Last year, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced the launch of the Michigan Medicaid “Mental Health Framework,” a new initiative to improve access to and the coordination of mental health care for Medicaid members in the state.
As part of the Mental Health Framework initiative, behavioral health providers contracted with Medicaid are required to complete assessment training for the Michigan Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (MichiCANS) Screener and the Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS) as soon as possible.
How do behavioral health providers complete these trainings?
- MichiCANS Screener:The MichiCANS Screener training includes two live training sessions: the Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management (TCOM) training and the MichiCANS Overview training, both of which are required and must be completed in that order. Behavioral health providers should use these instructions to register for the MichiCANS training.
- LOCUS:The LOCUS training is an online, self-paced training. Behavioral health providers can utilize these instructions to register for the LOCUS training. Please review these technical specifications prior to setting up an account and to troubleshoot issues.
Both trainings are free and are eligible for CME/CEU credit.
What’s changing for behavioral health providers?
As part of the Mental Health Framework, all qualified behavioral health providers participating in Michigan’s Medicaid program will need to incorporate into their practice by October 1, 2026:
- Use of standardized tools for assessing the level of mental health need of Medicaid enrollees seeking mental health: The State’s designated assessment tools are the MichiCANS Screener for children and youth (under 21) and LOCUS for adults (21 and older).
- Adoption of a standardized referral process for mental health services, including use of a new referral platform accessible to mental health providers, primary care providers, Community Mental Health Services Programs (CMHSPs), Medicaid Health Plans (MHPs) and Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs).
See the MDHHS site for details.
Are there other changes coming as part of the Mental Health Framework?
Yes. Beginning in October 2026, MHPs like Priority Health will begin covering additional mental health services—including inpatient psychiatric care, crisis residential services and partial hospitalization services—for enrollees with lower levels of mental health need.Providers of these services will need to begin contracting with MHPs if they aren’t already. See this MDHHS bulletin for more details.
Questions?
After reviewing the MDHHS site and bulletin linked above, any questions or comments should be directed to MDHHS-MentalHlthFramework@michigan.gov.