Community Services Boards / Behavioral Healthcare Authorities (CSB/BHAs)

CSB/BHAs in Virginia provide programs and services that

Insure the growth and development of infants who are or at risk of development disabilities, birth to age three, as well as supporting their families.
Enable children and youth with mental illness, intellectual disability and substance use disorders to remain in their homes, schools and communities.
Respond to psychiatric emergencies, 24 hours a day.
Promote resiliency in youth and communities through prevention and education activities.
Meet the residential, outpatient, and day support needs of citizens with severe mental illness.
Offer opportunities for occupational and residential independence for citizens with intellectual disability.
Effectively treat citizens with substance use disorders.
Support the efforts of schools, Department of Social Services, law enforcement agencies and courts in a coordinated manner.
Prevent further incidence of mental illness, intellectual disability and substance use disorders.
Support the care of elderly citizens with intellectual disability and their families.
Assist families in caring for members with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.

The Virginia Code requires that every local government jurisdiction form or, with other local governments, form a CSB/BHA. CSB/BHAs' responsibility is assuring, with allocated resources, the delivery of community-based mental health, intellectual disability, and substance use disorder services to citizens with those disabilities;
Emergency services and case management are Code-mandated services;
All other services are promoted state regulations of the Department of Behavorial Health and Disability Services (DBHDS), the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), and other human services agencies.
CSB/BHA services are licensed by DBHDS, subject to the DBHDS Human Rights Regulations and to state and local Human Rights Committees. DBHDS, under the oversight of DMAS, has specific roles in the operation of the Medicaid MR Waiver. All CSB/BHAs have provider agreements with DMAS for Clinical, Rehabilitation, and MR Waiver services.
Services are delivered through a network of CSB/BHAs, private providers, and other public providers, licensed by DBHDS. Many of these providers also have agreements with DMAS.
CSB/BHAs have agreements with local human services agencies, public safety and courts.

Approximately 600 citizens board members in Virginia are appointed by local governing bodies to serve on CSB/BHAs. They are local officials, responsible for the services in their localities and directly represent the community.
The duties and accountabilities of Board members are prescribed in the Code of Virginia as well as the responsibilities and accountability requirements for CSB/BHAs. The Code requires that one-third of the Board members of each CSB/BHA are family members and/or consumers of services.
One single locality in Virginia has chosen an option that empowers the local governing body itself to act on behalf of its citizens with mental disabilities, so the members of that Board are more advisory in nature.
CSB/BHAs employ over 12,000 staff statewide. Each individual is a public employee, many are on call 24/7, and accountable to their Boards and localities for their actions and decisions.

Specifies services and populations to be served with state and federal block grant funding.
Annually, each local government approves the Performance Contract for its CSB/BHA.
As part of the Code requirement for comprehensive planning, DBHDS, CSB/BHAs and state facilities engage in planning and data activities which produce the DBHDS Comprehensive Plan.
Such planning translates to provisions in the Performance Contract for services for children and adults, many of whom are eligible, under Virginia’s eligibility criteria, for Medicaid and Medicaid Intellectual Disability Waiver services.

Virginia’s public policy decision-makers, both elected and appointed, have affirmed and, through the years, strengthened the role of CSB/BHAs as the single point of entry for services for individuals with mental illness, intellectual disability and substance use disorders.
CSB/BHA oversight and accountability at the local and state levels put in place by the Virginia General Assembly and implemented by DBHDS, DMAS, and local governing bodies, provide the confidence in CSB/BHAs to be the single points of entry and case management entities.
As state leaders have determined criteria for individuals being placed on the Urgent Care Wait list for the ID Waiver by CSB/BHAs, DBHDS and DMAS have approved individuals placed on the list based on the criteria.
When funding allows for additional ID Waiver slots, local CSB/BHAs have an objective process in place, to determine who on the Urgent Care Wait list has the most critical need for a slot. In place also are procedures that support consumer choice and transfer options should a consumer choose to move to a different locality.