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Chapter 256B

Section 256B.0947

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256B.0947 INTENSIVE REHABILITATIVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.

Subdivision 1.Scope.

Effective November 1, 2011, and subject to federal approval, medical assistance covers medically necessary, intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services as defined in subdivision 2, for recipients as defined in subdivision 3, when the services are provided by an entity meeting the standards in this section.

Subd. 2.Definitions.

For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given them.

(a) "Intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services" means child rehabilitative mental health services as defined in section 256B.0943, except that these services are provided by a multidisciplinary staff using a total team approach consistent with assertive community treatment, as adapted for youth, and are directed to recipients ages 16 to 21 with a serious mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse addiction who require intensive services to prevent admission to an inpatient psychiatric hospital or placement in a residential treatment facility or who require intensive services to step down from inpatient or residential care to community-based care.

(b) "Co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse addiction" means a dual diagnosis of at least one form of mental illness and at least one substance use disorder. Substance use disorders include alcohol or drug abuse or dependence, excluding nicotine use.

(c) "Diagnostic assessment" has the meaning given to it in Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0370, subpart 11. A diagnostic assessment must be provided according to Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0372, subpart 1, and for this section must incorporate a determination of the youth's necessary level of care using a standardized functional assessment instrument approved and periodically updated by the commissioner.

(d) "Education specialist" means an individual with knowledge and experience working with youth regarding special education requirements and goals, special education plans, and coordination of educational activities with health care activities.

(e) "Housing access support" means an ancillary activity to help an individual find, obtain, retain, and move to safe and adequate housing. Housing access support does not provide monetary assistance for rent, damage deposits, or application fees.

(f) "Integrated dual disorders treatment" means the integrated treatment of co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders by a team of cross-trained clinicians within the same program, and is characterized by assertive outreach, stage-wise comprehensive treatment, treatment goal setting, and flexibility to work within each stage of treatment.

(g) "Medication education services" means services provided individually or in groups, which focus on:

(1) educating the client and client's family or significant nonfamilial supporters about mental illness and symptoms;

(2) the role and effects of medications in treating symptoms of mental illness; and

(3) the side effects of medications.

Medication education is coordinated with medication management services and does not duplicate it. Medication education services are provided by physicians, pharmacists, or registered nurses with certification in psychiatric and mental health care.

(h) "Peer specialist" means an employed team member who is a certified peer specialist and also a former children's mental health consumer who:

(1) provides direct services to clients including social, emotional, and instrumental support and outreach;

(2) assists younger peers to identify and achieve specific life goals;

(3) works directly with clients to promote the client's self-determination, personal responsibility, and empowerment;

(4) assists youth with mental illness to regain control over their lives and their developmental process in order to move effectively into adulthood;

(5) provides training and education to other team members, consumer advocacy organizations, and clients on resiliency and peer support; and

(6) meets the following criteria:

(i) is at least 22 years of age;

(ii) has had a diagnosis of mental illness, as defined in Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0370, subpart 20, or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse addiction;

(iii) is a former consumer of child and adolescent mental health services, or a former or current consumer of adult mental health services for a period of at least two years;

(iv) has at least a high school diploma or equivalent;

(v) has successfully completed training requirements determined and periodically updated by the commissioner;

(vi) is willing to disclose the individual's own mental health history to team members and clients; and

(vii) must be free of substance use problems for at least one year.

(i) "Provider agency" means a for-profit or nonprofit organization established to administer an assertive community treatment for youth team.

(j) "Substance use disorders" means one or more of the disorders defined in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, current edition.

(k) "Transition services" means:

(1) activities, materials, consultation, and coordination that ensures continuity of the client's care in advance of and in preparation for the client's move from one stage of care or life to another by maintaining contact with the client and assisting the client to establish provider relationships;

(2) providing the client with knowledge and skills needed posttransition;

(3) establishing communication between sending and receiving entities;

(4) supporting a client's request for service authorization and enrollment; and

(5) establishing and enforcing procedures and schedules.

A youth's transition from the children's mental health system and services to the adult mental health system and services and return to the client's home and entry or re-entry into community-based mental health services following discharge from an out-of-home placement or inpatient hospital stay.

(l) "Treatment team" means all staff who provide services to recipients under this section.

Subd. 3.Client eligibility.

An eligible recipient is an individual who:

(1) is age 16, 17, 18, 19, or 20; and

(2) is diagnosed with a serious mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse addiction, for which intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services are needed;

(3) has received a level-of-care determination, using an instrument approved by the commissioner, that indicates a need for intensive integrated intervention without 24-hour medical monitoring and a need for extensive collaboration among multiple providers;

(4) has a functional impairment and a history of difficulty in functioning safely and successfully in the community, school, home, or job; or who is likely to need services from the adult mental health system within the next two years; and

(5) has had a recent diagnostic assessment, as provided in Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0372, subpart 1, by a mental health professional who is qualified under Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0371, subpart 5, item A, that documents that intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services are medically necessary to ameliorate identified symptoms and functional impairments and to achieve individual transition goals.

Subd. 3a.Required service components.

(a) Subject to federal approval, medical assistance covers all medically necessary intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services and supports, as defined in this section, under a single daily rate per client. Services and supports must be delivered by an eligible provider under subdivision 5 to an eligible client under subdivision 3.

(b) Intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services, supports, and ancillary activities covered by the single daily rate per client must include the following, as needed by the individual client:

(1) individual, family, and group psychotherapy;

(2) individual, family, and group skills training, as defined in section 256B.0943, subdivision 1, paragraph (p);

(3) crisis assistance as defined in section 245.4871, subdivision 9a, which includes recognition of factors precipitating a mental health crisis, identification of behaviors related to the crisis, and the development of a plan to address prevention, intervention, and follow-up strategies to be used in the lead-up to or onset of, and conclusion of, a mental health crisis; crisis assistance does not mean crisis response services or crisis intervention services provided in section 256B.0944;

(4) medication management provided by a physician or an advanced practice registered nurse with certification in psychiatric and mental health care;

(5) mental health case management as provided in section 256B.0625, subdivision 20;

(6) medication education services as defined in this section;

(7) care coordination by a client-specific lead worker assigned by and responsible to the treatment team;

(8) psychoeducation of and consultation and coordination with the client's biological, adoptive, or foster family and, in the case of a youth living independently, the client's immediate nonfamilial support network;

(9) clinical consultation to a client's employer or school or to other service agencies or to the courts to assist in managing the mental illness or co-occurring disorder and to develop client support systems;

(10) coordination with, or performance of, crisis intervention and stabilization services as defined in section 256B.0944;

(11) assessment of a client's treatment progress and effectiveness of services using standardized outcome measures published by the commissioner;

(12) transition services as defined in this section;

(13) integrated dual disorders treatment as defined in this section; and

(14) housing access support.

(c) The provider shall ensure and document the following by means of performing the required function or by contracting with a qualified person or entity:

(1) client access to crisis intervention services, as defined in section 256B.0944, and available 24 hours per day and seven days per week;

(2) completion of an extended diagnostic assessment, as defined in Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0372, subpart 1, item C; and

(3) determination of the client's needed level of care using an instrument approved and periodically updated by the commissioner.

Subd. 4.Provider contract requirements.

(a) The intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services provider agency shall have a contract with the commissioner to provide intensive transition youth rehabilitative mental health services.

(b) The commissioner shall develop administrative and clinical contract standards and performance evaluation criteria for providers, including county providers, and may require applicants to submit documentation as needed to allow the commissioner to determine whether the standards are met.

Subd. 5.Standards for intensive nonresidential rehabilitative providers.

(a) Services must be provided by a provider entity as provided in subdivision 4.

(b) The treatment team for intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services comprises both permanently employed core team members and client-specific team members as follows:

(1) The core treatment team is an entity that operates under the direction of an independently licensed mental health professional, who is qualified under Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0371, subpart 5, item A, and that assumes comprehensive clinical responsibility for clients. Based on professional qualifications and client needs, clinically qualified core team members are assigned on a rotating basis as the client's lead worker to coordinate a client's care. The core team must comprise at least four full-time equivalent direct care staff and must include, but is not limited to:

(i) an independently licensed mental health professional, qualified under Minnesota Rules, part 9505.0371, subpart 5, item A, who serves as team leader to provide administrative direction and clinical supervision to the team;

(ii) an advanced-practice registered nurse with certification in psychiatric or mental health care or a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, either of which must be credentialed to prescribe medications;

(iii) a licensed alcohol and drug counselor who is also trained in mental health interventions; and

(iv) a peer specialist as defined in subdivision 2, paragraph (h).

(2) The core team may also include any of the following:

(i) additional mental health professionals;

(ii) a vocational specialist;

(iii) an educational specialist;

(iv) a child and adolescent psychiatrist who may be retained on a consultant basis;

(v) a mental health practitioner, as defined in section 245.4871, subdivision 26;

(vi) a mental health manager, as defined in section 245.4871, subdivision 4; and

(vii) a housing access specialist.

(3) A treatment team may include, in addition to those in clause (1) or (2), ad hoc members not employed by the team who consult on a specific client and who must accept overall clinical direction from the treatment team for the duration of the client's placement with the treatment team and must be paid by the provider agency at the rate for a typical session by that provider with that client or at a rate negotiated with the client-specific member. Client-specific treatment team members may include:

(i) the mental health professional treating the client prior to placement with the treatment team;

(ii) the client's current substance abuse counselor, if applicable;

(iii) a lead member of the client's individualized education program team or school-based mental health provider, if applicable;

(iv) a representative from the client's health care home or primary care clinic, as needed to ensure integration of medical and behavioral health care;

(v) the client's probation officer or other juvenile justice representative, if applicable; and

(vi) the client's current vocational or employment counselor, if applicable.

(c) The clinical supervisor shall be an active member of the treatment team and shall function as a practicing clinician at least on a part-time basis. The treatment team shall meet with the clinical supervisor at least weekly to discuss recipients' progress and make rapid adjustments to meet recipients' needs. The team meeting must include client-specific case reviews and general treatment discussions among team members. Client-specific case reviews and planning must be documented in the individual client's treatment record.

(d) The staffing ratio must not exceed ten clients to one full-time equivalent treatment team position.

(e) The treatment team shall serve no more than 80 clients at any one time. Should local demand exceed the team's capacity, an additional team must be established rather than exceed this limit.

(f) Nonclinical staff shall have prompt access in person or by telephone to a mental health practitioner or mental health professional. The provider shall have the capacity to promptly and appropriately respond to emergent needs and make any necessary staffing adjustments to assure the health and safety of clients.

(g) The intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services provider shall participate in evaluation of the assertive community treatment for youth (Youth ACT) model as conducted by the commissioner, including the collection and reporting of data and the reporting of performance measures as specified by contract with the commissioner.

(h) A regional treatment team may serve multiple counties.

Subd. 6.Service standards.

The standards in this subdivision apply to intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services.

(a) The treatment team shall use team treatment, not an individual treatment model.

(b) Services must be available at times that meet client needs.

(c) The initial functional assessment must be completed within ten days of intake and updated at least every three months or prior to discharge from the service, whichever comes first.

(d) An individual treatment plan must be completed for each client, according to criteria specified in section 256B.0943, subdivision 6, paragraph (b), clause (2), and, additionally, must:

(1) be completed in consultation with the client's current therapist and key providers and provide for ongoing consultation with the client's current therapist to ensure therapeutic continuity and to facilitate the client's return to the community;

(2) if a need for substance use disorder treatment is indicated by validated assessment:

(i) identify goals, objectives, and strategies of substance use disorder treatment; develop a schedule for accomplishing treatment goals and objectives; and identify the individuals responsible for providing treatment services and supports;

(ii) be reviewed at least once every 90 days and revised, if necessary;

(3) be signed by the clinical supervisor and by the client and, if the client is a minor, by the client's parent or other person authorized by statute to consent to mental health treatment and substance use disorder treatment for the client; and

(4) provide for the client's transition out of intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services by defining the team's actions to assist the client and subsequent providers in the transition to less intensive or "stepped down" services.

(e) The treatment team shall actively and assertively engage the client's family members and significant others by establishing communication and collaboration with the family and significant others and educating the family and significant others about the client's mental illness, symptom management, and the family's role in treatment, unless the team knows or has reason to suspect that the client has suffered or faces a threat of suffering any physical or mental injury, abuse, or neglect from a family member or significant other.

(f) For a client age 18 or older, the treatment team may disclose to a family member, other relative, or a close personal friend of the client, or other person identified by the client, the protected health information directly relevant to such person's involvement with the client's care, as provided in Code of Federal Regulations, title 45, part 164.502(b). If the client is present, the treatment team shall obtain the client's agreement, provide the client with an opportunity to object, or reasonably infer from the circumstances, based on the exercise of professional judgment, that the client does not object. If the client is not present or is unable, by incapacity or emergency circumstances, to agree or object, the treatment team may, in the exercise of professional judgment, determine whether the disclosure is in the best interests of the client and, if so, disclose only the protected health information that is directly relevant to the family member's, relative's, friend's, or client-identified person's involvement with the client's health care. The client may orally agree or object to the disclosure and may prohibit or restrict disclosure to specific individuals.

(g) The treatment team shall provide interventions to promote positive interpersonal relationships.

Subd. 7.Medical assistance payment and rate setting.

(a) Payment for services in this section must be based on one daily encounter rate per provider inclusive of the following services received by an eligible client in a given calendar day: all rehabilitative services, supports, and ancillary activities under this section, staff travel time to provide rehabilitative services under this section, and crisis response services under section 256B.0944.

(b) Payment must not be made to more than one entity for each client for services provided under this section on a given day. If services under this section are provided by a team that includes staff from more than one entity, the team shall determine how to distribute the payment among the members.

(c) The commissioner shall establish regional cost-based rates for entities that will bill medical assistance for nonresidential intensive rehabilitative mental health services. In developing these rates, the commissioner shall consider:

(1) the cost for similar services in the health care trade area;

(2) actual costs incurred by entities providing the services;

(3) the intensity and frequency of services to be provided to each client;

(4) the degree to which clients will receive services other than services under this section; and

(5) the costs of other services that will be separately reimbursed.

(d) The rate for a provider must not exceed the rate charged by that provider for the same service to other payers.

Subd. 7a.Noncovered services.

(a) The rate for intensive rehabilitative mental health services must exclude medical assistance payment for services not covered under this section. Services not covered under this section may be billed separately.

(b) The following services are not covered under this section and are not eligible for medical assistance payment under the per-client, per-day payment:

(1) inpatient psychiatric hospital treatment;

(2) mental health residential treatment;

(3) partial hospitalization;

(4) physician services outside of care provided by a psychiatrist serving as a member of the treatment team;

(5) room and board costs, as defined in section 256I.03, subdivision 6;

(6) children's mental health day treatment services; and

(7) mental health behavioral aide services, as defined in section 256B.0943, subdivision 1, paragraph (m).

Subd. 8.Provider enrollment.

The commissioner shall establish and administer treatment teams with consideration given to regional distribution. Providers shall apply directly to the commissioner for enrollment and must be reimbursed at rates established by contract. The commissioner shall perform the program review.

Subd. 9.Service authorization.

The commissioner shall publish prior authorization criteria and standards to be used for intensive nonresidential rehabilitative mental health services, as provided in section 256B.0625, subdivision 25.

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Revisor of Statutes