The Garrett Lee Smith Youth Suicide Prevention Grant team is pleased to announce a free virtual suicide prevention training series, which will begin next Tuesday, April 6, 2021. This is a repeated series with the same offerings from the spring and fall of 2020. Additional information and registration can be accessed by visiting this web page.
See the flyer for series details. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Policy Director Jim Sharp.
OMHSAS has released the following bulletin that applies to providers of Community Residential Rehabilitation (CRR) services that provide behavioral health treatment services in host homes to children and youth under 18 years of age in the Medical Assistance (MA), Fee-For-Service (FFS), and managed care delivery systems.
On October 19, 2019, the Department promulgated 55 Pa. Code Chapters 1155 and 5240, which codified the minimum standards for licensing and MA payment conditions for agencies that deliver Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) to children, youth, and young adults under 21 years of age with mental, emotional and behavioral health needs.
The regulations replaced the requirements for Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS) previously set forth in bulletins issued by the Department. Because IBHS replaced BHRS, BHRS will not be compensable after January 17, 2021.
Specialized behavioral health treatment provided in the CRR host home setting is not considered IBHS. Because the behavioral health treatment component provided in a CRR host home setting cannot be provided through IBHS, the Department is issuing procedures for how CRR providers who provide services in a host home setting can continue to provide specialized behavioral health treatment.
Please review OMHSAS 21-04 Home Host Treatment Bulletin for guidance. There are procedural steps for existing and new providers that should be followed in accordance with this bulletin as well as identified code procedures.
There are also addition attachments related to the bulletin:
If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Policy Director Jim Sharp.
Following the promulgation of the Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) regulations, Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS) will no longer be available after January 17, 2021. See OMHSAS Bulletin 21-01 for a list of bulletins that will become obsolete on January 18, 2021.
OMHSAS will be hosting a webinar on May 11, 2021 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm to provide Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) updates. This webinar will provide a brief summary of the transition from BHRS to IBHS throughout 2020, as well as current tips, policy, and process. Anyone is welcome to attend. If you have a specific question, please familiarize yourself with the resources, frequently asked questions, and presentations already listed on the IBHS website. The webinar details will be sent out shortly.
In addition, the IBHS email is always available for questions and suggested webinar topics. If you have questions or thoughts, please contact RCPA Children’s Policy Director Jim Sharp.
This three–hour virtual training is approved by the Departments of Human Services, Education, and State and meets all requirements for training on recognizing and reporting child abuse (to include Act 126 for school employees). It is also approved for continuing education credits under Act 31 (Department of State for health–related licenses) and Act 48 (Department of Education for teachers) at no cost. PFSA will submit your training verification to the Department of State or Education as appropriate on your behalf (details provided during training).
Each person must log in through separate devices, using the unique access link emailed to them after registration to receive credit. Please register for your preferred training date and time by clicking one of the session links below. For questions, or to schedule a session specifically for your organization, please email PFSA.
April 2021
Thurs. April 1st 9am-12pm Fri. April 16th 9am-12pm
Thurs. April 1st 1-4pm Sat. April 17th 9am-12pm
Mon. April 5th 1-4pm Mon. April 19th 1-4pm
Tues. April 6th 9am-12pm Tues. April 20th 9am-12pm
Tues. April 6th 1-4pm Tues. April 20th 1-4pm
Wed. April 7th 9am-12pm Wed. April 21st 9am-12pm
Wed. April 7th 1-4pm Wed. April 21st 1-4pm
Wed. April 7th 6pm-9pm Thurs. April 22nd 1-4pm
Thurs. April 8th 9am-12pm Fri. April 23rd 9am-12pm
Thurs. April 8th 1-4pm Mon. April 26th 9am-12pm
Fri. April 9th 9am-12pm Tues. April 27th 9am-12pm
Mon. April 12th 1-4pm Tues. April 27th 1-4pm
Tues. April 13th 9am-12pm Tues. April 27th 6pm-9pm
Tues. April 13th 1-4pm Wed. April 28th 9am-12pm
Wed. April 14th 9am-12pm Wed. April 28th 1-4pm
Wed. April 14th 1-4pm Thurs. April 29th 9am-12pm
If you have any questions, please contact Jim Sharp at RCPA.
As organizations continue the practice of telehealth, outcomes continue to support telehealth utilization and expansion, as well as the development of resources and guidance. In the coming weeks, RCPA will release the results of its recent telehealth member survey as a follow up to the original RCPA Telehealth Survey Overview in 2020. This updated initiative, in partner with Woods Services, takes a deeper look into the intersects of service delivery, funding, and satisfaction metrics. This new RCPA Telehealth overview will be available the week of March 29, 2021.
The Department of Health and Human Services recently shared a new best practice guide on telehealth for behavioral health care. Behavioral health – like other areas of health care – has changed significantly due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. It is now easier for mental health providers to offer and be reimbursed for telebehavioral health services. Telehealth can also make behavioral health services safer, more private, and convenient for patients who can access care from their home. Find resources in the telebehavioral health best practice guide on getting started, developing a strategy, billing, preparing patients, and more.
Additionally, in response to the increased use and expanded coverage of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, CMS’s From Coverage to Care (C2C) released two new resources to support providers and patients in making the most of virtual care:
Providers and partners can download graphics to post on their social media channels and help spread the word about these new resources. All of these resources can be downloaded at go.cms.gov/c2ctelehealth.
If you have feedback or questions regarding your organization and telehealth, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
The Office of Children Youth & Families (OCYF) has provided an update regarding providers’ renewal application(s) for a Certificate of Compliance. Licensing Administration continues to work diligently to process the renewal applications as quickly as possible. However, given OCYF’s limitations in working remotely and a temporary reduction in staff, they cannot meet past commitments to issue a renewal Certificate of Compliance within 5 days of receipt of application. Until staffing is restored, the new goal is to have agencies’ renewed Certificate of Compliance emailed to the provider prior to the expiration date of your current Certificate of Compliance.
To minimize phone calls and emails concerning the anticipated date of the renewal issuance, as the provider Certificate of Compliance is completed, it will email it to you. OCYF is currently processing March expiration dates and have not finished them yet. Please wait until April to inquire about a March expiration date.
Beginning in April, you should inquire about your certificate’s status only if your Non-Provisional Certificate of Compliance has expired or will expire within a week, and you did not receive the renewed Certificate of Compliance in your email. Be sure to check your Spam/Junk folder as some OCYF emails have been found in them. A Non-Provisional Certificate of Compliance is a Certificate number that ends with a zero (i.e., 123450).
OCYF acknowledges there is a deadline to return the renewal application found on the renewal application packet coversheet, HS1230. However, given the mail delays during the pandemic and the backlog in issuing the renewal licenses, that deadline is not crucial. Provided OCYF has the application prior to the expiration date of your agencies’ Certificate of Compliance, OCYF can process it before it expires. It is not necessary to call or email to request an extension or notify OCYF that it will be late.
The Bureau of Equal Opportunity has requested that during the pandemic, the Civil Rights Compliance Questionnaires be emailed to their offices as staff are working remotely. Again, there is no need to call or email to request an extension or notify them that the Questionnaire will be late. The email addresses are:
A Provisional Certificate of Compliance (ending in a 1, 2, 3, or 4) is never automatically renewed with receipt of the renewal application. The region determines when the Certificate is ready to be renewed. If you have further questions, please contact RCPA Children’s Policy Director Jim Sharp.
Please see this Questions & Answers document from the last OMHSAS Provider/Advocate Webinar that was held on Tuesday, 2/16/21 at 3:00 pm.
The next OMHSAS Provider/Advocate webinar will be held on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 3:00 pm EDT. Register here to participate. If you have any questions, please contact your RCPA policy director.
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