Behavioral Health Updates

Community Behavioral Health (CBH) – Provider Bulletin 21-13: Use of Race and Ethnicity of Practitioners for Provider Directory

CBH is pursuing the distinction as a Multicultural Health Care (MHC) Managed Care Organization as part of the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) accreditation. The NCQA Distinction in Multicultural Health Care identifies organizations and practitioners that excel in providing culturally and linguistically sensitive services and work to reduce healthcare disparities. As such, the standards focus on collecting race and language data and using this information to respond to members from different cultures.

CBH collects information regarding race and ethnicity through the annual collection of the Minority, Women, and Disabled Business Enterprise and Provider Supplier Diversity surveys. If you have not submitted this electronic form, you will be contacted to obtain the pertinent information on the form. To align with providing forward-facing information for member choice, as well as aligning with the MHC Distinction efforts for NCQA, CBH will be posting the race/ethnicity of independent practitioners in the provider directory, effective October 16, 2021. If a practitioner does not wish to have their race/ethnicity posted publicly on the provider directory, please notify your CBH Provider Relations Representative by October 11, 2021.

Community Behavioral Health (CBH) Updated Vaccine Mandate Survey and Staff Contingency Plans

On August 15, 2021, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) issued an Emergency Regulation Memorandum titled, “Emergency Regulation Governing the Control and Prevention of COVID- 19 Mandating Vaccines for Healthcare Workers and in Higher Education, Healthcare, and Related Settings.” The emergency regulation mandates that all healthcare workers in Philadelphia are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 15, 2021.   As the City moves towards implementing this regulation, DBHIDS and CBH request your completion of the below survey. Survey responses will be used to assist with contingency planning related to the vaccine mandate as part of a broader effort to ensure the continuation of program operations for those we serve.    Click here to read the full announcement about the Vaccine Mandate Survey.   CCBH asks that you complete this survey by 9:00 a.m. beginning on Friday, September 24, and every Friday thereafter until October 15.   Click here to start the survey. Many providers have created or are thinking through staffing contingency plans for the vaccine mandate. To that end, we ask that you share your staffing contingency plans with us. Below are questions that will assist with the development of a vaccine mandate staffing contingency plan for CBH and DBH providers. IDS providers should follow the normal process of contacting the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and their assigned program analyst at the Administrative Entity (AE) regarding their contingency plans.    Click here for contingency plan questions and recommendations.   Please submit completed vaccine mandate staffing contingency plans by Thursday, September 30, to your contractor via the email represented below:   IDS: Wanda.Sabb@phila.gov CBH: CBH.Provider.Outreach@Phila.gov DBH: Joyce.Sacco@phila.gov

PerformCare – Now Available: Updated RTF and IBHS Provider Choice Forms

The following forms are now updated on PerformCare’s website:

• IBHS Provider Choice Form — Capital (Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry) (PDF)
  • IBHS Provider Choice Form — Capital (Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry) Spanish (PDF)
• Initial RTF Checklist of Forms for Request Submission (PDF)

Access these and other forms on PerformCare’s website.

Community Care Behavioral Health (CCBH) – Community Residential Rehabilitation Host Home (CRR HH) Performance Standards and Medical Necessity Guidelines – Provider Alert #21

This Provider Alert is to notify all CRR HH providers of the updated Performance Standards and Medical Necessity Guidelines (MNG) for CRR HH. See link below.

Community Care Behavioral Health – Provider Implementation of Naloxone Interventions:
Guidance and Resources – Provider Alert #20

This Provider Alert is to provide guidelines and resources to providers and programs of the expectations related to implementation of naloxone protocols.

Community Care Behavioral Health (CCBH) – Suspended Regulations Lift and Updates to Reinstated Authorization/Notification & Discharge Protocol – Provider Alert #19

This Provider Alert is to alert all Community Care providers of the website Suspended Regulations Lift (pa.gov) informing Behavioral Health HealthChoices Primary Contractors, BH-MCOs (Behavioral Health Managed Care Organizations), and behavioral health providers enrolled in MA per Act 21 of 2021, the suspension of various regulatory provisions under the state disaster emergency declaration will expire on September 30, 2021. A list of the regulations that were suspended in whole or in part and their current status is available within the alert attached below. In addition to these regulations, some regulations have been reinstated. Those regulations are also designated in the list on the DHS website.