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Tags Posts tagged with "behavioral health"

behavioral health

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released updated National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance aimed at enhancing the nation’s response to mental health and substance use crises. This effort is part of an ongoing initiative to address record-high rates of suicide and overdose, while also building on the transition to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in 2022.

The updated National Behavioral Health Crisis Care Guidance is comprised of three key documents. These are the 2025 National Guidelines for a Behavioral Health Coordinated System of Crisis Care, Model Definitions for Behavioral Health Emergency, Crisis, and Crisis-Related Services, and a draft Mobile Crisis Team Services Implementation Toolkit, which is open for public comment until March 21, 2025. Together, these resources set forth a framework for reshaping community crisis care systems and ensuring timely access to care.

SAMHSA’s framework is built on three foundational pillars essential to an integrated crisis care system:

  1. Someone to Contact — The 988 Lifeline and other hotlines provide immediate, accessible support for individuals in crisis.
  2. Someone to Respond — Mobile crisis teams are a critical component, delivering rapid, on-site assistance to de-escalate crises and connect people with appropriate care.
  3. A Safe Place for Help — Stabilization services offer facilities where individuals in crisis can access care, resolve crises, and transition to ongoing treatment when necessary.

The new guidance emphasizes scalability and sustainability for these systems, equipping state, tribal, local, and territorial governments with the tools needed to design and improve crisis care services. It also provides practitioners with actionable steps for delivering quality care.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, launched nationwide in 2022, represents a significant shift in behavioral health crisis response. The easy to remember three digit number aims to provide individuals with immediate access to trained crisis counselors, significantly reducing reliance on law enforcement and emergency departments for mental health emergencies. The updated guidance builds on this progress while addressing the urgent need for comprehensive crisis care systems.

The guidance reflects substantial input collected through listening sessions, expert consultations, and public feedback. Crucially, it underscores the importance of a coordinated, flexible, and compassionate approach to behavioral health crises at a time when the nation continues to grapple with increasing demand for services.

With public comments being sought on the draft Mobile Crisis Team Services Implementation Toolkit, SAMHSA aims to refine and finalize tools that advance the capacity of crisis teams to stabilize situations and connect individuals with long-term support. Please forward your comments to RCPA COO and Mental Health Services Director Jim Sharp for inclusion in the RCPA response to SAMHSA. This will addressed in the February 18, 2025, RCPA 988/Crisis Services meeting. You can register for the meeting here.

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The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced a joint initiative with Carlow and Waynesburg Universities to address the shortage of qualified addiction professionals within Pennsylvania’s behavioral health workforce.

Funded by DDAP, this pilot program will focus on the recruitment and retention of behavioral health professionals by providing financial assistance for participating students’ educational expenses. At its core, this initiative is designed to strengthen the substance use disorder (SUD) workforce pipeline by financially supporting master’s-level students at Carlow and Waynesburg Universities. Through the DDAP funding, both universities will offer tuition assistance, a stipend during the students’ practicum/internship with a community-based treatment provider, and additional SUD-related training offered by DDAP for students who qualify under each university’s respective programs.

Read the full press release.

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is welcoming public comments on the draft SAMHSA Now Accepting Public Comments on Draft Model Behavioral Health Crisis Services Definitions.

SAMHSA developed the draft Model Behavioral Health Crisis Services Definitions document for state, territory, Tribal, and local entities; crisis services providers; public and private payers; regulators; and help seekers and their supporters to clarify and distinguish the different types of crisis services for people across the nation.

Interested people are invited to submit written comments for these draft definitions from Thursday, November 21, 2024, through Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 11:59 pm ET.

For more information on the definitions and to submit comments, please visit the Model Behavioral Health Crisis Services Definitions web page on the Crisis Systems Response Training and Technical Assistance Center website at the link below.

Read More Here

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Registration is now open for the 32nd Annual PA Forensic Rights and Treatment Conference, titled “What We Know: Myths or Facts.” Sponsored by Drexel University’s Division of Behavioral Healthcare Education, College of Medicine, the virtual conference will be held December 4 and 5 with both live and pre-recorded presentations addressing topics such as trauma-informed care; working with victims of trafficking and partner violence; neuro and gender diversity; and identifying methods to enhance belonging and inclusion.

The conference brochure includes the schedule, workshop descriptions, plenary bios, and registration information. CE credits will be available.

For more information, email Drexel or visit the BHE conferences website.

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Fortifying the Future: Data Privacy & Security in Behavioral Health AI
When: Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 2:00 pm ET
Register Here

In the behavioral health world, few things are more intimate and private than a provider’s conversation with a client.

Keeping those sessions secure — and complying with always-evolving government regulations and ethics concerns — is a top priority for behavioral health organizations looking to implement an AI tool.

Join Eleos Health for a 1-hour virtual discussion on “Fortifying the Future: Data Privacy & Security in Behavioral Health AI.”

Facilitated by Eleos Health’s VP of Customer Success Nisheeta Setlur, attendees will hear from behavioral health AI experts Raz Karmi, CISO of Eleos, and Rony Gadiwalla CIO of GRAND Mental Health, as they break down:

  • Which existing and emerging security regulations and best practices apply to behavioral health organizations — and their AI vendor partners.
  • How to navigate key AI security, compliance, and ethical concerns in a behavioral health setting.
  • What steps orgs must take to protect sensitive client information from AI-specific threats.
  • How Eleos accounts for all of the above in their industry-leading AI platform.

Register here and secure your spot. If you can’t make it live, Eleos will send you a recording to watch at your leisure.

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Legislation for Telehealth Flexibilities Introduced:
HB 2560 To Address Psychiatry Time Requirements and “4 Walls”

RCPA is pleased to announce that yesterday, September 10, State Representative Tina Pickett (R-District 10) introduced House Bill 2560, which was referred to the House Health and Human Services Committee. The legislation is focused on addressing two critical telehealth considerations, including an update of the outpatient psychiatric outpatient time requirements and the Federal Medicaid payment standard known as the “4 Walls.” The latter would abrogate DHS 55 Pa. Code § 1153.52 Payment Conditions for Various Services and 55 Pa. Code § 5200.52 Treatment Planning. By addressing the “4 Walls” requirement, telehealth services by a practitioner can be delivered outside the physical outpatient clinics and will be categorized under licensed mobile mental health services.

On a parallel track, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a final rule exception that would eliminate the “4 Walls” requirements among several other actions. On September 9, 2024, RCPA submitted comments regarding the Medicaid Clinic Services 4 Walls Exceptions on behalf of our membership in support of the proposed exception to eliminate this Medicaid standard.

Additionally, the bill requires that providers who want to deliver telehealth services 100% must maintain a written agreement with a geographically proximate outpatient psychiatric clinic that operates a physical facility and provides in-person services at the outpatient psychiatric clinic within 40 miles or 60 minutes travel from the residence of the individual receiving services AND that the written agreement must include a provision that a referred individual must be seen by the geographically proximate outpatient psychiatric clinic within 10 days of the referral.

Finally, the bill addresses the required 50% psychiatric in-clinic time requirements of 55 Pa. Code Chapter 5200 for Psychiatric Outpatient Clinics. The proposed legislation outlines that required psychiatric time may be provided in person or by the use of telebehavioral health technology by psychiatrists, as specified by department regulations. Advanced practice professionals may also provide a portion of the psychiatric time, as specified by department regulations, either in person or by the use of telebehavioral health. Onsite supervision requirements can be performed by either a psychiatrist or an advanced practice professional. Lastly, the legislation permits DHS to issue waivers to fully remote providers so they can serve patients covered by private insurance.

The introduction of the bill represents a unified effort with OMHSAS, our partners in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and stakeholders across the Commonwealth to enhance our system’s capacity to deliver services to those most in need. We ask that you join us in working with your legislators to pass this critical legislation.

RCPA will continue to update members as the legislation advances. If you have any questions, please contact RCPA COO and Mental Health Director Jim Sharp.

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