Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment (CORE) Services

OMH Documents and Guidance

All CORE documents and guidance can be found on the NYS Office of Mental Health's (OMH) new website at https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/bho/core/. Additional documents and guidance relating to Adult BH HCBS can be found at https://omh.ny.gov/omhweb/bho/policy-guidance.html

General 

• • MCO-Identified Adult BH HCBS and CORE Services Best Practices (Released July 2024): The State has updated their previously complied list of Adult BH HCBS best practices list identified by HAPPs through the Infrastructure Program to include CORE Services best practices
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  • CORE Operations Manual for Designated Providers (Released October 2021): This manual outlines the new Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment (CORE) Services. 
    
    
  • CORE LPHA Memo and Recommendation Form (Released October 2021): The LPHA recommendation is a determination of medical necessity for CORE Services and can be made for one or multiple CORE services. Learn more about the process and access the form by clicking the link above. 
    
    
  • Incident Reporting and Management Guidance (Released December 2021): This document is intended to provide guidance on incident management and reporting for CORE Services and Adult BH HCBS Designated Providers. 
    
    
  • Non-Medical Transportation Guidance for HARP Enrollee & HARP Eligible HIV-SNP Enrollee (Released January 2022): This document defines Non Medical Transportation (NMT) and information on how this benefit can be accessed for eligible enrollees.
    
    
  • CORE Behavioral Health Information Technology (BHIT) Electronic Health Record (EHR) technical specifications (Released January 2022): The CORE tech specs are intended as a technical assistance tool to help guide any work your organization may be doing to make changes to your EHR or Electronic Billing Software (EBS).
    
    

Billing

• • CORE Services Benefit and Billing Guidance (Updated April 2024): This document adds language to bring the document current, reflecting previously disseminated information regarding the Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP) carve-in, telehealth, allowable combinations, billing nuances, etc.
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  • CORE Service Initiation Notification Template (Updated April 2024): This document includes language regarding MAP Plans, clarifies this form may be completed by any employee of the CORE designated provider (“representative”) and strongly encourages that managed care plans confirm receipt.
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  • CORE Services and CCBHC Allowable Service Combinations (Released August 2023): As a supplement to the CORE Benefit and Billing Guidance, this memo is intended to expand the CORE allowable service combinations to permit individuals receiving services from a CCBHC (sites included in the NYS CCBHC Demonstration) to access non-comparable CORE Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) and CORE Empowerment Services – Peer Support Services as of November 15, 2023.
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  • CORE Program and Billing Guidance for COVID-19 (Released February 2022): This guidance is intended to outline the State’s service expectations, changes in documentation requirements, and minimum billing requirements related to CORE Services for the duration of the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE).
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  • Continuation of CORE Service Utilization Management Guidelines (Released January 2023): These guidelines highlight that NYS is extending the current prohibition on prior authorization and concurrent review for CORE services. 
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  • CORE Services Fee Schedule (Updated March 2022): This excel document outlines the 1115 Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment (CORE) Services Matrix and Fee Schedule.
    
    
  • Expansion and Implementation Eligible Funding Activities for Adult BH HCBS and CORE Services (Enhanced FMAP): Upon final approval by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the New York State Division of Budget (DOB), rates for BH HCBS and CORE Services will be increased as part of Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) (Pub. L. 117-2)
    
    
    • eFMAP Attestation for Workforce and Recruitment and Retention Strategies
      • Guidance on Workforce Funding Activities
        
      • Attestation
        
        
    • eFMAP Attestation for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Enhancement/CORE Transition
      • BH HCBS and CORE Expansion and Implementation Guidance
        
      • Attestation
        
        

CORE Provider Application and Designation: All agencies wishing to provide CORE services must apply to be designated for each service with the understanding that they must fulfill the requirements necessary to obtain full designation before August 1, 2022. 

• • OMH CORE Provider Application and Designation Webpage: This webpage hosts the CORE services Agency Designation Checklist, CORE Services Attestation, and the current CORE Designated Providers list. 
    
    
  • CORE Staff Training Requirements (Updated March 2022): This document is intended to provide guidance on essential training requirements and timeframes for completion in order to maintain active CORE designation status
    
    
  • Policy Regarding Provider Transition to CORE Services and Provisional/ Full Designation (Released October 2021): This policy describes the designation transition plan for Adult Behavioral Health Home and Community Based Services (BH HCBS) providers to Community Oriented Recovery and Empowerment (CORE) Services.
    
    
  • CORE Services Agency Designation Checklist (Released January 2022): This technical assistance tool intends to support provisionally designated CORE providers.
    
    
  • CORE Services Attestation (Released February 2022): All provisionally designated CORE providers must complete and submit this attestation by July 31st, 2022 as part of the full designation process. Before signing the attestation, providers should carefully review the Terms and Conditions as outlined in the CORE Services Operations Manual. For additional information, please also see the Policy Regarding Provider Transition to CORE Services and Provisional/Full Designation. 
    
    

Infrastructure Program Extension

• • Infrastructure Program Extension Guidance (October 2021): The purpose of this guidance is to outline the parameters of the Infrastructure Program extension for Adult BH HCBS and CORE Services.
    
    
  • Infrastructure Application Form A - Agency Information and Funding Request (October 2021): This form must be completed by all providers applying for funding, including: 1) Providers submitting a single agency stand-alone application, 2) Lead Entities (Agencies and BH IPAs) applying in partnership with at least one other agency, and/or 3) all partner agencies.
    
    
  • Infrastructure Application Form B - Lead Agency Information (October 2021): Lead Entities (Agencies and BH IPAs) applying for Infrastructure funds in partnership with at least one other Agency, and who will be responsible for managing an Infrastructure contract on behalf of partner Agencies, must complete this form.
    
    
  • Infrastructure Application Form C - Provider Attestation (October 2021): Providers must fill out this attestation form when applying for Infrastructure Program Extension Funding. 
    
    
  • Infrastructure Application Budget Template (October 2021): Providers submitting Infrastructure Program Extension Funding applications must also include a completed budget template. 

Staff Training Requirements:

As outlined in the CORE Staff Training Requirements memo, CORE designated providers are required to complete essential trainings in order to maintain active designation status. The complete online training program can be found on the Center for Practice Innovation's (CPI) Learning Management System (LMS) for designated BH HCBS and CORE providers at: https://practiceinnovations.org/initiatives/core-adult-bh-hcbs/overview. Questions about accessing the LMS? Check out CPI's FAQ here. 

This training program has been developed in collaboration with the Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) at the NYS Psychiatric Institute, the NYU Managed Care Technical Assistance Center (MCTAC), Partnership to End Addiction, and the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS).