The Behavioral Health Safety Net (BHSN) is a service provided through the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS). It boasts a provider network throughout West, Middle, and East Tennessee with over 130 office locations statewide for adults and children and provides core behavioral health services to Tennesseans who lack insurance coverage. While this program is not considered insurance and services provided are limited to outpatient settings, it provides for assessment and evaluation, case management, medication management, and many additional amenities. This service is conducted through contracts and agreements with state-wide community mental health agencies. The BHSN serves both children and adults in Tennessee; however, services and eligibility requirements under each umbrella vary.
BHSN for Children provides vital mental and behavioral health services to children, ages 3 to 17, who may be uninsured or underinsured. Depending on need and eligibility, services may include: assessment and evaluation; individual, family, and group therapy; medication management; pharmacy coordination; case management; and transportation assistance. Basic eligibility for children enrolled in this service include documentation of Tennessee residency, the aforementioned age parameters, and the presence of a qualifying mental health diagnosis. Additionally, there are a number of health insurance components related to eligibility. As mentioned, this program is tailored toward children who may be uninsured or underinsured; this can include those denied coverage via TennCare, those with private insurance with no behavioral health coverage, or those whose private insurance has limited or exhausted behavioral health coverage. A unique component of this program for children is the absence of income guidelines.
Additional eligibility requirements provide the child may not be in state custody and may not currently be placed in a long-term residential facility. There are currently 130 physical office locations within the BHSN for Children’s network.
For Tennessee adults, the BHSN provides essential mental health care to those who lack coverage for mental and behavioral health needs. Similar to the BHSN for Children, the BHSN for Adults requires a primary qualifying mental health diagnosis for enrollment. Provisions also include that the recipient of services must be a Tennessee resident over the age of 18 with no other behavioral health coverage. Further, and unlike the children’s program, which lacked income guidelines, the BHSN for Adults requires an income level at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Line.
Services for adults covered by the BHSN can also vary from those provided for children and include: assessment and evaluation; case management; psychiatric medication management; psychosocial rehabilitation services; and therapeutic interventions. Under this provision, inpatient care is not covered, and services are community based.
According to the TDMHSAS Fast Facts portal, the BHSN served 35,460 adults during the 2022 fiscal year, with approximately 43.87% of those served residing in Knox, Davidson, Shelby, Hamilton, Rutherford, Blout, and Sullivan counties. There are 145 physical office locations throughout West, Middle, and East Tennessee to serve adults in the BHSN.
For additional information, to determine eligibility, or to apply for these services, please consult the TDMHSAS BHSN website. Referrals through VBHCS may also be made by calling the first-time appointment line at 1-877-567-6051. If requested, one of our outreach coordinators can assist in arranging a three-way call.