A Special Needs CHHA is a Certified Home Health Agency that has been approved by the Department of Health to serve an identified specific targeted population or identified special needs population.

1. Populations eligible for services from the Office of Mental Health (OMH) or Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD): The Special Needs Certified Home Health Agency provides services to a population of patients in their homes who would otherwise require care in a facility or program licensed by either OMH or OPWDD.
2. Pilot Program Home Health Agencies: Ten such agencies are permitted under regulations to provide services to a particular population group and that population group's identified special needs. During the application process, these agencies demonstrated that they were better able than other certified home health agencies to meet the special needs of the defined population group in the areas of improved continuity of care, access to services, cost effectiveness and efficiency.

Serving both long and short-term patients means a home health agency that is also providing services to patients enrolled in the Long Term Home Health Program. These are patients who would otherwise be treated in a nursing home or institution. Patients cannot independently choose to join these programs but must be enrolled in these programs, usually by the local Department of Social Services. Because these patients are different from traditional home care patients, the quality measures reported for these agencies may not be directly comparable to other agencies and may not reflect the actual quality of care and services.