Building practical skills for everyday life.
Sometimes understanding your mental health in therapy is only part of the work. You may also need help putting new skills into practice in your everyday life.
Community Based Rehabilitation Services, commonly called CBRS or Skills Building, provide practical, one-on-one support for people whose mental health symptoms make everyday activities more difficult.
At Calm Waters Counseling, CBRS specialists work with eligible clients in the home and community to build skills, increase independence, and make progress toward goals established as part of their mental health treatment.
What Is CBRS?
Mental health support that happens in everyday life.
CBRS is different from traditional counseling. While therapy may help you understand depression, anxiety, trauma, or other mental health concerns, CBRS focuses on practicing the skills needed to manage those challenges in daily life.
A CBRS specialist may help you work toward goals like building routines, leaving the house, completing everyday tasks, or becoming more involved in your community. Progress can happen gradually, based on what feels manageable for you.
The goal is to improve everyday functioning, build confidence, and support greater independence.
CBRS may help you build skills for:
- Managing depression, anxiety, stress, and difficult emotions
- Creating healthier routines and habits
- Improving communication and social skills
- Increasing independence and managing daily responsibilities
- Problem solving and working toward personal goals
- Becoming more involved in your community
- Practicing coping skills learned in counseling
The focus is not simply on talking about what is difficult.
CBRS is about doing, practicing, and building skills in the situations where you actually need them.
What Does CBRS Look Like?
CBRS services are based on your mental health needs and treatment goals. Your CBRS specialist may work with you on things such as:
Creating a Daily Routine
Mental health symptoms can make everyday tasks feel difficult. Your specialist can help you establish routines and break larger responsibilities into manageable steps.
Managing Anxiety
If anxiety is keeping you from leaving home, attending appointments, communicating with others, or participating in the community, you may practice strategies for gradually managing those situations.
Building Coping Skills
You can practice techniques for responding to stress, frustration, difficult emotions, or mental health symptoms when they occur in everyday life.
Improving Communication
CBRS can help you practice healthy communication, boundaries, social skills, and ways to navigate difficult interactions.
Increasing Independence
Your goals may include becoming more comfortable completing everyday responsibilities, navigating the community, or managing activities on your own.
Putting Therapy Into Practice
A counselor may help you identify strategies during therapy. CBRS provides another opportunity to practice and reinforce those skills between counseling sessions.
CBRS and Counseling Work Together
CBRS supports the goals established in counseling by helping you practice functional skills in everyday life. While your therapist focuses on mental health treatment, your CBRS specialist helps you apply those goals outside of therapy. At Calm Waters, both services can work together as part of a broader treatment plan.
For Example:
In counseling:
You and your therapist may identify that depression and isolation are affecting your ability to leave the house.
Through CBRS:
You may begin practicing small, achievable steps that help you gradually become more active and independent.
CBRS at a Glance
What’s the Difference?
CBRS builds skills. Case management connects you with resources.
Who Provides CBRS?
CBRS is provided by qualified paraprofessionals working under clinical supervision. They support the goals in your treatment plan but do not replace your licensed mental health counselor.
Who Is It For?
CBRS may help when mental health symptoms make everyday tasks, routines, relationships, coping, or independence more difficult. Our team can help determine whether it may be appropriate for you.
Medicaid & CBRS Services
CBRS may be available to eligible Idaho Medicaid clients.
Skills Building / Community Based Rehabilitation Services are included within Idaho’s behavioral health system for qualifying Medicaid members.
Eligibility is based on clinical need and current program requirements. Coverage, authorization requirements, and available services can vary depending on your circumstances.
Our office can help you understand whether CBRS may be available to you and what steps are necessary to begin services.
Frequently Asked Questions About CBRS
No. Therapy is provided by a licensed mental health professional and focuses on mental health treatment. CBRS focuses on practicing functional and everyday living skills related to your treatment goals. The two services can work together.
CBRS is designed as a home- and community-based service. Where you meet with your CBRS specialist will depend on your needs, goals, treatment plan, and program requirements.
A CBRS specialist helps you learn and practice practical skills related to your mental health treatment. This can include coping skills, communication, routines, social interaction, problem solving, and daily functioning.
CBRS may help clients whose depression, anxiety, or other mental health symptoms interfere with daily functioning. Your treatment team can determine whether the service is appropriate for your individual needs.
CBRS is a covered behavioral health service for eligible Idaho Medicaid members. Eligibility and authorization requirements depend on your individual circumstances and current Idaho Behavioral Health Plan requirements.
CBRS is connected to an individual’s behavioral health treatment plan and requires appropriate clinical involvement. Calm Waters can help determine what services and assessments are needed before CBRS begins.
No. CBRS primarily focuses on building skills, while case management primarily focuses on connecting you with resources and services. Some clients may benefit from both.
Could CBRS Help You or Someone You Care About?
If mental health symptoms are making everyday activities difficult, talk with Calm Waters about whether Community Based Rehabilitation Services may be an option. Our office can help you understand the service, determine eligibility, and identify the next steps.
