March 2022
HCI Behavioral Health Provider Newsletter
A monthly collection of must-know information and resources
In this issue:
  • Provider Resources and Information
  • March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
  • Beacon Provider Training Resources
  • Health Cabinet Policy Summit
  • Improving Care of LGBTQ+ People of Color
  • Behavioral Health Provider Handbook
  • Provider Recruitment
  • Preparing Your Workplace for Peer Integration
  • Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) Billing Manual
  • Health Colorado Member Resources
  • Black & African American Suicide Prevention
  • Help Increase Enrollment of Medicaid Members in WIC and SNAP
  • Where Do I Start Webinar
  • Your Choice, Your Voice Workshop
  • COVID
  • Extension of Public Health Emergency
  • Health First Colorado Coverage of At-Home COVID Tests
  • Omicron Resources
  • Statewide COVID Vaccine Information
  • Upcoming Webinars / Events
  • Colorado Health Institute 2022
  • Grief: Healing Through Feeling Provider Training
  • Mental Health and SUD Documentation Training
PROVIDER RESOURCES AND INFORMATION
MARCH: BRAIN INJURY AWARENESS MONTH

There are more than 5.3 million individuals in the United States who are living with a permanent brain injury-related disability. That’s one in every 60 people. The Brain Injury Association of America has created a webpage with resources for providers such as fact sheets, engagement toolkits, and personal stories.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BEACON PROVIDER TRAINING RESOURCES

Below are resources that were offered in previous month's Beacon roundtables in regards to billing, claims, and cultural competency
HEALTH CABINET POLICY SUMMIT

On March 24th 2022 and March 31st 2022, the Department of Health Care Policy & Financing will be hosting a FREE virtual event is designed for policy makers, advocates, payers, care providers, health care leaders and other industry stakeholders. This event will include Lt. Gov. Primavera, Health Cabinet executive directors and industry leaders for the Health Cabinet Summit.

Presentations, topics and panels will include:  
  • Health care affordability for Coloradans
  • Behavioral health transformation
  • Hospital Insights Report findings
  • COVID-19 Pandemic to Endemic, Future Readiness
  • Keeping Coloradans covered after the public health emergency

Use this website for more information and to register.
IMPROVING CARE OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE OF COLOR

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) newsletter provided this resource ,"Lessons from the Voices of [LGBTQ+] Patients" and other LGBTQ+ materials for providers including term definitions, health team best practices, and much more."
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDER HANDBOOK

As a reminder, you can access The Provider handbook on Health Colorado's website under the Provider Handbooks & Policies section. Please utilize these resources to answer questions in regards to covered services, claims, provider information, etc.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDER RECRUITMENT

One of the Governor's 'Wildly Important Goals' this fiscal year is to add 950 behavioral health providers to serve Medicaid members statewide. Please share this provider recruitment letter encouraging other providers to consider enrolling as a Health First Colorado provider.
ON DEMAND: PREPARING YOUR WORKPLACE FOR PEER INTEGRATION

Employers require ongoing evaluation, guidance, strategies, tools, and support to achieve a truly integrated workforce that welcomes and values peer specialists and their unique contributions. Incorporating peer specialists can be a confusing task for all stakeholders. This recording provides a broad overview of how organizational leadership, managers, and supervisors can prepare or improve their workplace for integrating peer specialists. Recording includes information on:

  • Identify competencies for peer employers. 
  • Describe recovery orientation.
  • Develop a plan to successfully prepare their workplace for peer employees. 

Click here to access recording and helpful handouts
UPDATED QUALIFIED RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM (QRTP) BILLING MANUAL

Recent updates have been made to the QRTP billing manual. The following days are not billable:
  • The day of discharge. 
  • Days when the client is in detention.
  • Days when the client receives none of the services included in the per diem rate due to elopement.
  • Days the client spends away from the facility, due to an M1 hold or a temporary pass, but still receiving covered services, are billable for up to 4 days.  

The billing manual can be found here.
HEALTH COLORADO MEMBER RESOURCES
Beacon and Health Colorado would like to give their providers important resources to share with members.
BLACK & AFRICAN AMERICAN SUICIDE PREVENTION
 
Black Wellness Lounge This is a safe space created to talk about things that directly impact Black people's mental health. They talk about systemic racism, white supremacy, and microaggressions. But they also highlight Black joy, Black peace, and Black healing!! Welcome to the Lounge!
 
WEBINAR: Why do Black Males Consider Suicide? March 9, 2022 1:00 PM MT: Suicidologists have focused on the quality and reproducibility of the science of why people die by suicide. Dr. Sean Joe, a social work scientist, highlights the emerging science on suicidal behavior among Black Americans, calling attention to important roles of sex and age that reflect not only differences in etiology, but also other important variations in relation to risk, the nature of suicidal behavior and its prevention and practice with Black boys and young men.
HELP INCREASE ENROLLMENT OF MEDICAID MEMBERS IN WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) AND SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)

Medicaid beneficiaries are:
  • At high risk of food insecurity
  • 100% eligible for WIC and likely eligible for SNAP
  • Under-enrolled in SNAP and WIC

Participation in SNAP/WIC:
  • Improves physical, mental and cognitive health.
  • Improves food and economic security
  • Lowers healthcare costs and increases medication adherence

Please utilize and share these resources to assist members in enrolling in WIC and SNAP benefits:
HEALTH COLORADO: WHERE DO I START? WEBINAR

Beacon and Health Colorado will assist with questions new members have regarding Medicaid benefits.

  • First Thursday of each month 11am - 12pm
  • Click here for the flyer and how to join.
YOUR CHOICE, YOUR VOICE: LIFE CARE PLANNING ADVANCE DIRECTIVES VIRTUAL WORKSHOP

Beacon and Health Colorado invites anyone to participate in this "working" workshop where forms are available for members to state their wishes if they were unable to communicate them.

  • Last Thursday of each month 11:30am - 1:00pm
  • Click here for the flyer and how to join.
COVID
HEALTH FIRST COLORADO COVERAGE OF AT-HOME COVID TESTS
Health First Colorado, the Colorado Medicaid program, will pay for at-home COVID-19 tests for members effective Jan. 15, 2022. Each enrolled Health First Colorado member can get up to 15 free at-home tests per month from pharmacies that serve Health First Colorado. There is no out of pocket cost or co-pays for Health First Colorado. Health First Colorado will reimburse the pharmacies after members receive the free tests.
 
Health First Colorado members must get the tests from a Health First Colorado enrolled pharmacy. Health First Colorado cannot be reimbursed for at-home tests they may have already purchased.
 
Currently, there is a shortage of at-home tests and pharmacies have the discretion to limit how many tests they will provide customers at one time - such as a parent wanting to receive a month’s worth of tests for each member of his/her family at one time. The Biden Administration has ordered 500 million tests be made available nationwide by early February.
 
The Health First Colorado webpage has more information on the at-home test program, enrolled pharmacies and FAQs that will be updated as new questions arise.
OMICRON RESOURCES

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) shared new and updated communication resources that may be useful.
STATEWIDE COVID-19 VACCINE INFORMATION

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides extensive resources and up to date information regarding the COVID vaccine.


For vaccine information from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, visit this webpage.
WEBINARS / EVENTS
COLORADO HEALTH INSTITUTE 2022 HEALTH AGENDA: BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION

Colorado Health Institute's (CHI) President and CEO Michele Lueck is hosting a webinar in regards to the CHI 2022 Health Agenda. This specific webinar will go deeper into one of three challenges CHI believes urgently needs solving in Colorado — Behavioral Health.
GRIEF: HEALING THROUGH FEELING PROVIDER TRAINING
Presented By: Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, edD, PMHNP

This event allows for participants to gain an understanding of Controlled Grief, learn techniques to participate in Controlled Grief, and how to teach patients to take the time for Controlled Grief.
  • Thursday, March 17, 2022, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM MST
  • Register here
MENTAL HEALTH AND SUD DOCUMENTATION TRAINING--WEBINAR
 
Beacon Colorado's Quality team will be hosting a documentation training for behavioral health and SUD providers.
  • March 31, 2022 from 9am to 11am.
  • Click here for more information and to register in advance.
RAE ROUNDTABLE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH---2nd Friday of every month at 11am

Please click here to join the webinar:

Or By Telephone:1-669-900-6833---Webinar ID: 995 7438 8100----Passcode: 173943
Visit the HCI website for details on previous calls.