Ask the Experts: Updates on Sustainable Payment for CSC in Massachusetts

Brenda Jackson & Joshua Cranston

The goal of this meeting is to explain the results of a survey and follow-up interviews led by the NASMHPD Research Institute (NRI) and TriWest team. In 2023, NRI and TriWest gathered utilization, staffing, and other data from first episode psychosis programs across Massachusetts to set a sustainable team-based rate (both monthly and encounter rates across different program sizes/types) for coordinated specialty care.

Click here to view a fact sheet describing recent updates to billing for CSC in Massachusetts.

Our Speakers

Brenda Jackson specializes in policy, program design and implementation and regulatory analysis for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) with a focus on delivery system innovation, value-based purchasing (VBP), behavioral health system redesigns and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) policy compliance. Brenda worked on behavioral health, home and community-based services (HCBS) and managed care policy when she was employed by CMS, the State of Kansas, and Deloitte & Touche Management Consulting. While employed by CMS, Brenda was the Iowa State Representative and reviewed all Iowa waivers and amendments as well as reviewing all managed care authorities and contracts for Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska. Brenda has been in this field since 1993. Brenda is the parent and guardian of a 23-year-old son on the KanCare I/DD waiver.

Joshua Cranston is a Consultant for TriWest and is based in St. Louis. He is primarily responsible for project management, including on rate setting projects for coordinated specialty care for first episode psychosis programs across the nation and on projects for institutes/foundations, state-level agencies, and community health centers. He also assists with editing, preparing documents and reports, and providing research help.