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Tags Posts tagged with "Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services"

Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services

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In June, the Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Service (BHRS) Regulations Work Group completed a series of conference calls with RCPA members and other providers, managed care representatives, and advocacy groups. Meeting notes provided by the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Bureau of Autism Services from the several work group conference calls are available below. While these notes don’t fully reflect the active and thoughtful discussions that were evident in each of the work group’s conference calls, they may provide some insight into those conversations. The Department of Human Services will be working throughout the month of July to put together a document based on the BHRS Regulation Work Group’s feedback, and ideas for review and comments by work group members, in early August.

Meeting documents are below:

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The Department of Human Services (DHS) is implementing a number of measures related to services for children and adolescents with behavioral health needs. The full text of their announcement is available for review and a summary of key elements of the DHS action plans are highlighted below:

 

Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS)

  • Concentrating efforts on the development of appropriate regulatory guidance for BHRS.
  • Established a work group that will review existing policies, bulletins, and data that will be used to draft the regulations by November 2016.

 

Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)

  • Developed a two-year action plan to enhance access and quality of ABA services.
  • Will develop new requirements for the training, qualifications, skills, and experience of practitioners.
  • Issued bulletins clarifying the training requirements for TSS workers and newly licensed behavior specialists who use BSC-ASD services to provide ABA.
  • Issued a bulletin that provides guidelines to assess the medical necessity of ABA.

 

Behavior Specialist Licensure

  • Will send out guidance to accredited colleges and universities that are interested in developing graduate-level coursework or programs.
  • Will provide guidance for students on how they can satisfy the coursework and experience requirements while working towards their degree.

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Last week, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health, Bureau of Policy, Planning and Program, and Bureau of Autism Services, convened the Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS) Regulation Work Group. More than 60 managed care, advocacy, and community provider organizations attended, including a strong representation from RCPA autism and general BHRS provider organizations. Initial discussions ranged from a possible name change for BHRS to the regulations that will reflect the federal and state standards for the unique array of services currently included as BHRS for children with a severe emotional disturbance, as well as children with autism.

Work group members have begun to provide DHS with comments and suggestions. Subgroup meetings/conference calls are now being scheduled for early June, when discussions related to service array and evidence-based practices will be the first areas addressed. The determination of the service array is expected to impact broader discussion related to the other key areas.

OMHSAS Leadership to Attend Children’s Committee Meeting
The directors of the Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health, and Bureau of Policy, Planning and Program will be attending the June 8 RCPA Children’s Committee meeting/webcast, to review and discuss the status of the work group, as well as other important OMHSAS initiatives. In addition to the Children’s Committee meeting, RCPA will provide regular updates on the OMHSAS BHRS Regulation Work Group and seek member input to inform the work group process.

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