Socially Necessary Services

The Bureau for Social Services (BSS) of the West Virginia Department of Human Services (WV DoHS), Aetna Better Health of WV, and Acentra Health coordinate a system to authorize services in child welfare cases called the Socially Necessary Services Program.

Socially necessary services improve relationships and social functioning, with the goal of preserving the individual's tenure in the community or the integrity of the family or social system. Socially necessary services are interventions designed to maintain or establish safety, permanency, and well-being for the BSS populations of focus, including child protective and youth services.

Socially Necessary Services - Provider Enrollment Registration

Providers must be enrolled with the Bureau for Social Services (BSS) to provide socially necessary services (SNS) and those out-of-state providers with contracts with BSS are required to submit data to Acentra Health to receive prior authorization for services. Before providers can submit data via the Atrezzo website, providers must register with Acentra Health. To register, contact WV_BH_SNS@acentra.com or call Acentra Health at 304-343-9663 or Toll Free 800-461-9371

Upcoming Family Informational Sessions on Expense Reimbursement

Register for the informational session you would like to attend by clicking on the link below:

SNS Provider Atrezzo Training Materials on New PATH Numbers

Three training sessions took place in May 2025.  Below are the resources shared:

Recent Family Informational Session on Effective Family Services -- Recording and Slides Available

The Bureau for Behavioral Health and Bureau for Social Services collaborated with Acentra Health in May 2025 on informational sessions for foster, adoptive, and kinship families on “Choosing Effective Services: Examples of proven programs and ways to explore the evidence behind services.”  Below are links to the recording and slides:

Family Informational Session on Home Study Resources -- Recording and Slides Available

Acentra Health hosted a virtual, 30-minute informational session for kinship, foster, and adoptive families about “Helpful Resources for Home Studies” on March 3, at 10 a.m., and repeated on March 4, at 6 p.m.  Representatives from Bureau for Social Services Home Finding and Mission West Virginia shared resources during the session.  Find links to the recording and presenter materials below:

Family Informational Session on Expense Reimbursement -- Recording and Presenter Materials Available

Acentra Health hosted a virtual informational session for kinship, foster, and adoptive families about “Expense Reimbursement, Transportation, and Related Supports” in November 2024. Representatives from Aetna and Modivcare also shared resources during the session.  The presenters' slides are below: