Behavioral Health Oversight Committee

DCF Advisory Work Group Recommendations

June 27, 2005

(Chair: Morgan Meltz)

Ø ASO Member Services and non-member Referrals

Families or adults that are not enrolled in HUSKY A, B or DC F voluntary services may contact the ASO (ValueOptions – VOI) for crisis assistance in obtaining mental health services.

The Work Group recommends that:

ü The VOI member services be informed about and be allowed to refer families/adults to the HUSKY or DCF Voluntary Services enrollment brokers or the Community Action Organizations under the DSS Human Service Infrastructure program.

ü For those members with commercial insurance, the ASO should have a process to obtain a release of information from the caller and connect with the person’s commercial insurer to identify the benefit package, and refer families/children to the appropriate program(s), as needed for services outside the private insurance.

Ø The Work Group expressed concern about member telephone access (under call management indicators) and ASO response to member calls (under Quality Management indicators), referring to the “Call Management” and “Quality Management” reports outlined in the Exhibit E Reporting Matrix. Concerns expressed included a live person response in 15 seconds, medication calls from parents, and responding with appropriate information to a crisis situation Recommendations:

ü The VOI responders’ training is adequate to correctly identify services appropriate to the situation to speed up the referral process.

ü The Quality Management & Access Work Group will initially review the ASO administrative reports, paying particular attention to call management, referrals for services, and provide recommendations to the DCF Advisory Work Group.

ü Aggregate above reports by DCF-involved and non-DCF-involved members wherever possible.

Ø Recognizing the ambiguity of the ASO potential “gatekeeper” model, the Work Group discussed concerns and recommends:

ü DSS & DCF agree on and review with the BH Oversight Council and DCF Work Group the proposed interface of the ASO functions (Gatekeeper role?) with other parts of the service system including the DCF Management Service System (MSS), local community collaboratives, Voluntary Services, Comprehensive Global Assessors, Juvenile Justice and Child Protection services.

Ø Based on feedback from providers and family advocacy organization, the Work Group recommends:

ü Family and Adult Peer Specialists will be part of the ASO as employees. Family organizations should play a role in recruiting, training, mentoring and building ongoing relationships with these personnel.

Ø Families and/or mental health providers may not know they can request Intensive Care Management (ICM) services. Recommendations:

ü ASO Members Services personnel are trained to identify members’ need for ICM and make appropriate referrals within the ASO.

ü Provider information forums include information about the ASO staff and their roles, the referral process for services for families in crisis and referrals for ICM.

Ø Recommendation: All HUSKY MCOs will include the VOI member services number on the MCO member card.

Ø Access to transportation for MH services remains problematic and may lead to families being labeled ‘non-compliant’ with recommended therapy. The MCOs retain responsibility for transportation for HUSKY A members. Recommendations:

ü The ASO will collect data on barriers to BH services, including transportation access.

ü ASO Member Services will be informed about how to contact transportation services for HUSKY A clients.

ü Provider information forums include information about transportation access and a process to report transportation problems..

ü Members are informed of transportation access and the process to register complaints related to transportation difficulties.

Ø The Work Group recognizes the need for further discussion and sorting out client ‘flow issues’ for DCF populations, including Voluntary Service clients.

ü The Work Group recommends that the DCF Advisory Work Group have an ongoing role of working with the BH Partnership agencies (DSS & DCF) in defining these workflow processes.

ü The DCF Work Group would have a formal role as the family group that interfaces with other work groups under the BH Oversight Council.

Ø The workgroup discussed at the length the benefit of family service plans (distinct from the family service treatment plans developed by the providers) as proposed by VOI.

ü The workgroup will explore with DSS and DCF the ways that family service plans can be implemented within the existing regulations and make recommendations for changes in regulations if appropriate.

File: BH OC DCF Advisory WG Recommend 6-05