NJAMHAA-FY23-Annual-Report

24 Breaking Barriers in Behavioral Health Care Integrated Case Management Services Practice Group Co-Chairs: Renee Carrillo Director of Burlington and Mercer ICMS and Camden and Mercer Senior Well Being, Oaks Integrated Care Laurie DeSimone-Celuch, LPC, LCADC, ACS, CCS Senior Director, Hospital and Community Services, CarePlus NJ, Inc. The Integrated Case Management Services (ICMS) Practice Group has continued its focus on developing recommendations for program regulations. To further inform these recommendations, members provided data on non-billable services, terminations of clients due to refusal and loss of contact, staff productivity levels, resignations, and case manager positions that were declined. This group is also planning its third virtual conference to be held on November 16, 2023 and conducted surveys to gain feedback about previous conferences and recommendations for the program structure and content. Programs for Assertive Community Treatment Practice Group Co-Chairs: Kim Class, LPC, LCADC, ACS, CCTP, NCC, DRCC Director of PACT and Assistant Director of Adult Residential and Community Outreach, Bright Harbor Healthcare Amy Harpster, MA Director, Community Support Services and PACT, Bridgeway Rehabilitation Services, Inc. The Programs for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) Practice Group is similar to the ICMS Practice Group in a few significant ways. Both groups were initially created in 1997, soon after the programs were established in New Jersey. In addition, they were both active through 2014 when NJAMHAA streamlined the number of practice groups due to limited staff resources and reactivated them in 2020 in response to members’ strong interest. The current and ongoing common thread is the PACT and ICMS Practice Groups’ focus on developing recommendations for program regulations to foster more effective delivery of services for the individuals they serve. In fact, the Chairs of the PACT Practice Group and NJAMHAA staff participated in a June meeting with a DMHAS workgroup regarding changes to the Division’s PACT regulations, with all of their recommendations being well-received. Residential Providers Practice Group Co-Chairs: Dominic Barone Executive Director, High Focus Centers Pyramid Healthcare Hammonton Michelle Borden, LCSW, CSWM, DRCC Chief Executive Officer, NewBridge Services This is the newest practice group, created in response to interest expressed by many residential treatment providers. In addition to working with the Addictions Practice Group on an 1115 Waiver/ managed care position paper and providing valuable input on licensing issues to strengthen NJAMHAA’s advocacy, members of the Residential Providers Practice Group shared information to assist each other on operational issues. Topics included conducting overnight rounds/checks with residents; the issues concerning workflows and policies and their impact; and disposal of expired and wasted medications.