Program Participation System Redesign

Will the new system change options for data submissions?

No. Options for submitting data to the replacement system will be the same as the existing Program Participation System.

Batch file upload from a local electronic health records systems and direct data entry screens available

• New combined mental health and substance use module
• CORE Module

Direct data entry screens only

• Human Services Revenue Report
• 942 Expense Report for Human Services

The Substance Abuse Prevention Services Information System will continue to have direct data entry screens only.

Will there be changes to the data requirements and specifications?

No major changes are planned for the data requirements and specifications for the 924 Expense Report for Human Services, CORE Module, and Human Services Revenue Report.

Major changes are planned for the mental health and substance use data requirements and specifications.

Changes to mental health and substance use data requirements and specifications

Many of the current mental health and substance use data requirements and specifications in the existing Program Participation System will remain the same due to federal and state rules. Some changes are planned. The changes will include:

• Integrated mental health and substance use data requirements.
• Updated data requirements on participant demographics and behavioral health needs.
• Improved participant functional status indicators to measure effectiveness.

Current proposed changes to mental health and substance use data requirements and specifications

Below is information on the current proposed changes to the mental health and substance use data requirements and specifications. These items were reviewed with workgroups that included staff from county agencies such as directors, program supervisors, and service providers as well as people who have received mental health and substance use services. Representatives from electronic health records systems vendors that work with county agencies also participated in the workgroups.

The current proposed changes to the mental health and substance use data requirements and specifications listed below may be used by county agencies to begin preparing for the new system. However, updates to data collection systems or electronic health records systems should not be made based on the information listed below. The final mental health and substance use data requirements and specifications will be available until 2023.

Mental health and Substance use module integration

Current practice

• Agency opens episode in either the AODA (substance use) or mental health module upon first service.
• AODA and mental health modules have overlapping but distinct reporting requirements (statuses, time periods, etc.)

Proposed specifications

• Mental health and substance use modules would be integrated into one module to which status data and service data is submitted. They would have more aligned reporting requirements.
• A participant would not be designated as mental health or substance use. The type of need (mental health, substance use, or integrated) would be indicated at the service level.

Remove episode structure

Current practice

• Agency opens episode in either the AODA or mental health module upon first service. Agency closes episode after last service ends.
• Open episodes should be closed by the agency after 180 days without a service for mental health and 90 days without a service for AODA.
• Demographic info and initial statuses are entered at the start of the episode. Mental health statuses are then entered every six months and upon episode end.

Proposed specifications

• There would be no episode structure in the new system. Agencies would submit participant-level, service-level, and status-level data.
• Treatment episodes would be calculated by DCTS (perhaps in system) for reporting and analysis purposes.

Service changes

Current practice

• Services are entered every month with provider, service type, delivery dates (start and end), delivery month, and number of units in days or hours.
• If the service is ending, a discharge reason is entered. If the service is continuing, the discharge reason is “service is continuing."
• AODA service discharges require certain status updates.
• AODA and mental health modules have overlapping but different SPC lists.
• Certain services are considered “brief” and have limited reporting requirements.
• Certain program services are rolled into one SPC (CCS and CSP) rather than listing out each specific type of service delivered.

Proposed specifications

• Remove monthly service record submissions for ongoing services. Remove the reporting of units (days or hours).
• When a service is started, the SPC, service type (AODA, mental health, or integrated), service provider, and start date would be entered.
• Delivery dates would be submitted (but no units) for non-continuous services. (example: a residential service would just have start and end dates while counseling sessions would have delivery dates)
• When the service is ended, the end date and discharge reason would be entered.
• The SPC service list would be integrated into one list. Each service would be marked as substance use. mental health, or integrated.

Program enrollment

Current practice

Program service data is submitted using a program SPC (CCS, CRS, or CSP). There are no mental health program enrollment dates, except for CST, which enters program enrollment dates in the mental health participation module.

Proposed specifications

There would be fields for mental health program enrollment dates for CCS, CSP, CSC, CRS, and CST.

Consumer status indicators

Current practice

• Statuses (such as employment, substance use, living arrangement, and criminal justice involvement) are entered at the beginning of episodes for AODA and mental health.
• For AODA, statuses are entered at the end of each service.
• For mental health, they are entered at six-month intervals and at the end of each episode.
• AODA and mental health share some indicators such as living arrangements and employment, but also have ones unique to each module.
• If a participant only receives certain services categorized as "brief", statuses do not need to be collected.

Proposed specifications

• Certain types of services (crisis or other brief services) would continue to be exempted from entering statuses.
• Status indicators would be the same for all participants. There would be an option of "not applicable."
• Statuses for all participants would be collected at the first service (beginning of an episode), at six-month intervals, and discharge of last open service.

Emergency detentions

Current practice

Emergency detentions are a service code. In practice, they are not a service but rather a designation. The service is crisis or inpatient or emergency room, etc.

Proposed specifications

• Create emergency detention fields separate from service fields. It may be that this information be entered independently of a service or associated with a service record.
• For emergency detentions, data could include:
  • Date initiated or approved
  • Resolution date
  • Resolution

Commitment status

Current practice

• Currently this is entered upon admission, every 6 months, and upon discharge. This does not reflect changes in commitment status very well. Often it does not get updated.

Proposed specifications

There would be specific commitment status fields. It may be that this information be entered independently of a service or associated with a service record. The information may include commitment status and date.

Requirements for individual fields are still under development. These requirements will be shared after work on the proposed specifications is completed.

How is this project being funded?

We are funding the development and maintenance costs of the new system. Local agencies need to cover the costs to adapt to any new data requirements, including costs to program any new data requirements into their electronic health records system. We anticipate these costs being incurred in 2023.