Sixteen New York City community based behavioral care organizations—each a leader and innovator in providing care to underserved, low-income New Yorkers—partnered to form the CBC Independent Practice Association (IPA). As of 2020, the CBC IPA Network includes over 50 health and human services organizations serving diverse communities throughout New York City. The CBC IPA Network connects and coordinates agencies, programs  and services ranging from behavioral health and primary care to housing and employment to address individuals’ treatment and recovery needs and supporting health equity across NYC.

The CBC IPA

The CBC IPA offers a comprehensive health care network to New Yorkers with serious behavioral health disorders and/or complex medical needs.

It brings together primary health, behavioral health, care coordination, recovery, supportive housing and social service interventions in all five boroughs. The CBC IPA connects individuals in the community using a variety of evidence based care transition and crisis service models, which fill identified, critical service gaps.

 

IPA Strategy

The CBC IPA was created with the goal of improving the quality of behavioral health care, reducing the incidence of crises resulting in avoidable use of inpatient and emergency services, and generating net savings to health care payers. The IPA Network knits together and closes gaps in existing community services, while holistically addressing social determinants of health.

With care coordination and an integrated network, the IPA focuses on:

  • Improving quality of life by coordinating evidence-informed clinical treatment;
  • Connecting members to proven recovery services; and
  • Assisting with concrete needs like housing, health insurance, social isolation, and food security.

 

IPA Milestones

CBC’s IPA is in the process of becoming a fully clinically integrated network, with a vision that includes achieving the following milestones:

  • Ensuring timely access to an integrated community system of care that supports recovery;
  • Offering safe and less costly community alternatives for urgent and crisis care than what is currently available to Medicaid beneficiaries at hospital emergency rooms and inpatient services; and
  • Enabling providers that work together to be reimbursed for care based on improved outcomes and not just volume of services.
Why an IPA?

An IPA allows a group of organizations to affiliate for the purpose of:

Improving quality and efficiency through clinically and financially integrating service delivery across the network
Contracting with managed care organizations and other groups on behalf of the network
Reducing overhead and administrative costs through centralizing certain functions