DDES Memo Series
2004-23
Reply requested by January 30, 2005
December 28, 2004
STATE OF WISCONSIN
Department of Health and Family Services
Division of Disability and Elder Services
To:
Area Administrators/ Human Services Area Coordinators
Bureau Directors
County Departments of Community Programs Directors
County Departments of Developmental Disabilities
Services Directors
County Departments of Human Services Directors
County Departments of Social Services Directors
County CSP Coordinators
Licensing Chiefs/Section Chiefs
Tribal Chairpersons/Human Services Facilitators
From:
Sinikka Santala
Administrator
Re:
Funding Opportunity for Using the New Mental Health & AODA Functional
Screen
Document Summary
This memo describes the new mental health and co-occurring disorders
functional screen which will be used to determine need for services for
Comprehensive Community Services (CCS), eligibility for the Community
Options Program (COP) for people with serious mental illness, and how
counties may receive additional funding for using the screen voluntarily
for Community Support Program (CSP) services. A reply is requested by
January 30, 2005.
The Department of Health and Family Services is moving towards a system
where screening for functional needs determines the level and/or type of
services the person can access. In the last year, the Wisconsin Long Term
Care Functional Screen went state wide, and now determines eligibility for
all of the Wisconsin Home and Community Based Waivers ( CIP, COP-W, Family
Care and Partnership).
For the last three years, as part of the overall Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Redesign, the Bureau of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Services has developed and tested (both for validity and reliability) a
functional screen that determines the need for services for people with
serious and persistent mental illness. This screen will be web based, and
can automatically determine the need for the following: Community Support
Programs (CSP), Comprehensive Community Services (CCS), Community Options
Program (COP) and Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) Levels 1 & 2.
The screen will also automatically refer individuals who have co-morbid
substance abuse issues to a level one screen for UPC (uniform placement
criteria). It will also refer individuals with physical health problems
and related ADL (activities of daily living) deficits to a long term care
functional screen to determine eligibility for funding through a home and
community based waiver.
The Department has chosen to make this screen the approved screen for
CCS admissions for adults (the new children's screen will be used to
determine CCS for children). It will also be the approved screen for COP
eligibility for COP level 3 individuals with serious and persistent mental
illness, beginning March 1, 2005.
For these programs, it will be an annual requirement. It will remain
voluntary for CSP at this time, however many counties may want to begin
using the screen for CSP as it will give each program access to valuable
data on the CSP population locally. For the first time, local agencies
will have a mechanism to be able to sort caseloads by living situation,
diagnosis, risk factors and ADL functional levels.
This will provide agencies with valuable tools to plan their network of
providers and services, identify individuals who need more intensive
services, and ensure cost effectiveness in the local management of
services. The functional screen is comprehensive enough to use in lieu of
the initial assessment in order to complete the initial care plan required
during the assessment period.
For counties who want to participate in use of the screen for CSP, BQA
will accept the screen in place of the initial assessment, in conjunction
with the BQA required initial care plan. The agency will still be required
to complete the in-depth assessment within one month of admission as
required in HFS 63 administrative rules. The screen will be available
statewide in March of 2005. Also available will be a web based training
course through the UW-School of Nursing, Madison (see attachment on how to
access the required on-line training to become a certified screener) which
local staff can access at any time on line (Continuing Education Credits
are awarded).
To encourage county agencies and their sub-contractors to use the
screen for their adult population in CSP, the Bureau of Mental Health and
Substance Abuse Services is offering a financial incentive for those
county agencies willing to begin using the screen for their CSP consumers.
The agency can earn between $5,000 and $7,000 dollars to be applied
towards the cost of implementing the web based screen, if they implement
the use of the screen before June 30, 2005. The money needs to be spent by
June 30, 2005 and can be applied towards additional computers, cost of
training/loss of billable hours for CSP team members in clinical training
for the screen, training of support staff in data entry and general
infrastructure building.
The expectation for the use of the screen is that it will be used by
the agency for all new prospective CSP consumers, and annually for all
ongoing CSP consumers, with the screening process integrated into one of
the required six month plan reviews required under HFS 63 (eg., if John
Smith is due for a six month review in March of 2005, the agency will
screen John as part of the process of the review. John will then be
screened again in March of 2006). The Bureau would like a screen lead to
be designated for each agency and that person will receive regular updates
and information to be communicated to all agency screeners. This mechanism
will also be used to solicit ideas and gather report requests from the
agencies to ensure that screen data will be useful for CSP coordinators
and agency directors in strategic planning for cost effective services at
the local level.
The money will be awarded on a first-come-first served basis, and
awarded chronologically by date stamp until the available funding has been
used. Preference will be given to counties who intend to begin CCS
services in 2005. Please fill in the attached form and return to Jen
Peters by January 30, 2005 to apply for this funding. If you have
questions concerning this screen initiative, please contact Jen Peters at
(608) 261-9312.
REGIONAL OFFICE CONTACT:
Area Administrators
CENTRAL OFFICE CONTACT:
Jen Peters
Contract Monitor for the Integrated Systems Development Section (608)
261-9312
Fax (608) 266-1533
MEMO WEB SITE:
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/partners/local.htm
2 Attachments:
_________________________________________________________________________
BRIEF BUDGET REQUEST AND SIGNATURE OF AGREEMENT TO USE THE
MENTAL HEALTH/AODA FUNCTIONAL SCREEN BY JUNE 30, 2005.
Agency Name:
____________________________________________
Agency Address:
____________________________________________
Telephone # of Contact Person:
____________________________________________
____This agency agrees to use the funding available by June 30, 2005
____This agency agrees to start using the screen for new CSP admissions
in 2005
____This agency agrees to screen on-going CSP participants on an annual
basis, starting in 2005.
Signatures:
Agency Director_____________________________________ Date:_______
CSP Coordinator_____________________________________Date:________
Mail by January 30, 2005
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