Facilitating Virtual Learning and Telehealth in a Crisis: Relias Webinars on Nov. 17–18
Telehealth
RCPA Creates New Behavioral Health Division to Better Integrate Mental Health and SUD Treatment
Recognizing the continued movement toward integration of mental health (MH) and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and the opportunity to better support and serve its MH and SUD provider members, RCPA has created a Behavioral Health Division.
RCPA’s MH and SUD policy focus will now operate under the BH Division umbrella, where shared MH and SUD interests and initiatives (e.g., workforce, value-based purchasing, telehealth, criminal justice, ICWCs/CCBHCs) will now be managed and supported across the disciplines — while still maintaining existing MH- and SUD-specific committees, subcommittees, and work groups where those interests are specific to one of the two policy areas.
Jim Sharp and Jason Snyder will direct the new BH Division.
- As Director of Mental Health Services, BH Division, Sharp, whose work to date has focused largely on children’s MH, will maintain his MH policy focus, including continuing to lead separate Children’s Mental Health and Adult Mental Health Committees, along with the other MH-specific committees and work groups already in place.
- As Director of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services, BH Division, Snyder will maintain his policy focus on SUD and the existing SUD-specific committees and work groups.
- In addition, RCPA will no longer use the Drug and Alcohol title (or D&A acronym), replacing it with SUD.
- Both directors will also collaborate in areas of shared interest, including legislative, regulatory, and policy initiatives as appropriate.
RCPA will be hiring a BH policy analyst to support the new division.
“The new BH Division has the opportunity to capitalize on synergies where they exist while still maintaining discipline-specific focus on MH and SUD,” said RCPA President/CEO Richard Edley. “Rather than taking anything away from our mental health and substance use disorder members, we are really enhancing their membership.
“As we look at where the behavioral health field continues to move, integration of mental health and substance use disorder is a hallmark of the advancing field. RCPA will better position itself to support its provider members’ needs by structuring a BH Division that recognizes this evolution.”
Contact Division Directors Jim Sharp or Jason Snyder with questions.
CMS Releases Final 2023 Physician Fee Schedule
This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Calendar Year 2023 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) final rule. The final rule includes several National Council and RCPA recommended priorities. These are wins for mental health and substance use care organizations that will help expand access to care by strengthening the workforce.
RCPA recommends members review this 2023 Physicians Fee Schedule Final Rule Summary for impacts on your agencies practice and/or policies.
Key Highlights:
- Telehealth Flexibility Extensions: CMS is extending telehealth flexibilities implemented under the Public Health Emergency (PHE) for a 151-day period after the expiration of the PHE.
- CMS is allowing behavioral health clinicians to offer services incident to a Medicare practitioner under general (rather than direct) supervision.
- Licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists are now able to bill incident to Medicare practitioner for their services.
- Medicare will allow opioid treatment programs to use telehealth to initiate treatment with buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder, continuing the flexibilities under the Ryan Haight Act of 2008.
- CMS is also clarifying that opioid treatment programs can bill for opioid use disorder treatment services provided through mobile units, such as vans, in accordance with Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) guidance.
The Final Rule, in alignment with the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2022, implements an extension of a number of flexibilities for a 151-day period after the expiration of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), which is set to expire on January 11, 2023.
In the event of further extensions of the federal PHE, we will communicate this info to members. Under the current timeframe for PHE continuation, states must be notified by November 11, 2022.
We thank our members and Steering Committees for their guidance, recommendations, and support through the review process. If you have any questions, please contact your respective RCPA Policy Director.
OMHSAS Extends Selected Flexibilities Beyond PHE
OCDEL Confirms Use of Tele-Intervention for EI
PA HB 1630 Awaiting Governor Wolf’s Signature: Major Telehealth Provisions Included
National Council for Mental Wellbeing Telehealth Survey
Expanding telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic was crucial to provide quality mental health and substance use treatment services to clients.
Did your organization provide telehealth services? What services will you continue post-pandemic?
We want to hear about your experiences! The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete and will assist RCPA in our State and Federal Telehealth advocacy efforts.
Please complete the brief survey by 11:59 pm ET on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
The National Council will use these survey findings as part of a larger effort to collect and share data with policymakers, payers, and the field at large to improve access to mental health and substance use treatment services nationwide.
If you have any questions, please contact RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
OMHSAS Telehealth Presentation Overview
Telehealth Alert: Guidance on Previous Client Verbal Consent Directives
OMHSAS Releases BH Telehealth Phase II Roadmap
The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) is pleased to share the Pennsylvania Behavioral Health Telehealth Phase II Roadmap, which was developed in collaboration with the OMHSAS Telehealth Steering Committee and Mercer Government Services Consulting. This report focuses on identifying and prioritizing recommendations for short-term and long-term implementation of telehealth services in the Commonwealth. The roadmap includes example documents developed by the Steering Committee that can be used and personalized by the provider when implementing telehealth services. The work of the Steering Committee and other stakeholders has been and will continue to be vital in ensuring that the behavioral health needs of Pennsylvanians continue to be met.
RCPA recommends that your agency reviews the document with your teams as well as compares it to your current policies and practices. These recommendations are not mandates but offer a series of best practices as developed by the Behavioral Health Steering Committee. Additionally, RCPA will conduct an internal review and will request OMHSAS attend the next Telehealth Committee Meeting.
If you have questions regarding this report, please email OMHSAS and/or RCPA Policy Director Jim Sharp.
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