2022 ANCOR Annual Conference “ELEVATE” Early Bird Registration Ends February 25
Home Featured
Featured posts
DDAP Modifies ASAM Transition Web Page and Archives Addendums
DDAP Modifies ASAM Transition Web Page, Archives Addendums That Outlined IOP Ratio and Daily Therapeutic Hour “Expectations”
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) has overhauled its ASAM Transition web page, removing previous references to “expectations for contractual compliance” in areas of ASAM Criteria where DDAP originally went beyond the Criteria as explicitly written. Newly revised information, including an updated “Guidance for the Application of The American Society of Addiction Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2013 in the Pennsylvania Substance Use Disorder Treatment System for Adults” and “ASAM Frequently Asked Questions” document, references the 1:15 intensive outpatient (IOP) counselor-to-patient ratio and the six to eight daily therapeutic hours at residential level of care as a DDAP “recommendation.”
The change is significant because, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuses Services (OMHSAS), per its HealthChoices Behavioral Health Program Standards and Requirements for Primary Contractors document, “the Primary Contractor and its BHMCO must ensure that the SUD providers in the network comply with program standards in the ASAM Criteria, included but not limited to admission criteria, discharge criteria, interventions/types of services, hours of clinical care, and credentials of staff as set forth in the ASAM transition requirements found at https://www.ddap.pa.gov/Professionals/Pages/ASAM-Transition.aspx.” In other words, providers were expected to be in compliance with any information published as an expectation on that page.
For months following DDAP’s testimony in Commonwealth Court that the IOP and daily therapeutic overreaches were simply “guidelines,” the provider community remained unclear on whether they would be required to comply with the “guidelines” as part of their contracts with the BHMCOs. Still, providers have not yet seen the evaluation tool that will be used to audit their compliance with ASAM Criteria despite DDAP’s expectation that they be “substantially aligned” with those Criteria by Jan. 1, 2022.
PDE/DHS/OCDEL Policy Clarification on HHS Head Start Vaccine Mandate
PDE and DHS are offering the following policy clarification on the Head Start/Early Head Start vaccination mandate:
PDE and DHS are cognizant of the staffing challenges that many providers are facing. Providers are thus encouraged to work creatively to ensure that children continue to receive a free and appropriate public education during these trying times. In this regard, providers should examine whether unvaccinated individuals may continue to provide services in accordance with an allowable exemption, and, where appropriate, consider whether parental agreement to alternative delivery of services may be prudent.
OCDEL has clarified that this is to include all individuals working with Head Start enrolled children and families, including early intervention and behavioral health. OCDEL further requests that agencies work with Head Start partners to address this requirement and asks for support considerations, including; encouraging staff and contractors to become fully vaccinated; working to identify fully vaccinated EI personnel to support children in Head Start; when possible, working to provide written assurance to Head Start partners to only send fully vaccinated staff and contractors to go into classrooms; and exploring technological solutions to help support children within their Head Start classroom activities and routines.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has implemented an Interim Final Rule (IFR) requiring all staff who work with Head Start/Early Head Start (Head Start) children and families in any capacity to be vaccinated. According to HHS guidance, this includes those individuals who do not have any contact with children. The IFR also requires contractors whose activities involve contact with or providing direct services to Head Start children and families and volunteers in classrooms or working directly with Head Start children and families be vaccinated. The IFR is now understood to apply to all individuals working with Head Start children and families, including but not limited to services provided by Preschool Early Intervention, 0-3 Early Intervention, and behavioral health specialists in Head Start programs, including those provided pursuant to a memorandum of understanding or other agreement by which Head Start programs provide for or permit the provision of such services.
The Federal Office of Head Start (OHS) is responsible for ensuring compliance with the IFR through their identified monitoring processes. PDE or DHS is not responsible for monitoring programs for compliance with this mandate.
Head Start IFR and guidance do allow for exemptions for individuals who are not vaccinated. In the event individuals meet this exemption, OHS has issued guidance regarding circumstances in which unvaccinated individuals may be able to continue to work with Head Start children and their families.
A More Perfect Union – Chapter One: Black City. White Paper.
ODP Now Scheduling One-on-One IM Virtual Office Hours for AAW and ACAP Providers
Adult Autism Waiver (AAW) and Adult Community Autism Program (ACAP) providers are invited to sign up for a scheduled one-on-one VOH session to discuss incident management topics with the Office of Developmental Programs’ (ODP) Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations (BSASP).
Providers may sign up for one 30-minute session, and multiple staff from the provider may join at the provider’s discretion. Topics for discussion may include: provider-specific IM issues or concerns; EIM reports; general questions about certified investigations; brainstorming ideas of how to improve “performance” related IM tasks; review of provider IM data and compliance; discussion of provider trends; etc.
Due to the positive feedback received from attendees of our previous sessions, ODP will be offering additional 30-minute sessions on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sessions begin Wednesday, March 9, 2022, with the first scheduled session beginning at 12:30 pm.
Register here. Be sure to complete all required information to reserve a time slot.
Please contact the Provider Support Mailbox with questions.
The Great Resignation — RCPA Member Webinar on March 14, 2022
Wolf Budget Proposal Spurs Debate on MH Funding — Coalition for the MH Safety Net’s Letter Referenced
Capitolwire: Wolf Budget Proposal Spurs Debate on Mental Health Funding
By Robert Swift
HARRISBURG (Feb. 14) — A budget proposal by Gov. Tom Wolf is spurring a new debate about providing more state mental health services during this time of pandemic-related stress.
The governor proposes spending $36.6 million from the taxpayer-supported General Fund in Fiscal Year 2022-23 to restore much of a decade-old cut in state aid to county-run mental health programs.
He would also direct $75 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds for support payments to help keep and hire new employees for qualifying home and community service providers.
A 21-member Mental Health Safety Net Coalition sent a letter Monday to lawmakers asking them to consider the proposed $36.6 million increase as a starting point in budget negotiations.
“The governor’s proposed increase will help offset the loss in purchasing power due to a decade of level funding,” wrote the coalition that includes service providers, hospitals, treatment centers and professional groups. “This money is critical to help counties get back to the effective level of resources they had 10 years ago, but it does not even begin to address all the gaps in our mental health system or surging demand for mental health services as we enter the third year of the global pandemic.”
Not only has the pandemic increased demand for services, it has also led to significant health staff shortages and increases in suicides and opioid deaths, the coalition said.
Also the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania issued a statement Monday calling on lawmakers to support Wolf’s proposal. It would restore two-thirds of a 10 percent cut to the budget line item in 2012 if enacted.
“If the funding continues to be uneven with the growing demand, counties will continue to struggle to in meeting the needs of their residents,” said CCAP President and Bradford County Commissioner Daryl Miller.
A key feature of county mental health programs is they are available to the entire community regardless of income, said Brinda Penyak, CCAP deputy executive director.
CCAP made rebuilding a “crumbling” mental health system its top priority this year. For the past six decades, counties have carried the responsibility to provide and contract for a range of community-based mental health services, including crisis intervention, treatment, education and prevention.
“We would strongly support advance planning and (mental health funding) increases that are practical and sustainable to ensure increased system availability for the long term,” said Dr. Kathy Quick, executive director of the Pennsylvania Mental Health Consumer Association while voicing concern that the proposed funding hikes for this year can’t be sustained in the future.
The issue of pandemic-related mental health challenges facing the general population and students as well has been the subject of several legislative hearings during the past two years.
The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee held a hearing last month focusing on mental health issues facing agricultural workers. Pennsylvania has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide more resources to support mental health programs in rural areas by linking to national hotline networks and providing education and training, said state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding at that hearing.
‘I Didn’t Choose Autism. Autism Chose Me’: Allentown Mom’s New Book in Spanish Highlights Challenges Faced by Latino Parents
February 14 Marks Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Staff Education Week!
Portraits of DEI Efforts in Behavioral Health Nationwide — Free Webinar on Feb. 17
Thursday, February 17, 2022, 3:00 pm–4:30 pm EST
Hosted by the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD) and Optum
Efforts nationwide to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are critical to advancing a more just and equitable society. However, the strategies and approaches to promoting equity can be drastically different given the organizations leading these efforts as well as the regional and cultural contexts in which they occur. Please join NACBHDD and Optum as we explore DEI efforts nationwide from state, local, and corporate partners. Our expert panel will also highlight timely resources to help your organizations promote similar efforts.
Cost: FREE
Speakers include:
- Introductory remarks by Dan Ohler, Vice President, Public Sector Growth at Optum Health; Former Board Chair, NACBHDD
- Moderated by Ron Manderscheid, PhD, former President and CEO, NACBHDD; Adjunct Professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, and the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California
- Michelle Cabrera, Executive Director, County Behavioral Health Directors of California
- Gilbert Gonzalez, Director, Bexar County Department of Behavioral and Mental Health
- Graham McLaughlin, Vice President of Social Responsibility, Optum
- Debra L. Wentz, Ph.D., President and CEO, New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHAA)
- Lynda Zeller, Senior Fellow, Behavioral Health, Michigan Health Endowment Fund; former Commissioner for Behavioral Health & Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Administration, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Panel Bios
Dan Ohler
Dan has over 25 years of experience working with state and local government in the behavioral health space, including being a past President for NACBHDD. Since joining Optum in 2014, he has worked with state and county government clients in the behavioral space. Dan has a master’s degree in business administration from Xavier University and a Bachelor of Science in business administration from West Liberty State College.
Ron Manderscheid, PhD,
Ron Manderscheid, PhD, is the former Executive Director of the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors. Concurrently, he was Executive Director of the National Association for Rural Mental Health, Adjunct Professor at the Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, and Adjunct Professor, School of Social Work, University of Southern California. Dr. Manderscheid serves on the boards of the Cosmos Club, the Employee Assistance Research Foundation, the Danya Institute, the Council on Quality and Leadership, the NASMHPD Research Institute, and the National Register of Health Service Psychologists. Previously, he served as the Director of Mental Health and Substance Use Programs at the Global Health Sector of SRA International and in several federal leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Throughout his career, he has emphasized and promoted peer and family concerns. He has also authored numerous scientific and professional publications on services to persons with mental illness and substance use conditions.
Michelle Cabrera
Michelle is the Executive Director of the County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California, a statewide association representing the behavioral health directors from California’s 58 counties, in addition to the Tri-City (Pomona, Claremont, and La Verne) and City of Berkeley Mental Health Authorities. In addition to her current work, Ms. Cabrera has been appointed to the California Disability and Aging Community Living Advisory Committee and served as an appointed member of Governor Newsom’s Council of Regional Homeless Advisors. She graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Science degree in foreign service.
Gilbert Gonzalez
Gilbert has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of substance abuse and mental health, crisis prevention, and treatment provision. He currently serves as Director of the Department of Behavioral Health for Bexar County. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Mr. Gonzales received his bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Trinity University.
Graham McLaughlin
Graham leads the health equity-focused social responsibility program for Optum, a global health services organization with over 175,000 staff members across 150 global offices serving 124 million individuals, 4 out of 5 US hospitals, over 200 health plans, and over 100,000 healthcare facilities. Prior to Optum, Graham launched and led the corporate responsibility program at The Advisory Board Company, a publicly traded health services firm, and has also been a management consultant for Fortune 500 organizations and a wilderness therapy instructor. Graham graduated Summa Cum Laude from UNC-Chapel Hill with a dual degree in psychology and management.
Debra L. Wentz, PhD.
Debra L. Wentz, PhD, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of NJAMHAA and Executive Director of the New Jersey Mental Health Institute. Dr. Wentz holds numerous board and committee positions and appointments on the state and national levels, including several at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. She currently serves as the Chair of the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma. Dr. Wentz earned a doctoral degree from University of Paris, Paris, France; a second PhD and MA degree from the University of Connecticut; and an executive MBA from the Alternative Careers Program of the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania. She completed undergraduate work at Goucher College, Maryland. She is bilingual in French and English.
Lynda Zeller
Lynda is the Senior Fellow, Behavioral Health for the Michigan Health Endowment Fund. Prior to this role, she served for seven years as the deputy director for the Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. In this position, Lynda functioned as the State Authority for all community-based mental health, substance use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities policies and services.
Prev