MH253030 - Collaborative Care For Perinatal Mental Health In Obstetrics and Gynecology and Family Medicine Practices

MH253030 - Collaborative Care For Perinatal Mental
Health In Obstetrics and Gynecology and Family
Medicine Practices
Request for Applications
Grant Procurements
(On-Line Submission Required)
June 2026

New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION 1. Programmatic Information ......................................................................................................... 1
A. Introduction and Background ................................................................................................................... 1
B. Target Population/Eligibility Criteria ......................................................................................................... 2
C. Key Events/Timeline ................................................................................................................................ 2
D. Eligible Applicants .................................................................................................................................... 2
E. Program Requirements ............................................................................................................................ 3
F. Operating Funding ................................................................................................................................... 6
G. Method for Evaluating Applications .......................................................................................................... 6
H. Disqualification Factors ............................................................................................................................ 6
I. Process for Awarding Contracts, Initial Awards and Allocations .............................................................. 6
SECTION 2. Administrative Information ......................................................................................................... 9
A. Designated Contact/Issuing Officer .......................................................................................................... 9
B. RFA Questions and Clarifications ............................................................................................................ 9
C. Addenda to Requests for Application ..................................................................................................... 10
D. SFS Prequalification Requirement ......................................................................................................... 10
E. Vendor Registration, Prequalification and Training Resources for Not-for-Profits ................................. 10
F. Registering as an SFS Vendor ............................................................................................................... 10
G. Prequalifying in SFS ............................................................................................................................... 11
H. On Demand Grantee Training Material .................................................................................................. 11
I. Reserved Rights..................................................................................................................................... 12
J. Debriefing ............................................................................................................................................... 12
K. Protests Related to the Solicitation Process .......................................................................................... 13
L. Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises ............................................................................... 13
M. Equal Opportunity Employment ............................................................................................................. 14
N. Participation Opportunities for New York State Certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses
15
O. Bid Response ......................................................................................................................................... 16
P. Acceptance of Terms and Conditions .................................................................................................... 16
Q. Freedom of Information Requirements .................................................................................................. 16
R. Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification .......................................................................................... 16
S. Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification ...................................................................... 16
T. NYS and OMH Policies .......................................................................................................................... 16
U. Contract Term ........................................................................................................................................ 17
V. Contract Termination and Reassignment ............................................................................................... 17
References ..................................................................................................................................................... 17
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
SECTION 1. Programmatic Information
A. Introduction and Background
The New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) announces the availability of funds to support
the expanded implementation of the Psychiatric Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) in obstetrics and
gynecology (OBGYN) and family medicine practices across New York State.
CoCM is the most evidence-based model for integrating behavioral health into physical health care with
over 100 randomized control trials from the last two (2) decades of implementation. 1 CoCM builds
behavioral health capacity in primary care by enhancing the team with support from a Psychiatric
Consultant and a Behavioral Health Care Manager (BHCM). With specialized behavioral health
training, the BHCM provides brief evidence-based behavioral health treatment and supports medication
management. The BHCM is the lead contact for the patient and provides treatment-to-target care with
regular use of symptom monitoring tools. Patient status is communicated to the physical health provider
and reviewed with the psychiatric consultant regularly to inform changes to treatment. CoCM leads to
significantly better clinical outcomes, greater patient and provider satisfaction and improved functioning
for patients with behavioral health needs.
In the perinatal population, implementation of CoCM is associated with increased perinatal depression
screening and treatment from obstetric clinicians, and reduced depression in this population. 2
Implementation of CoCM is also associated with reduction in racial disparities in perinatal depression
care, with significant differences by race in antenatal depression screen and treatment
recommendations after CoCM. 3
NYS OMH currently provides comprehensive training and technical assistance to practices
implementing CoCM. In 2015, NYS became the first state to provide Medicaid reimbursement for
CoCM. In 2018, CMS began paying for the service and Commercial plans followed, making it
reimbursable across payers in NYS. To date, comprehensive behavioral health services have been
provided to tens of thousands of NYS Medicaid patients. There are now more than 430 physical health
practices providing CoCM, eligible for Medicaid reimbursement. Data from these practices is congruent
with the RCT outcomes, with a consistent programmatic average of about 50 percent of patients
achieving clinical improvement in PHQ/GAD score after 70 days in treatment.
Real-time data from OBGYN practices in NYS that provide CoCM report an average of 78 percent of
patients received an annual depression screen with a standardized tool. This is significantly more
consistent than the usual care data. The Medicaid Perinatal Care study that showed while 63 percent of
birthing persons were assessed for depression at an initial visit, just seven (7) percent of those were
documented using a standardized screening tool.
Mental health conditions are attributed to 23 percent of maternal deaths nationally, and there is a
growing body of evidence that demonstrates increased risk for developing psychiatric disorders during
the peripartum period. 5 This demands that OBGYN and family practices supporting perinatal birthing
persons prioritize behavioral health screening and treatment. CoCM provides the infrastructure needed
to provide this care in the physical healthcare space. This Request for Applications (RFA) will provide
the opportunity to expand CoCM reach to perinatal birthing persons in NYS as the state continues to
prioritize access for birthing persons and infants in at-risk communities.
Applicants must identify a primary care or OBGYN practice providing services to perinatal patients that
will commit to implement CoCM and participate in the comprehensive training and technical assistance
OMH provides, designed to support implementation and sustainability of the model. This model must
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
be implemented in an outpatient setting serving the perinatal population. Inpatient hospital and
emergency room locations are not eligible.
It is anticipated that OMH will make up to 17 awards across the state, contingent upon funding
availability. This funding is specifically designated for sites that are not yet providing CoCM, with the
goal to expand the capacity of OBGYN and family medicine practices to support perinatal birthing
persons with behavioral health needs. Priority will be given to applicants in counties with no current
CoCM presence, as well as at-risk areas, determined by counties with higher-than-average maternal
mortality rates and higher percentage of births covered by Medicaid or self-pay. Applicants should not
be receiving duplicative financial support for the initial COCM implementation and start up from other
sources, including public or private funding. Applicants are expected to support the ongoing program
with revenue received from claims. The combined total of these awards will be up to $850,000
distributed to awardees in three payments. (See Section 1.F Operating Funds).
The Local Governmental Unit (LGU), Director of Community Service (DCS)/Mental Health
Commissioner has a statutory authority and responsibility for oversight and cross-system management
of the local mental hygiene system to meet the needs of individuals and families affected by mental
illness, substance use disorder and/or intellectual/ developmental disability in their communities.
Collaboration is a vital component of the Collaborative Care Model for Maternal Mental Health.
Applicants should notify their Local Government Unit (LGU) of their intent to apply. An email would be
sufficient. LGU approval is not needed. A list of LGUs is available here.
B. Target Population/Eligibility Criteria
It is OMH's commitment to provide universal access to prevention opportunities while ensuring equity
and the reduction of disparities in access, quality and treatment outcomes for marginalized and
underserved populations.
The target population of the program is perinatal birthing persons with mild to moderate behavioral
health needs.
C. Key Events/Timeline
Activity Date
Release RFA 6/11/26
Practices submit questions due date 7/7/26
Post Q&A 7/23/26
Application Submission Deadline - 2:00 PM EST 8/20/26
Anticipated Notification of Awards 9/17/26
Anticipated earliest contract start date 1/1/27
D. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are OBGYN or family medical practices located in New York State that treat birthing
individuals. Applicants may be affiliated with a hospital or healthcare system or a private practice
location. Healthcare system applicants must designate one OBGYN or family medical practice to
participate. Only one practice per healthcare system per year can receive an award. For the
purposes of this RFA, a healthcare system is defined as a healthcare entity that operates multiple
practices or sites and/or a medical institution with different physical addresses/practices under one
legal name.
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
Each applicant must be applying to become a new Collaborative Care Medicaid program site, not a site
that is already approved to bill Medicaid for CoCM under the Collaborative Care Medicaid Program
(CCMP). However, organizations with a current CoCM Medicaid site are eligible to apply to establish a
new site/s at different and/or additional locations under this RFA.
Eligibility includes but is not limited to: Federally Qualified Health Centers, American Indian Health
Programs, Rural Health Centers, and Community Health Centers.
E. Program Requirements
As noted in the introduction, the purpose of these funds is to support the expanded implementation of
the CoCM Medicaid program. As part of this funding, each applicant will be required to select a practice
location to launch CoCM, and attest to complying with each of the following 13 program requirements
at that location, hereafter referred to as "site" or "sites". The Attestation process will be
facilitated/completed in the New York Statewide Financial System (SFS). If you are unable to attest to
any component of the program requirements, please note that your application will be automatically
disqualified.
1. The application must include a letter of interest that includes a description of the current behavioral
health services available for birthing people at the practice location, and plan for how CoCM will be
integrated into the current workflow. The letter must provide a description of the practice and the
population it serves and explain how CoCM will benefit their population.
2. Introduction to CoCM Training Completion: Applicants must have an understanding of the
essential elements of the Collaborative Care Model. At a minimum the lead application contact must
attest to viewing the introduction training video found here.
3. Behavioral Health Care Manager (BHCM): Sites will be required to hire and maintain a BHCM
position at a minimum of .6 FTE throughout the duration of the funding. The BHCM oversees and
provides mental health treatment - screening, patient engagement and follow-up, ongoing patient
contact, monitoring of adherence with psychotropic medications, mental health and substance use
referrals, brief evidence-based interventions appropriate for primary care settings, and related
activities. CMS requires that the BHCM has formal education or specialized training in behavioral
health. Recommended credentials for this role are: LCSW, LMSW, LMHC, LMFT, MSW with
appropriate supervision, or RN with behavioral health training. See sample BHCM sample job
description here.
Sites must hire a BHCM or partner with an organization to provide the BHCM staffing. The BHCM
must be hired and onboarded into the role no later than six (6) months from the contract start date.
CoCM is often delivered virtually or telephonically, so the BHCM position can be remote/hybrid.
Applicants may want to consider that the BHCM has availability to work evenings/weekends to
accommodate patient schedules.
The BHCM is a required, integrated member of the clinic team. Therefore, this position must be
maintained for the duration of this contract. In the event of a BHCM vacancy, the site is solely
responsible for the recruitment, orientation, and training of a qualified candidate to fulfill the BHCM
role. All staff vacancies and fills must be reported to the OMH within 30 days of status change.
4. Psychiatric Consultant: Sites must identify a Psychiatric Consultant to provide caseload-focused
consultation at least weekly with the BHCM or primary care providers. The Psychiatric Consultant
works with BHCM to oversee the status and health of the caseload and recommend treatment
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
adjustments including medication recommendations or other interventions, and advise on treatment
for patients who may need a different level of care. The Psychiatrist (MD or DO) or Psychiatric
Nurse Practitioner can provide caseload supervision remotely by phone or video but must have
access to the patient care registry.
The Psychiatric Consultant must dedicate one hour weekly for systematic caseload review of
patients with each one (1) FTE BHCM. On average, Psychiatric Consultants dedicate six to eight (6-
8) hours per month per one (1) FTE BHCM, to complete weekly caseload reviews and provide ad-
hoc consultation with primary care providers.
5. Clinician Champion: A key element of successful implementation is having a clinician in a
leadership role be the 'champion' of the program and integrating the Collaborative Care Model
program into the medical practice. The CoCM Clinician Champion must be a physical health
provider (MD, DO, NP) that practices at the site and will bring the Provider perspective to the
planning, implementation and sustainment phases of CoCM. CoCM often requires practice
transformation, and the treating medical provider must be willing, knowledgeable and able to
prescribe medications for common mental health disorders in perinatal populations, and be
comfortable conducting informed consent discussion regarding medication use during pregnancy
and breastfeeding. The champion must commit to learning CoCM, helping to educate colleagues
and practice with fidelity. The champion supports uptake among the physical health team and
support late adopters. This person must have the authority to implement change and modify
procedures within the practice.
6. Clinic Implementation Team: The site must establish a Clinic Implementation Team (CIT) that
includes a Health System Lead, a Site Lead, a Billing Lead and a Data Lead, in addition to the
Clinical Champion, Psychiatric Consultant and BHCM.
The CIT will participate in training activities and complete required activities outlined below.
7. Caseload Management Registry: An essential piece of the CoCM workflow is to manage caseload
and track patient outcomes using a registry tool. Each site must establish and maintain a registry.
There are multiple registry tool options, and NYS OMH is not prescriptive for which tool sites
choose to use. The CoCM Registry must:
* Track clinical outcomes and progress at the patient and target population caseload levels.
* Support treatment by summarizing patient progress in an actionable way.
* Enable efficient Psychiatric Consultation, allowing BHCMs to easily prioritize patients for
systematic caseload review.
* Supply reports to program managers and clinical leadership to monitor progress toward goals,
including processes of care, quality of care and patient outcomes metrics.
* Supply de-identified reports to outside auditors to demonstrate regulatory compliance, intensity
of service, staffing ratios, process measures (screening diagnose and enrollment rates and
clinical outcomes)
NYS OMH provides access to the University of Washington's (UW) Care Management Tracking
System (CMTS) registry. NYS providers may use CMTS to meet the CoCM registry requirement if
they choose. If so, the provider will need to complete a license agreement with UW. NYS OMH
subsidizes the cost for the first year, but providers will be responsible for future fees in the amount
of $1,500 per year for 2026. Fees may be subject to change in future years, but providers have no
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
obligation to renew the user agreement.
8. Training and Technical Assistance: Each applicant must attest that their CIT will commit to full
participation in technical assistance and learning collaborative activities over the course of this
award.
To support the implementation of CoCM into OBGYN and family medicine practices, the Clinician
Champion, BHCM, and Psychiatric Consultant must take the role-specific online modules.
Following the completion of self-paced online training, members of the CIT will participate in regular
coaching calls, at least monthly, for the duration of the project. They will also be asked to participate
in regular group training calls and quality improvement activities with OMH.
9. Fidelity: The site must commit to implementing all five (5) core principles of CoCM with fidelity within
one (1) year from the date of award, as outlined below:
* Patient-Centered Care Team
* Population-Based Care
* Measurement-Based Treatment to Target (routinely measured by evidence-based symptom
monitoring tools)
* Evidence-Based Care
* Accountable Care
10. Workflow: The CIT must develop a CoCM workflow that includes (but is not limited to):
* Universal screening with relevant, evidence based Behavioral Health (BH) screening tools and
target rates for universal screen.
* Criteria for CoCM enrollment.
* Protocol for a live, warm handoff from PCP to BHCM and plan for when this is not possible.
* Demonstrated knowledge of treatment choices.
* Criteria for clinical improvement and criteria for systematic caseload review with Psychiatric
Consultant.
* Criteria for relapse prevention and/or graduation and discharge to different level of care.
11. NYS Provider Certification Application: The site must commit to submitting a NYS Provider
Certification Application to the OMH program team within six (6) months of the award. The
application attests that all elements of the model are in place, the team is staffed and includes all
relevant billing information required to load the rates to bill Medicaid accordingly.
12. Data Collection: Each site is required to track and report data and participate in program
evaluation. Process and outcomes data will be reported quarterly to OMH. Failure to report timely
information could result in funding delay and/or discontinuation of the contract.
Aggregate quarterly data reports will be submitted via secure REDCap survey links, distributed by
OMH.
Data elements to be reported include but are not limited to: Total enrollment, Medicaid enrollment,
Newly enrolled each month, Average duration of treatment, Rates of patients with clinical contact,
Patients that meet clinical improvement and remission criteria, and Patients whose case was
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
reviewed by the Psychiatric Consultant. Practices will also report universal depression screening
rate and depression yield rate.
13. Commitment to Sustainability: Sites will be responsible for working with OMH and practice
coaches to develop a billing workflow for CoCM claims. Claims must be submitted within 90 days of
the first date of service to avoid claims denied for timely filing.
Sites must complete a Pro-Forma in advance of implementation. Pro-forma completion requires
information regarding payer mix, anticipated salaries for the BHCM and Psychiatric Consultant
including fringe and overhead, and knowledge of current CoCM Commercial rates. Practices must
develop a data-driven sustainability plan and submit to OMH for review at the end of the first year of
implementation.
Sites should be able to support a minimum CoCM panel size (i.e., caseload) of 65 patients per one
(1) full-time equivalent (FTE) BHCM to ensure sustainability.
F. Operating Funding
Up to 17 awards will be distributed with total funding of up to $850,000 to be awarded.
Each successful applicant will receive $50,000 disbursed in three payments ($30,000/$10,000/$10,000)
over the course of the yearlong project to cover startup costs. When CoCM is implemented with fidelity,
providers are expected to be able to fully offset the cost with revenue received from claims. CoCM is
reimbursable under all payers in New York. NYS OMH will provide technical assistance to sites, helping
them complete a pro forma and develop a financial sustainability plan and billing workflow so that they
know what level of revenue they can expect, and ensure claims are paid successfully.
G. Method for Evaluating Applications
Designated OMH staff will review each application for completeness and verify that all eligibility criteria
and program requirements are met. The attestation process must be completed in the Statewide
Financial System. If an application is not complete or does not meet the basic eligibility and
participation standards and program requirements as outlined in Sections 1.D and 1.E, it will be
disqualified. All fields must be completed entirely. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
H. Disqualification Factors
Designated OMH staff will review each application for completeness and verify that all eligibility criteria
are met. If an application is not complete or does not meet the basic eligibility standards, it will be
eliminated from further review.
Additionally, during the application evaluation process, evaluators will also be reviewing eligibility
criteria and confirming that they have been met. During either of these review processes, applications
that do not meet basic participation standards will be disqualified, specifically:
* Applications that do not meet the eligible applicant criteria and program requirements as outlined
in Sections 1.D and E. above.
I. Process for Awarding Contracts, Initial Awards and Allocations
OMH will make up to 17 awards. Completed applications meeting all required eligibility components and
program requirements will be prioritized according to the three (3) criteria below, each earning up to one
point. Awards will be made in order of highest total priority score.
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
If more than one application has the same total priority score, awards within that priority score group will
be determined in order of the maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births for the county where the
practice is located (highest rates will be awarded first).
If more than one application has the same total priority score and the same county maternal mortality
rate, the award will be determined on a first-come, first-serve basis based on application submission
date and time stamp.
1. Existing CoCM sites
* Applicants from one of the 20 counties with no current sites approved to bill Medicaid for CoCM
as listed in Table 1: County Reference Data will be given a priority point.
2. Maternal Mortality Rates
* Applicants will be evaluated based on the rate of Maternal Mortality rate per 100,000 live births
in the county where the site is physically located as listed in Table 1: County Reference Data.
* Applicants from a county with maternal mortality rate higher than the state average of 22 per
100,000 live births will be given a priority point.
3. Rate of Births Medicaid or Self-Pay
* Applicants will be evaluated based on the Percent of Births Medicaid or Self-Pay in the county
where the site is physically located as listed in Table 1: County Reference Data.
* Births Medicaid or Self-pay is defined as births to mothers whose primary financial coverage
was Medicaid, PCAP, MOMS, Child Health Plus A, Medicaid Managed Care, or Family Health
Plus OR births to mothers without health insurance.
* Applicants from a county with rate higher than the state average of 47.7 percent will be given a
priority point.
Applications must be submitted no later than 2:00pm EST on the due date in Section 1.C and will be
time stamped. Distribution of awards will continue as described until all available funds are utilized or
by the RFA closing date, whichever comes first.
Table 1. County Reference Data
Reference Data
Maternal Total Percent of
Region County
Number of Sites Mortality Rate Births Medicaid
with CoCM per 100,000 live or Self-pay
births
Albany 2 46.4 37.6
Columbia 8 0.0 42.8
Greene 8 0.0 45
Capital Region
Rensselaer 1 44 35.5
(8)
Saratoga 10 0.0 14.8
Schenectady 0 0.0 31.3
Warren 1 0.0 15.8
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
Reference Data
Maternal Total Percent of
Region County
Number of Sites Mortality Rate Births Medicaid
with CoCM per 100,000 live or Self-pay
births
Washington 0 0.0 22.9
Cayuga 0 0.0 52.5
Cortland 1 0.0 50
Central New York
Madison 9 0.0 42.6
(5)
Onondaga 0 20.9 44.4
Oswego 0 29.3 49.8
Genesee 3 61 33.1
Livingston 3 0.0 38.3
Monroe 38 26.5 45.6
Ontario 4 34 47.8
Finger Lakes
Orleans 1 85.8 44.2
(9)
Seneca 0 0.0 67.5
Wayne 2 38.2 39.3
Wyoming 3 0.0 36.6
Yates 0 102.6 75.2
Long Island Nassau 22 12.1 31.6
(2) Suffolk 24 19.3 35.5
Dutchess 16 25.6 33.7
Orange 4 12.3 55.9
Putnam 3 37.7 24.6
Mid-Hudson
Rockland 4 32.5 62.4
(7)
Sullivan 1 0.0 66.8
Westchester 22 20.3 32
Ulster 8 0.0 42.7
Fulton 0 0.0 55
Hamilton 0 0.0 29.6
Mohawk Valley Herkimer 0 0.0 56
(6) Montgomery 1 0.0 62
Oneida 3 42.9 54.5
Schoharie 0 0.0 40.7
Bronx 44 29.4 77.4
Kings 46 16.9 61.8
New York City
New York 52 24.4 30
(5)
Queens 25 16.7 58.5
Richmond 2 20.3 45.9
Clinton 0 0.0 44.7
Essex 0 0.0 33.4
North Country
Franklin 0 74.8 44
(6)
Jefferson 0 18.7 30.6
Lewis 0 0.0 52.8
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