February 2024 Newsletter
The Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities (COE-NF) provides mental health and substance use evidence-based training, customized technical assistance, and resources to certified Medicare and Medicaid nursing facilities that care for residents with a variety of behavioral health conditions at absolutely no cost. To submit a request for assistance, complete the online request form by clicking HERE.
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In This Issue
- Access Free Mental Health and Substance Use Technical Assistance
- Behavioral Health Needs Assessment
- Behavioral Health Equity
- CARES Serious Mental Illness Office Hours
- Nursing Facility Guidance Update
- COE-NF Resources
- Behavioral Health Needs Assessment
- Rapid Behavioral Health Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Worksheet
- Mental Health 101 Bite-Sized Learning
- Making Health Care Better Podcast
- Did You Know?
- Register for Upcoming COE-NF Training Sessions
- You Matter – Ways to Help Calm the Mind and Body
- Poll: Your Opinion Matters
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Access Free Mental Health and Substance Use
Technical Assistance
Unlock the potential of your skilled nursing facility with our NO COST technical assistance services. We understand that you have questions, and we're here to help. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)-certified nursing facilities can now access comprehensive support on various behavioral health topics. Whether you need help finding a mental health or substance use provider, exploring telehealth options, initiating your facility's behavioral health education journey, or addressing specific behavioral health concerns of residents – we've got you covered.
Request COE-NF technical assistance through our online submission form.
Here's what you can expect: Your dedicated regional behavioral specialist will contact you to schedule a discovery meeting. During this meeting, the specialist will partner with you to determine the tailored training, resources, and direct assistance the COE-NF will provide to your facility. Additionally, our team will guide you in identifying root causes when appropriate and help develop a targeted action plan for your team. These plans can seamlessly integrate into your facility's Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) plan, ensuring compliance with CMS regulations and effectively improving the behavioral health care of residents.
Have more questions or need further clarification? Submit a request, and we'll promptly follow up to support you. Elevate your facility's approach to behavioral health with our dedicated technical assistance team.
Request COE-NF technical assistance through our online submission form.
Here's what you can expect: Your dedicated regional behavioral specialist will contact you to schedule a discovery meeting. During this meeting, the specialist will partner with you to determine the tailored training, resources, and direct assistance the COE-NF will provide to your facility. Additionally, our team will guide you in identifying root causes when appropriate and help develop a targeted action plan for your team. These plans can seamlessly integrate into your facility's Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) plan, ensuring compliance with CMS regulations and effectively improving the behavioral health care of residents.
Have more questions or need further clarification? Submit a request, and we'll promptly follow up to support you. Elevate your facility's approach to behavioral health with our dedicated technical assistance team.
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Behavioral Health Needs Assessment:
A Complement to the Required Facility-Wide Assessment
The COE-NF’s new Behavioral Health Needs Assessment can complement the required annual facility-wide assessment. The assessment was designed to bridge any behavioral health gaps not addressed or identified in the required annual facility-wide assessment.
Current guidance from the CMS State Operations Manual Appendix PP (Ftags 740-745) references assessment of residents' behavioral health needs and staff training and skills within the required annual facility-wide assessment.
Some examples:
Why use the behavioral health needs assessment? It provides:
We encourage nursing facilities to use the assessment as they examine their own needs in the context of mental health and substance use services. Contact the COE-NF for training on how to complete the form. This Behavioral Health Needs Assessment is not a requirement.
Current guidance from the CMS State Operations Manual Appendix PP (Ftags 740-745) references assessment of residents' behavioral health needs and staff training and skills within the required annual facility-wide assessment.
Some examples:
- Pg. 498: “SUD and SMI care needs should be part of the facility assessment. The facility should determine if they have capacity, services, and staff skills to meet the requirements of F741.”
- Pg. 508: Regarding sufficient staff to provide BH services: “The facility must address in its facility assessment under §483.70(e) (F838) the behavioral health needs that can be met and the numbers and types of staff needed to meet these needs.”
Why use the behavioral health needs assessment? It provides:
- A systematic way of identifying the current behavioral health and service needs of residents with behavioral health conditions.
- Actionable data for planning, staffing, training, and engaging with external resources/partnerships.
- Assistance with meeting the requirement for the behavioral health component of the facility-wide assessment that must be completed at least annually.
- A pathway for creating an environment that prioritizes and recognizes that behavioral health is essential to physical health and functional outcomes.
- Key information to help elevate the facilities’ behavioral health care, treatment and services provided to residents.
We encourage nursing facilities to use the assessment as they examine their own needs in the context of mental health and substance use services. Contact the COE-NF for training on how to complete the form. This Behavioral Health Needs Assessment is not a requirement.
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Behavioral Health Equity
CMS Announces New Model to Advance Integration in Behavioral Health
This new model seeks to improve quality of care, access, and outcomes for people with mental health conditions and substance use disorders in Medicaid and Medicare. This model will offer nursing facilities additional community-based options for treatment referral to address the behavioral health needs of residents in the states of implementation.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through CMS, announced a new model to test approaches for addressing the behavioral and physical health, as well as health-related social needs, of people with Medicaid and Medicare. The Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model’s goal is to improve the overall quality of care and outcomes for adults with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders by connecting them with the physical, behavioral, and social supports needed to manage their care. The model will also promote health information technology (health IT) capacity building through infrastructure payments and other activities.
The CMS Innovation Center will test the IBH Model. Under IBH, community-based behavioral health practices will form interprofessional care teams consisting of behavioral and physical health providers and community-based supports. This new model supports the president’s mental health strategy and implements an action item in the HHS Roadmap for BH Integration.
The model will launch in the fall of 2024 and is anticipated to operate for eight years in up to eight states. CMS will release a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the model in the spring of 2024.
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CARES Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Office Hours
The COE-NF is making the CARES® Serious Mental Illness™ Online Training Program available to CMS-certified nursing facilities at no cost. CARES SMI focuses on how to develop care strategies for individuals diagnosed with a serious mental illness and how it differs from dementia.
Interested in learning more about CARES SMI before committing or have general questions about the program? Join our monthly office hours meeting on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 2:30-3 p.m. ET for an open discussion on implementation, benefits, case studies and successes.
Interested in learning more about CARES SMI before committing or have general questions about the program? Join our monthly office hours meeting on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 2:30-3 p.m. ET for an open discussion on implementation, benefits, case studies and successes.
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Nursing Facility Guidance Update
Behavioral Health Training Requirements
F949 in the CMS State Operations Manual (SOM) states that a facility must provide training consistent with the requirements at 483.40 and as determined by the facility assessment.
Who is required to participate in behavioral health training?
The guidance notes that this training requirement applies to all facility staff, including:
What content should be included in behavioral health training?
The content of behavioral health training should be determined by the facility assessment, staff needs and the residents’ specific behavioral health needs. The guidance also establishes that, at a minimum, the training should provide staff with competencies and skills for the following:
F949 in the CMS State Operations Manual (SOM) states that a facility must provide training consistent with the requirements at 483.40 and as determined by the facility assessment.
Who is required to participate in behavioral health training?
The guidance notes that this training requirement applies to all facility staff, including:
- Direct care
- Indirect care
- Contracted staff
- Volunteers
What content should be included in behavioral health training?
The content of behavioral health training should be determined by the facility assessment, staff needs and the residents’ specific behavioral health needs. The guidance also establishes that, at a minimum, the training should provide staff with competencies and skills for the following:
- Person-centered care and services that reflect the residents’ goals for care.
- Interpersonal communication that promotes mental and psychosocial well-being.
- Meaningful activities that promote engagement and positive, meaningful relationships.
- An environment and atmosphere that is conducive to mental and psychosocial well-being.
- Individualized, non-pharmacological approaches to care.
- Care specific to the individual needs of residents who are diagnosed with a mental, psychosocial, or substance use disorder, a history of trauma and/or posttraumatic stress disorder, or other behavioral health conditions.
- Care specific to the individual needs of residents diagnosed with dementia.
- Review and evaluate your facility’s current training program for behavioral health topics.
- Compare your current training program to the minimum requirements above and against your facility’s “facility assessment” and unique population.
- Identify any gaps in training on appropriate competencies and skills.
- Develop a plan to address any identified gaps.
The COE-NF is available to support your facility in any of these guidance areas. Contact the COE-NF today:
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COE-NF Resource
The COE-NF developed the following resource that nursing facilities can use to educate the team about behavioral health conditions.
Behavioral Health Needs Assessment
This assessment provides a structured approach to help nursing facilities identify gaps in behavioral health services and plan for improvement. Download Resource
This assessment provides a structured approach to help nursing facilities identify gaps in behavioral health services and plan for improvement. Download Resource
Rapid Behavioral Health Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Worksheet
The PDSA worksheet helps nursing facilities assess the effectiveness of behavioral health interventions implemented in facilities. Download Resource
The PDSA worksheet helps nursing facilities assess the effectiveness of behavioral health interventions implemented in facilities. Download Resource
Mental Health 101 Bite-Sized Learning
Learn about the basics of mental health, how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health disorders, and ways to support residents with mental health disorders. Watch Video
Learn about the basics of mental health, how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health disorders, and ways to support residents with mental health disorders. Watch Video
Interested in accessing additional COE-NF resources for your facility?
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Making Health Care Better Podcast
The Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health in Nursing Facilities was featured on Alliant Health Solution’s Making Health Care Better podcast. From discussions with industry experts to insightful interviews with health care professionals, each episode of the Making Health Care Better podcast offers valuable insights and practical advice to navigate the complexities of healthcare. Whether you’re a health care provider or administrator or simply curious about the future of health care, tune in to stay informed and inspired.
What Nursing Facilities Need to Know About Managing Substance Use Disorders - Part 1
As the number of older adults with chronic medical illnesses and substance use disorders, especially opioid use disorder (OUD), increases, so does the need for post-acute care services in skilled nursing facilities. On the Making Health Care Better podcast, Dr. Swati Gaur, Alliant Health Solution’s medical director and a practicing physician who specializes in geriatric medicine, shares insight about what nursing facility staff need to know about managing substance use disorders.
As the number of older adults with chronic medical illnesses and substance use disorders, especially opioid use disorder (OUD), increases, so does the need for post-acute care services in skilled nursing facilities. On the Making Health Care Better podcast, Dr. Swati Gaur, Alliant Health Solution’s medical director and a practicing physician who specializes in geriatric medicine, shares insight about what nursing facility staff need to know about managing substance use disorders.
What Nursing Facilities Need to Know About Managing Substance Use Disorders - Part 2
In this episode, Dr. Gaur is back along with Wilbert Martin, the COE-NF recovery specialist. They share insight about what nursing facility staff can do now to help provide better care for residents with substance use disorders.
In this episode, Dr. Gaur is back along with Wilbert Martin, the COE-NF recovery specialist. They share insight about what nursing facility staff can do now to help provide better care for residents with substance use disorders.
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Behavioral health impacts people of all ages. About one in five people over age 65 live with a mental health condition such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
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This February, seize the opportunity to enhance your expertise and enrich resident care by participating in our professional training sessions tailored just for YOU!
These sessions are being held at no cost to you.
Click the REGISTER HERE buttons below each training to sign up.
- ACCME & NAB CREDITS will be offered. -
See you there!
These sessions are being held at no cost to you.
Click the REGISTER HERE buttons below each training to sign up.
- ACCME & NAB CREDITS will be offered. -
See you there!
Thursday, February 15, 2024
2-3 p.m. EST
2-3 p.m. EST
Are you a nursing facility staff member seeking to enhance your understanding of effectively addressing the behavioral health needs of African American residents? Join us for an informative training designed to reduce, and in some cases eliminate, behavioral health disparities among African American nursing facility residents. By attending the training, you will gain valuable insights into the social-cultural factors affecting behavioral health among African Americans, participate in an engaging discussion regarding challenges in providing optimal behavioral health care, and gain culturally informed strategies to serve the African American population effectively.
Learning Objectives:
- Define behavioral health equity and why it’s important.
- Understand social-cultural factors affecting behavioral health among African Americans.
- Identify social-ecological barriers to behavioral health care among African Americans.
- Provide evidence-based strategies to improve behavioral health outcomes for African American residents.
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
2-3 p.m. EST
2-3 p.m. EST
Diversity-informed practice and trauma-informed care are so intertwined that nursing facilities cannot effectively have one without the other. In this session, we consider the importance of cultural responsiveness—individually and systemically—to those who have experienced trauma.
Learning Objectives:
- Consider structural and systemic inequities as retraumatizing experiences.
- Discuss how different cultural groups may perceive and respond to trauma.
Friday, February 23, 2024
11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training provides skills to engage and provide initial help and support to someone developing a mental health or substance use challenge or experiencing a crisis. This session provides a MHFA certification for three years. 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET
The training covers:
- Common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.
- How to interact with a person in crisis.
- How to connect a person with help.
- Expanded content on trauma, substance use and self-care.
- Part 1 starts AFTER initial registration has been approved by the instructor. Approved registrants will be emailed instructions on creating an online profile using MHFA Connect and completing a pre-survey/quiz, followed by a two-hour self-paced online course. Registrants MUST complete Part 1 no less than 48 hours (two business days) before the Part 2 session.
- Part 2 is a 5.5-hour live instructor-led virtual training. Participants are required to be on camera the entire time.
- Part 3 participants will return to MHFA Connect to complete the post-test and evaluation required to receive a certificate of participation.
Thursday, February 29, 2024
2-3 p.m. EST
2-3 p.m. EST
Participants will gain an understanding of the six most prevalent substance use disorders.
Learning Objectives:
- Define substance use disorders.
- Discuss the six most prevalent substance use disorders
- Describe how to recognize signs of substance use disorders.
- Discuss steps to take when suspected resident’s active substance use.
- Explain the importance of screening and assessing for substance use disorders.
- Discuss how to support residents with substance use disorders.
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You Matter:
Ways to Help Calm the Mind and Body
Ways to Help Calm the Mind and Body
Trying to manage anxiety or stress? Grounding is a way to calm worried thoughts by using your five senses. When your thoughts are calm, your body is more relaxed. During periods of stress, you may find your thoughts spinning. When you feel like your thoughts are going round and round (like your brain is on a merry-go-round), try using grounding techniques to refocus your thoughts.
Click below to answer two (2) questions and share your thoughts on this month's newsletter.
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Stay up to date on COE-NF news and events.
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Stay up to date on COE-NF news and events.
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Contact us:
For more information, please call 1-844-314-1433 or email coeinfo@allianthealth.org.
To submit a request to inquire about substance use and/or mental health training options for your facility, complete the inquiry form.
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For more information, please call 1-844-314-1433 or email coeinfo@allianthealth.org.
To submit a request to inquire about substance use and/or mental health training options for your facility, complete the inquiry form.
Was this email forwarded to you? If so, please subscribe HERE.
Want to opt-out from receiving news from us? Click HEREto unsubscribe.
Click below to follow the COE-NF social media channels for resources, news and more!
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Alliant Health Solutions (AHS) was awarded a three-year cooperative agreement from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to create a COE-NF. AHS has over 50 years of experience working with nursing homes and behavioral health in nursing homes.
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This newsletter was made possible by grant number 1H79SM087155 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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