-clawback bill, ABH negotiated compromise legislative language with EOHHS. EOHHS agreed to establish an administrative process by which providers will be held harmless from retroactive recoupments where the Commonwealth’s eligibility system provided incorrect information to providers about which MassHealth plan was responsible for a client’s coverage on the date of service.
Effective March 1, 2018, all MassHealth managed care entities were required to pay floor rates for a range of outpatient and diversionary services. These floor rates resulted in increased payment rates for outpatient providers.
ABH secured $4M in the budget to bring MassHealth Fee-For-Service rates up to the same floor as the plan rates.
ABH advocated for a full Chapter 257 rate review for both ATS (detox) and CSS (detox step-down) services which resulted in significant rate increases for providers.

2020

When financial data showed that ABH members were in danger of closing during the first weeks of the pandemic, ABH advocated with the Baker-Polito Administration for $104M in supplemental funding to help providers sustain services and transition to new service delivery approaches.
ABH partnered closely with the Association of Developmental Disabilities Providers, the Children’s League of Massachusetts, and the Providers’ Council, our partners in The Collaborative, to advocate with the Baker-Polito Administration for $139M in relief across Chapter 257 services across four months. These funds helped providers manage extraordinary costs during the COVID surge period.
The Collaborative partnered with the Baker-Polito Administration to ensure that providers were able to access emergency Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and that mobile testing be deployed across Chapter 257programs.
ABH successfully advocated with MassHealth for an increase to the Behavioral Health Community Partner rate to $250 PMPM from $180 PMPM.
ABH worked closely with the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers (Mass League) to administer Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP)-funded workforce development programs for staff at Community Health Centers (CHCs) and community behavioral health organizations.

2021

There were several ABH-initiated or -supported workforce initiatives adopted in the final FY22 budget:
- $5M for a loan forgiveness program for mental health professionals, including for child and adolescent psychiatrists in community mental health and community health centers.
- $2M at BSAS to increase the addiction treatment workforce through outreach and recruitment at local/regional education institutions and vocational high schools.
- $500,000 for a mental health workforce pipeline program to encourage a culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse behavioral health workforce through collaborations between colleges and behavioral health providers.
Senior Leadership Committee on Partnering with Underserved Populations changed its name to the Senior Leadership Committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice.
ABH worked with our Behavioral Health Community Partner (BH CP) members to develop key recommendations that have been provisionally adopted by MassHealth for inclusion in its waiver renewal. These include rate floors, volume floors and a census model.

2022

ABH Issues statement regarding House Leadership and its dedication to addressing the behavioral health crisis affecting families across Massachusetts.
ABH announces they are moving offices from Natick, MA to Framingham, MA.
ABH announces the formation of a quarterly forum for Chief Medical Officers/Medical Directors.
ABH partners with Wayside Equity Training Center to develop and release a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice Toolkit for Organizational Culture Change.

2023

ABH publishes "34 Days and Counting: Waits for SUD Treatment Lengthen Due to Workforce Crisis" issue brief
ABH publishes the "Kids are Waiting: Children's Behavioral Health Services Crisis & Collapse" Brief.
ABH re-launches campaign to fund mental health clinics fairly.
There were several significant ABH-initiated or -supported workforce initiatives adopted in the final FY24 budget. The largest relates to $225M in one-time funding through the Behavioral Health Trust. Funds went towards bolstering BH student loan repayment programs, scholarships, field placement, internships, and apprenticeship stipends, clinical supervision support, training, creation of a behavioral health workforce development center, and several behavioral health workforce awareness campaigns.

2024

ABH successfully advocated for MassHealth to pay 10% higher reimbursement rates for services delivered in Mental Health Centers versus less regulated settings.
Health Policy Commission Executive Director David Seltz announced at ABH’s Annual Meeting that the HPC would be standing up a new Behavioral Health Workforce Center. Center funding was made possible by ABH advocacy.
ABH successfully advocated for an emergency rate increase above base rates for most Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) services. The estimated expenditure value of the increase exceeded $35 million.
ABH, the Recovery Homes Collaborative, and the Massachusetts Association of Behavioral Health Systems successfully advocated for significant rate increases for Residential Rehabilitation Services, Clinical Stabilization Services, and Acute Treatment Services (20-35%). The Commonwealth also adopted a rate incentive for providers with a high public payer mix.
ABH worked with our members and our partners in the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition to advocate for rates that better support services. Clubhouse rates ultimately received significant rate increases (20.16% on average).

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corporations of Massachusetts, Inc (MHSACM) is created through the merger of the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Association and Mental Health Corporations of Massachusetts.
Elizabeth Funk is named President/CEO of MHSACM.
Phil Shea, President/CEO of Community Counseling of Bristol County, is elected Chair of the MHSACM Board of Directors.

1998 and Before

1973 - licensed mental health clinics formed Coalition of Community Mental Health Partners, Inc. (CCMHP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing common issues of management and clinical care.
1979 - CCMHP forms a corporation
1980's - the non-profit reorganized as Mental Health Corporations of Massachusetts (MHCM) in order to include licensed private clinics and community mental health centers, resulting in a statewide network of providers that provided a comprehensive system of mental health care for adults and children.

2025

ABH hosts 400+ people at the 2025 Salute to Excellence, making it the highest attended Salute.
ABH undertakes Board-driven strategic planning and updates the Association's Mission & Core Values.
ABH advocates for a MassHealth Behavioral Health Urgent Care payment bundle.
ABH advocates for 70% rate increase for MassHealth Structured Outpatient Addiction Programs and alignment of Community Support Program and Recovery Support Navigator rates for the first time.
ABH launches a Billing Bootcamp training with close to 100 participants, promoting members' ability to timely and correctly bill health plans.