Attached to this Alert is a letter from Secretaries Donna Cooper, Estelle Richman, and Calvin Johnson, and a copy of the draft outpatient integrated treatment regulations for review and comment. These draft regulations are based on criteria developed by the Integrated Treatment Services Workgroup. The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has worked for several years to develop standards for co-occurring services in the commonwealth. The first level of services, co-occurring competency, was outlined in a Department of Welfare bulletin in 2006. The attached standards are for the next level of services, integrated/co-occurring treatment. The plan is to have an overlay to an existing license, not a new and separate license. The initial focus will be on outpatient programs only. It is important to emphasize that these regulations cover adolescents and adults.
The draft regulations are designed to be an overlay on the existing outpatient license. Therefore:
- If the provider is already licensed by the Department of Health (DOH) as an outpatient drug and alcohol facility, they would have to meet the draft Chapter 5200 Annex A regulations to be licensed as an integrated treatment provider.
- If the provider is already licensed by the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) as a psychiatric outpatient clinic, they would have to meet the draft Chapter 719 Annex A regulations to be licensed as an integrated treatment provider.
- If the provider has both licenses they have a choice of working with either DOH or DPW for the co-occurring overlay.
- A provider new to the system would have to apply for a base license from one of the departments (DOH or DPW) and then meet the appropriate chapter overlay for integrated treatment services.
Comments on the draft regulations are due by February 27 to Meghan Thomsen at the Governor's Policy Office. Thomsen’s contact information is below. PCPA will provide written comments. If members prefer, they may send comments to PCPA for inclusion with the association’s comments. Those comments should be sent to Lynn Cooper no later than February 26. There will be additional opportunities to comment on the regulations.
Meghan M. Thomsen
Senior Policy Manager
Governor's Office of Policy and Planning
Room 506, Finance Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Email: mthomsen@state.pa.us
