OMHSAS Releases Family Based Mental Health Services Training Bulletin

The Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) has issued Bulletin OMHSAS-26-05 Family Based Mental Health Services Training. The purpose of the bulletin is to communicate an updated training curriculum for Family Based Mental Health Services (FBMHS) providers; share the approval process and expectations to become an FBMHS training entity; and provide a listing of the current FBMHS training centers.

The bulletin provides an overview of FBMHS provider training, which includes updates to standardize measures to evaluate and certify FBMHS therapists based on competency rather than knowledge assessment tests or training hours. There is also a reduction in the minimum number of hours required to complete ESFT-FBMHS training from 237 hours to 188 hours. These changes reflect the shifted expectations regarding the minimum number of training hours required to complete model-adherent training, and the increased emphasis on assessing demonstrated competency in delivering evidence-based treatment models.

This bulletin supersedes Policy Clarification 04-2012 Updated Family Based Mental Health Services Procedures as it applies to the FBMHS training structure and hours.

RCPA and its members of the Family Based Services Ad Hoc Committee presented a set of recommendations related to Family Based Services in May 2022. We believed those recommendations would be addressed in subsequent bulletins and policy clarifications, and we will be meeting with OMHSAS to gain clarification on how this bulletin intersects with the RCPA Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations.

Please contact RCPA Policy Specialist Emma Sharp with any questions.