The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) is announcing updates to the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Behavioral Health Services provider manual. The updates are described below and will be effective beginning Feb. 1, 2023.  

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) qualifications will be updated to align with their scope of practice and will be moved to the Non-Physician Practitioners classification.
• Licensed Professional Counselor Associates, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associates, and Post Doctorate Psychologists will be recognized as Allied Professionals.
• Certified Nurse Midwife will no longer be included as an eligible behavioral health service provider. This change is specific to the procedures outlined in the FQHC behavioral health provider manual and does not affect other services provided through an FQHC.
• The referral criteria will be updated by adding state agencies, local education agencies, and eligible Medicaid members as referral sources.
• The term “evidence-based practices” has been added to the Program Overview section along with an explanation of the term. The use of evidence-based practices is encouraged by SCDHHS, and this change will make this language consistent with the agency’s other behavioral health provider manuals.
• The use of the Medical Necessity Statement (MNS) will no longer be required. Medical necessity will be confirmed in diagnostic assessments and other medical service notes.

Updated policy language will be available in the FQHC Behavioral Health Services provider manual on the agency’s website by Feb. 1, 2023. 

Please direct any questions or concerns regarding these updates to the SCDHHS Division of Behavioral Health at (803) 898-1891 or behavioralhealth004@scdhhs.gov. 

Thank you for your continued support of the South Carolina Healthy Connections Medicaid Program.

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