COURSE 1B - INTRO TO GOALS, CLINICAL CONCERNS, AND OPPORTUNITIES IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH MANAGED AND THE ACA

Course overview

Free Course 1B is now updated and addresses the impact of the Affordable Care Act upon Behavioral Health providers. This course is authored and copyrighted by CEU By Net and earns 1.5 clock hours of CE credit for multiple State Boards including Texas, California, Florida and Alabama. Pending increase from 1 to 1.5 credit hours applies to TCBAP-TAAP, IC&RC, NAADAC, and Florida Certification Board. Approved for 1 PDH by EACC and earns 1.5 NBCC Hours. This is a 'non-traditional' course that you won't find anywhere else. The course addresses the key documentation issues facing providers who are involved in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health and addiction clients, under the Health Care Reform initiative which is driven by Managed Care, 'narrow networks', and limited funds. The transition of Mental Health and AOD treatment to a MANAGED SYSTEM OF CARE is not new in some states, but in others it's a recent development. Regardless, the nationwide expansion of ACA Health Care Reform has brought new relevance to the 'Care Management' philosophy. It's important to understand that Care Management is not only a process; it's a PHILOSOPHY which approaches approval for behavioral health services in a way that is difficult for many practitioners to accommodate. Treatment within this venue requires new types of justification through WRITTEN CLINICAL DOCUMENTATION which surpasses that which was required in the past. Understanding of the 'Care Management' approach is important for those delivering intensive treatment, as well as to those REFERRING TO intensive treatment - and to most individuals delivering short term counseling [which is usually not considered to be "medical" in nature]. The issue here, is that the APPROACH to AUTHORIZATION of services is essentially one of DOCUMENTATION of "MEDICAL NECESSITY", even if what we are delivering is not "medical" as we usually think of it. Our Managed Care series is applicable to all behavioral health providers - those in private practice who are participating in a "panel" or network, as well as those who work for a public or private agency involved in Medicare or Medicaid or Block Grant services or other such contracts - including the EAP provider, whose work is now often done under the auspices of a managed system of care, i.e., a contract manager. It's important to understand that Care Management is a PHILOSOPHY which approaches approval for behavioral health services in a whole new way, and requires WRITTEN JUSTIFICATION from those who deliver services which surpasses that which was required in the past. The first half of this course focuses upon the impact that Health Care Reform, the ACA, and all Managed Systems of Care have upon providers and their clients. The second half of this short course focuses upon "Understanding How Managed Care Thinks". In summary, this is an introduction to the clinical, therapeutic, and documentation issues which drive the Care Management process.