Respite care is short-term care that allows parents/families of children with behavioral health issues to take a break from the daily routine and stress of caregiving. Two respite care options are available for city residents with children between the ages of 6 and 15:

• Boys and Girls Clubs: Parents can bring their child to one of five Boys and Girls Clubs located throughout the city for up to five hours each Saturday. The staff at each Club are licensed and trained. Children receive lunch and snacks and have access to a variety of recreational activities.
• Foster Family Care: Parents can use licensed and trained respite foster parents homes from two agencies (Wordsworth and Silver Springs). Caregivers are trained, licensed and have state-required child serving clearances. Children can stay in a home from one full day up to 48 hours over the course of a weekend. The children must have a mental health diagnosis and be receiving DBHIDS services at the time they are registered.

The Quality Review Unit functions within the Provider Operations Department so that all aspects of the contracted agency operations are linked to a continuous quality improvement process. The Quality Review Unit provides educational outreach to participating providers, and works to assure that participating providers, specialized practitioners and clients are informed about all quality of care and quality of service standards. DBH/CBH requires that providers develop internal quality improvement processes that enhance and support the quality of care delivered. The Quality Review Unit works closely with other DBH/CBH departments to monitor the service delivery of providers.

The Quality Review unit is responsible for monitoring the:

• Complaint Process
• Grievance Process
• Quality Response Team (QRT)
• Significant Incident Reports
• Quality Concerns
• Clinical Appeals

The Beck Initiative is an innovative, team-oriented approach to advance the quality of care provided to persons in recovery within the DBHIDS system by placing tangible tools in the hands of the therapists who serve them. The program partners include Aaron T. Beck, the founder of Cognitive Therapy, his research group at the University of Pennsylvania, the Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Suicide and DBHIDS.

The program objectives include:

• Incorporate the evidence-based practice of CT as a standard of care within the network
• Improve treatment outcomes for people served by DBHIDS
• Improve the professional lives of therapists in the network
• To conduct program evaluation to measure outcomes
• Become one of the first large-scale implementations of evidence-based psychotherapy
• Serve as a model for other large behavioral health systems

In response to needs identified within DBHIDS, The Beck Initiative conducted intensive training workshops combined with ongoing consultation for different populations in a variety of settings including:

• Adolescents in School Settings Adult Outpatient
• Forensics Peer Specialists
• Schizophrenia Recovery Coaches
• Substance Abuse CBH Clinical Department
• Psychiatrists & Program Directors
• DBHIDS Acute Services Team
• Adult Outpatient
• Peer Specialists
• Recovery Coaches
• CBH Clinical Department
• DBHIDS Acute Services Team

The City of Philadelphia, the department, the network of agencies and people in recovery are privileged to have a prominent figure in the field of psychotherapy along with a world-class university that shares both their knowledge and expertise.

Pennsylvania Recovery Organization Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT), a grassroots recovery support organization, offers a free family Education Program. It is held monthly for families dealing with a loved one’s alcohol addiction.

The program offers information, help, and healing to family and friends who are concerned about a person’s drinking or other drug use. This supportive program helps families to understanding addiction, the impact on the family and developing a support network.

OAS Grievance Process:

• The OAS Grievance Process begins at the provider agency with the therapist.
• If for any reason someone is not satisfied, he or she will follow the chain of command as specified in the provider agency’s protocol.
• If a person is not satisfied after exhausting all provider agency resources, they should file a written or verbal complaint with the Office of Addiction Services. The complaint should be sent to the attention of Catherine Williams, Ph.D., the Director of Program Planning & Operations – SCA.
• If the individual is not satisfied with the results, he or she may forward the complaint to Roland Lamb, the Director of Addiction Services for resolution.

In order to deliver the highest quality of care for people seeking addiction treatment, the Office of Addiction Services and DBHIDS employ a rigorous evaluation and compliance process for its internal staff and external provider network. This process ensures all care providers, operations, and services:

• Maintain the highest ethical standards
• Provide professional, responsible and compassionate care
• Compliance with all local, state and federal laws/regulations
• Demonstrate financially responsible stewardship in the delivery of contracted services

The Integrated Monitoring Team (IMT), in conjunction with CBH and DBHIDS Program Analysts, has responsibility for agency regulatory and contractual compliance. Activities include:

• Quarterly site visits
• Regular assessments of service delivery, staff qualifications and program safety
• Sharing reports and findings with various DBH/MRS leaders and departments
• Providing training and technical assistance to agencies in need of assistance with compliance

The CBH Compliance Department monitors compliance for the BHSI provider network. Site visits are conducted by BHSI staff, where reviews of charts and facility inspections are performed. BHSI also coordinates information exchange with the Office of Addition Services (OAS) and other key stakeholders to help monitor the provider network and improve the delivery of services.

Using state placement criteria, BHSI functions as a administrative, case management and funding entity, authorizing each person’s care according to clinical/medical necessity. After BHSI conducts an assessment, the individual is referred to a licensed drug and alcohol provider in the BHSI provider network.

BHSI does not have a hearing and grievance process. If a provider wants to appeal any clinical or administrative decision, that provider must send a letter to the attention to the BHSI Director and a copy to the Assistant Director.

Providers should send appeals-related correspondence to:

Fred Way, Jr
Director, Behavioral Health Special Initiative (BHSI)

Through a network of treatment providers, OAS guides recovery-oriented drug and alcohol treatment for people enrolled in Medicaid, as well as people who are uninsured and underinsured.

Authorization Services (BHSI) - Behavioral Health Special Initiative (BHSI) provides treatment for people who are uninsured and underinsured
Compliance & Contractual Monitoring - a rigorous assessment process that ensures contracted service providers meet all legal/regulatory requirements and maintain the highest standards for quality
Hearing, Grievances & Appeals - a formal process that protects the rights of people receiving addiction treatment services from OAS-contracted provider agencies

Use this to bind new subcontractors to existing Provider Agreements, which are currently in force.

• Download Joinder Agreement pdf
• Download Joinder Instructions pdf