About the HCBS-AMH Program
The Home and Community-Based Services - Adult Mental Health (HCBS-AMH) program is operated by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services to provide support for people who have a history of serious behavioral and mental health issues. HCBS-AMH differs from other programs in that it is focused on supporting individual patient needs and providing a long-term path to recovery from mental illness. Participants in HCBS-AMH are encouraged to become independent and active members in their communities.
Amber Lantern is an official housing provider for the HCBS-AMH program in San Antonio and Bexar County.
Benefits of HCBS-AMH
HCBS-AMH is all about providing participants with the opportunity to grow their independence. By making important decisions about their own living situation, and treatment plan, HCBS-AMH patients are able to develop a sense of autonomy and investment in their own recovery that may not be available through other programs. They get to choose where they live, which services they receive, and what they do with their own free time.
While receiving treatment many HCBS-AMH participants take on jobs, volunteer, spend time with family, or continue their educations. All of these activities help to connect them to their communities and eventually transition to a normal life after the recovery.
HCBS-AMH Supported Services
Participants have access to a long list of services to assist in their recovery and development of an independent life. A few highlights include:
Residential support services
Mental health services
Employment services
Nursing services
Peer support
Adaptive aids
Short-term respite care
Substance use services
HCBS-AMH Eligibility Requirements
Diagnosis of serious mental illness
Age 18 or older
Income below 150 percent of the federal poverty level
Able to live in a community with program services
Actively receiving Medicaid or are Medicaid-eligible if discharged from a state hospital
HCBS-AMH Eligibility Groups
In addition to the general requirements above participants in the HCBS-AMH program must fit in one of the following classifications. In some cases eligibility may be achieved through a mix of these requirements.
Long-term psychiatric hospitalization
Three or more cumulative or consecutive years spent in an inpatient psychiatric hospital during the five years before the referral.
Jail diversion
Four arrests and two psychiatric crises during the three years before the referral.
Emergency room diversion
15 or more emergency room visits for any reason and two psychiatric crises during the three years before the referral.