Core Service Agency

The Washington County Mental Health Authority (WCMHA) is a quasi-public agency which functions as the Core Service Agency (CSA) for Washington County. The law defines a CSA as the designated county authority that is responsible for planning, developing, managing and monitoring publicly funded mental health services. This concept for local management allows for services to be developed to meet the needs of the local community through the PMHS.

The Public Mental Health System (PMHS) serves individuals with serious and persistent mental illnesses who receive Medical Assistance or who are uninsured or underinsured. If the individual receives Medical Assistance as the primary insurance, he/she would access services in the PMHS when his/her need for treatment and/or rehabilitation services exceeds the ability of the primary care physician to provide. If the individual is uninsured, indigent, and suffers from a serious and persistent mental illness, he/she may be able to access services in the PMHS as a "gray zone" consumer, but would have to meet income limits established by the state’s sliding scale fee and would have to pay a co-pay for most services.

In July 1997 the PMHS began operating in a managed care environment. This means that services funded by the PMHS now must be pre-authorized and that services requested must meet the Medical Necessity Criteria established by the State Mental Hygiene Administration. Maryland Health Partners (MHP) was selected to help the State administer the PMHS. The main function of MHP is to pre-authorize services using the Medical Necessity Criteria, refer consumers eligible for services to approved providers, and pay claims submitted by providers.  In October of  2004 APS began providing these services for the State Mental Hygiene Administration.  In September, 2009 ValueOptions began providing these services.

Services Provided in Washington County  Public Mental Health System
(Fee For Service)