The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) plans to form two work groups to design two new services to be added to the Pennsylvania Medicaid Plan. These are peer specialist services and mobile outpatient services. OMHSAS will research information from other states that have developed similar services and prepare a crosswalk of information and recommendations for the work group to respond to. This work is intended to be pre-regulatory to provide sufficient detail to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services so that they understand the nature of the service that Pennsylvania is proposing. The peer specialist work group will address mental health and co-occurring disorders. Regulations may be developed in the future. Full-day work groups will meet at Harrisburg State Hospital beginning in September and will be held twice each month. The intent is to complete the major activity by the end of December.
PCPA needs volunteers to serve on these work groups. Each work group will consist of no more than 20 members with a composition of six provider or association members; six consumer, family, or advocate members; three representatives of county mental health programs or behavioral health managed care organizations; and five Department of Public Welfare staff. OMHSAS established the following requirements for participation:
• Commitment
of significant time for review of materials and meeting attendance.
• Active participation and cooperation to complete goal-oriented activity.
•
Attendance at all meetings (two days per month September through December).
Mobile Outpatient Work Group meetings will be held the first and third Tuesday of each month in the Beechmont Building from 9:30 a.m. — 3:30 p.m. as follows:
o September 21 (Wednesday), Room 144
o October 4, Room 145; October 18, Room 144
o November 2 (Wednesday), Room 145; November 15, Room 144
o December 6, Room 145; December 20, Room 144
Peer Specialist Work Group meetings will be held the second and fourth Wednesday of each month in the Beechmont Building from 9:30 a.m. — 3:30 p.m. as follows:
o September 14, Room 144; September 28, Room 145
o October 12, Room 145; October 26, Room 145
o November 9, Room 145; November 30, Room 145
o December 14, Room 144; December 28, Room 145.
Please submit the following information to Betty Simmonds at PCPA by August 12 if interested in representing PCPA on one of these work groups.
Name:
Constituent group or organization that you represent:
Type of facility you represent, (outpatient, drop-in center):
Type of population served (adult, older adult) if applicable:
Position within the agency (director, supervisor, direct care staff):
Size of agency (persons served):
County and region of the state:
Urban, rural:
Workgroup interested in:
Telephone number:
E-mail:
PCPA will select several candidates and forward their information to OMHSAS for consideration. Submission of your indication of interest does not guarantee your participation. Those who are interested in representing their own organizations on the work group(s) should contact Carol Ward-Colasante with the above information directly at ccolasante@state.pa.us by September 1. Travel expenses can be arranged for eligible consumers and family members upon request, using the OMHSAS Advisory Committee reimbursement protocol. OMHSAS will select and confirm membership by September 8.
An orientation meeting to introduce the project and discuss next steps will be held on September 1 from 10:00 a.m. — 1:00 p.m. at the Commonwealth Technology Center, Harrisburg State Hospital. The draft agenda is as follows:
Medicaid State Plan – Mental Health Service Development Orientation Meeting
10:00-11:00 Background to Medicaid Redesign – Carol Ward-Colasante
- What is it?
- What services will we start with?
- Timelines and process
- Products
- State plan amendment
- Requirements for the services
- Fiscal analysis
11:00-11:30
Where are we with Peer Specialist? - Bill Boyer and Karen Morton
11:30-12:00
Where are we with Mobile Outpatient? - Dawn Comly
12:00-12:15
Next steps – Carol Ward-Colasante
12:15-1:00 Questions and feedback
To attend the orientation meeting on September 1 please register by August 29 by contacting Terry Smith at teresmith@state.pa.us. For questions about the orientation meeting contact Terry Smith at 717-772-7900.
