Date: April 14, 2026
Attention: Mental Health Targeted Case Management and Mental Health Rehabilitation Providers
Call to action: The purpose of this communication is to remind providers of the training requirements for each of the following services.
- Assessment and Services (ANSA & CANS)
- Mental Health Rehabilitation (MHR), Mental Health Targeted Case Management (MHTCM) Assessment and Services
- Assessment and Services (Texas Resilience and Recovery)
1.Training and certification requirements for CANS and ANSA
Texas Children’s Health Plan (TCHP) requires the following:
- Providers delivering services to children must be trained and certified in the use of the CANS
assessment.
- Providers delivering services to adults must be trained and certified in the use of the ANSA
assessment.
- All personnel performing or supervising assessments must complete training prior to service
delivery.
Providers (including local mental health authorities and non-local mental health authorities) delivering services to children must be trained in using the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment, and providers delivering services to adults must be trained in the Adult Needs and Strengths (ANSA) assessment before delivering services, with the exception of training for the wraparound planning process.
All clinical and supervisory staff must receive training and certification on the CANS and ANSA from Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management (TCOM) Training – Praed Foundation.
Source: https://www.hhs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/documents/laws-regulations/handbooks/umcm/15-3.pdf
Previously published TCHP provider alerts:
MONITORING COMPLIANCE
TCHP monitors and documents compliance through one or more of the following evidence types:
- Provider attestation (annual). Click here for the attestation.
- Certificates of education completion.
- Audits and Quality oversight activities
- Corrective action when deficiencies are identified
Noncompliance may result in education, progressive corrective action, and/or contractual remedies consistent with TCHP contracting and compliance processes.
2.Training and certification requirements for Mental Health Rehabilitation (MHR), Mental Health Targeted Case Management (MHTCM) Assessment and Services
Texas Children’s Health Plan requires the following:
- Ongoing training for contracted providers to ensure compliance
with Covered Services requirements and to support the accurate provision and coordination of Mental Health Rehabilitation Services.
- Training places specific emphasis on behavioral health services, including MHR and the availability of Mental Health Targeted Case Management (MHTCM) for eligible Members.
- Provider training is designed to promote quality, access, and regulatory compliance across all applicable Medicaid programs.
This applies to all contracted providers and provider personnel who are:
- Providers rendering Mental Health Rehabilitation Services
- Providers conducting behavioral health assessments
- Providers involved in care coordination, referral management, and case management activities
- Providers serving Members enrolled in STAR, STAR Kids, and STAR Health programs
TCHP provider training includes, at a minimum, the following components:
Covered Behavioral Health Services
- Overview of Mental Health Rehabilitation Services and allowable activities
- Eligibility criteria and service limitations
- Applicable benefit plans by Medicaid program
Training Delivery
TCHP conducts provider training through one or more of the following methods:
- Initial onboarding training for newly contracted providers
- Ongoing refresher training and updates
- Provider manuals, bulletins, and policy updates
- Web‑based or live educational sessions coordinated by Provider Relations and Behavioral Health teams
MONITORING, EVIDENCE, AND COMPLIANCE
TCHP monitors provider compliance with training requirements through:
- Routine oversight and provider engagement activities
- Review of documentation and service delivery practices Audit, quality improvement, and compliance monitoring processes
3. Assessment and Services (Texas Resilience and Recovery)
Texas Children’s Health Plan’s (TCHP) requires the following for provider training and compliance related
to the delivery of Mental Health Rehabilitative (MHR) Services and Mental Health Targeted Case Management (MHTCM), in accordance with Uniform Managed Care Manual (UMCM) requirements and the Texas Resilience and Recovery (TRR) Utilization Management Guidelines.
Source:UMCM 15.3 Mental Health Targeted Case Management and Mental Health Rehabilitative Services Training Requirements
This applies to all contracted providers and provider personnel who:
- Deliver Mental Health Rehabilitative (MHR) Services
- Deliver Mental Health Targeted Case Management (MHTCM)
- Conduct assessments or develop service plans subject to TRR guidelines
- Supervise clinicians delivering MHR or MHTCM services
TCHP requires the following:
- Providers must complete all training requirements applicable to MHR and MHTCM services
prior to delivering services.
- Providers must demonstrate working knowledge of and adherence to the Texas Resilience and
Recovery (TRR) Utilization Management Guidelines.
- Service delivery, treatment planning, and continued stay decisions must align with TRR criteria.
- All provider personnel delivering or supervising MHR or MHTCM services must meet training
requirements applicable to the population served.
MONITORING, EVIDENCE, AND COMPLIANCE
- Provider attestation (annual)
- Review of documentation and service patterns
- Quality management and utilization review activities
- Corrective action when deficiencies are identified
Noncompliance may result in education, progressive corrective action, and/or contractual remedies
consistent with TCHP contracting and compliance processes.
Next step for Providers: Providers should follow the guidance in this document including completion of the attestation requirement, and share the communication with their staff.
If you have any questions, please email Provider Relations at providerrelations@texaschildrens.org.
For access to all provider alerts www.texaschildrenshealthplan.org/provideralerts.
