A series of online courses is being offered to help behavioral health providers prepare their organizations to expand in 2014, as part of the Affordable Care Act.

An additional 30 million people will be eligible for coverage, including mental health and addiction treatment. The courses, BHbusiness: Mastering Essential Business Operations, are designed to help providers ensure they have the business operation skills to expand capacity, while remaining profitable.

The courses focus on five core competencies: strategic business planning, third-party billing and compliance, eligibility and enrollment, third-party contract negotiation, and meaningful use of healthcare technology. The program also includes live coaching, peer networking, and access to a library of resources. It is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and provided to participants at no cost.

Providers are grouped into learning networks, with a dedicated coach and access to follow the online curriculum at their own pace. The program is designed for behavioral health treatment providers, peer recovery support organizations, Access to Recovery providers, and providers involved in the SAMHSA-funded National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health. Special emphasis will be placed on providers that have limited business capacity to serve Medicaid and Medicaid expansion populations.

Applications are available online at http://bhbusiness.org/application.