Information for Service Providers

This page provides links to information to assist mental health service providers.

Administrative/Financial Information

• Administrative Practices and Medicaid Requirements
  In January 2004, an advisory letter was distributed to the Office of Mental Health (OMH) - licensed outpatient providers which included documents that provide advice and information regarding approaches to moderating expenses, maximizing revenue opportunities, and creating structures, practices and processes that support these goals. The two documents include Administrative Practices: Advice for Mental Health Programs and Medicaid Requirements for OMH - Licensed Outpatient Programs.
• Best Practices for Not-for-Profit (NFP) Corporations
  • Board Governance & Executive Compensation in Non-Profit Mental Hygiene Agencies
    This report, issued by The NYS Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities, examines compensation practices in government funded not-for-profit mental hygiene agencies in NY State. It is designed to assist boards of directors in fulfilling their duty to set reasonable compensation for their executives by offering best practices.
  • Corporate Governance and Executive Compensation
    This section contains links to guidelines/articles published by governmental and non-governmental entities which would provide NFP Boards with proper guidance for corporate governance and determining reasonable levels of executive compensation.
  • Management Library
    This online library provides easy-to-access, comprehensive resources regarding the leadership and management of not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. It includes topics like finances, ethics in workplace, training and development.
  • Top Ten Internal Controls to Prevent and Detect Fraud
    A list of internal controls to assist NFP providers in preventing and detecting fraudulent activities.
• CBFS - Community Budget And Financial Management Group
  • The Case Management Models - Provides Case Management and Assertive Community Treatment Team models.
  • Community Support Program (CSP) Medicaid Description (106kb) - Provides the description of the CSP Medicaid program.
  • Comprehensive Outpatient Program Services (COPS) Level I Description - Provides description of the COPS program.
  • Comprehensive Outpatient Program Services (COPS) Level II Description (95kb)
  • Disproportionate Share Income (DSH) ( 82kb)
  • The Spending Plan Guidelines site provides the Aid To Localities Spending Plan Allocation Guidelines and Instruction manuals.
  • Direct Contracts – Information for providers who have Aid-to-Localities funded direct contracts with OMH
  • Federal Certification Form 1 (123kb) – Lobbying
  • Federal Certification Form 2 (82kb) – Assurances – Non–Construction Programs
• CFR - Consolidated Fiscal Reporting
  • The Consolidated Fiscal Reporting (CFR) site provides information on filing CFR documents and resources including contact listings, schedules, frequently asked questions, (FAQ's) and links to related sites.
  • Consolidated Fiscal Reporting System (CFRS) Software – Download the most recent release of the software used to prepare Consolidated Fiscal Reports (CFR), Consolidated Budget Reports (CBR) and Consolidated Quarterly Reports (CQR) for the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), the Office For People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and the State Education Department (SED).
  • CBR - Consolidated Budget Reporting Manual documents provide procedures and step-by-step instructions for fulfilling fiscal reporting requirements related to the receipt of State Aid. (NYC and Upstate).
  • CFR - Information for RTF Providers
• Clinic-Plus Quarterly Report
  The Clinic-Plus Quarterly Report is a Web-based application designed for Clinic-Plus providers to enter data related to their screening and other clinical services. This link also provides access to the EBTDC Information Reporting Form for clinicians participating in EBTDC training.
• Clinic Restructuring Implementation Plan Now Available On the Web
  The New York State OMH has undertaken a multi-year initiative to restructure the way the State delivers and reimburses publicly supported mental health services. This OMH Clinic Restructuring Plan describes a redesigned clinic program; a new payment system; and a multi-year implementation plan.
  • Standards of Care for Adults
  • Standards of Care for Children
  • The Children's Technical Assistance Center (CTAC)
• Continuing Day Treatment Programs' New Reimbursement Methodology - Frequently Asked Questions
  In response to a number of inquiries and requests for clarification, the Office of Mental Health has developed responses to frequently asked questions regarding the new reimbursement methodology for licensed Continuing Day Treatment Programs.
• Criminal History Background Checks
  Mental Hygiene Law §31.35 and Executive Law §845–b require that criminal history information be obtained from the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) before certain providers of mental health services can hire or engage prospective employees/volunteers who will have "regular and substantial unrestricted physical contact" with clients.
• FMAP Reductions
  The 2010-11 Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentages (FMAP) "Contingency Allocation Plan" requires the OMH to reduce individual payments by 1.1 percent for the period between September 16, 2010 and March 31, 2011.
• Long Acting Atypical Anti-Psychotic Injections
• Medicare Part D
  On December 8, 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 was enacted. It creates a new Part D, which establishes a prescription drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published the final regulations for Medicare Part D on January 21, 2005. A quick reference guide for all stakeholders looking for information on the law, related regulations, and its impact on mental health programs and services in New York State is now available.
• Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Notification
  It is the policy of the New York State Office of Mental Health to assist in ensuring the integrity of the Medicaid program by safeguarding against Medicaid abuse and the submission of fraudulent Medicaid claims.
• Medicaid Neutrality Cap Eliminated
  On May 8, 2008, a letter was sent to providers informing them that it is no longer necessary to document the availability of the state share of Medicaid and/or local assistance as part of a proposed program expansion of a licensed outpatient program.
• Mental Health Background Check
  The new automated Mental Health Background Check will allow your organization to perform searches of public mental health systems automatically. Access to this system is limited to members of local law enforcement with responsibility for pistol permits, long rifles, explosives and certain types of employment.
• Mental Health Outpatient Reimbursement Study
  The report reviews the financing and reimbursement of mental health services provided by outpatient clinic, continuing day treatment, and day treatment programs licensed under Article 31 of the Mental Hygiene Law. The report was commissioned by the Legislature in the 2006-07 state budget. Work on the report was carried out by Public Consulting Group (PCG), under contract with the Office of Mental Health.
  (July 2, 2007)
• Mental Health Provider Data Exchange (MHPD)
  The MHPD is a Web-based application designed to support an accurate and timely master directory of providers in the New York State public mental health system. The MHPD enables local mental health authorities and providers to use the ease of the Internet to verify or request changes to program information they are required to submit to OMH.
• NY SAFE ACT - New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of 2013
  A resource for clinicians on the NY SAFE Act and Section 9.46 of the Mental Health Law. This page will be updated continuously to provide answers to commonly asked questions, guidance documents, explanatory videos and an avenue by which to ask questions and receive clarification of the new reporting requirements.
• New York's Guide to the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
  The preliminary calculations suggested that New York State is expected to receive at least $24.6 Billion in aid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Many of you have recently contacted the Office of Mental Health to learn more about the Act (a.k.a. the Stimulus Package) and its impact on mental health services.
  The Governor’s office has provided detailed information on the stimulus package as well as directions for submitting a proposal.
• Office of the Medicaid Inspector General
  • Mission and Responsibilities
    The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) was established to improve and preserve the integrity of the Medicaid program by conducting and coordinating fraud, waste and abuse control activities for all State agencies responsible for services funded by Medicaid.
  • Mandatory Provider Compliance Programs
    NY State Social Services Law (Section 363) requires that Medicaid providers develop and implement compliance programs aimed at detecting fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicaid program.
  • Medicaid Self-Disclosure Guidance
    The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) has established new “Self-Disclosure Guidance”, applicable to both local providers and state agencies, to report significant Medicaid overpayments uncovered by the providers, as part of its efforts to improve the integrity of the Medicaid program.  This new guidance replaced the previous Department of Health (DOH) disclosure protocol.
  • Restricted, Terminated or Excluded Individuals or Entities
    The Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) reminds providers to screen employees and contractors, both individuals and entities, to ensure that their participation in the Medicaid program has not been restricted, terminated or excluded under the provisions of 18 NYCRR § 504.7(b) - (h), 18 NYCRR §515.3, or 18 NYCRR §515.7.
• Patient Characteristics Survey (PCS)
  • PCS 2013 Data Collection - Programs funded or licensed by OMH report client-level demographic, clinical, and service descriptions for persons they served during the week of the survey. All survey data are submitted to OMH electronically using the Web-based PCS application. This page provides mental health providers with information about the 2013 survey timeframe and requirements for preparing for and obtaining access to the Web-based PCS application.
  • Patient Characteristics Survey (PCS) Portal - The PCS provides a comprehensive one–week "snapshot" of the population served by New York State's public mental health system. View demographic, clinical, and service-related information for each person who receives a mental health service during the specified one–week period using the dynamic Portal Summary or Planning Reports.
• Standards of Care for Adults
• Standards of Care for Children
• Security Management System (SMS)
  The Security Management System (SMS) is an OMH Web-based application that state and local facilities use to grant their staff access to secured OMH Web-based applications including the Patient Characteristics Survey (PCS) and PSYCKES Medicaid.

Children

• A Primer on the NYS Children’s Mental Health System for Local Education Leaders (334kb)
  Information for Local Education Leaders on Creating School and Mental Health Partnerships, including Implementing the NYS Performance Based Early Recognition Coordination and Screening Program
• Children's Services
  The Children's Services site provides information on an array of services including Emergency and Crisis Services, Family Support, Outpatient Services, Community Residential Services, and Inpatient Services.
• The Children's Technical Assistance Center (CTAC) is a training, consultation, and educational resource center funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health. CTAC collaborates with child-serving clinic providers to address the organizational challenges associated with the recent changes in clinic regulations, financing, and overall healthcare reforms and is designed to assist clinics in their efforts to promote high quality mental health services for the children and families they serve.
• Clinic-Plus Quarterly Report
  The Clinic-Plus Quarterly Report is a Web-based application designed for Clinic-Plus providers to enter data related to their screening and other clinical services. This link also provides access to the EBTDC Information Reporting Form for clinicians participating in EBTDC training.
• Cultural Competence
  To assist agencies with eliminating disparities of mental health for people of diverse backgrounds through training and technical support.
• Home and Community-Based Services Guidance Documents (HCBS Waiver Manual)
• OMH Issues Practice Advisory Addressing the use of ECT for Individuals under Age 18
  This OMH Practice Advisory addresses the use of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) for individuals under the age of 18 years. The Office of Mental Health is distributing it as a directive for all State-operated psychiatric facilities, and as a practice advisory to other mental health care providers in New York State. (Letter | Advisory)
  (July 13, 2009)
• What Local Mental Health Leaders Should Know When Creating Partnerships with NYS School Districts (207kb)
  A Primer for Understanding the New York State Education System

Clinical Information

• Assertive Community Treatment is an evidenced-based practice that offers treatment, rehabilitation, and support services, using a person-centered, recovery-based approach, to individuals that have been diagnosed with a severe and persistent mental illness. The ACT Program Guidelines 2007 and ACT Certification Manual 2007 provide detailed information on this evidenced-based mental health program and are available on this website.
• Clinical Advisories and Guidelines – Clinical advisories and guidelines are practice recommendations that are supported by OMH.
• Cultural Competence
  To assist agencies with eliminating disparities of mental health for people of diverse backgrounds through training and technical support.
• Eating Disorders - Facts about eating disorders and the search for solutions.
• Eating Disorder Information
  Eating disorders are complex mental health problems that often have physical manifestations. The American Psychiatric Association has described two major types of eating disorders, Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, and offered a third category for eating disorder problems that do not fulfill criteria for Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa.
• Electroconvulsive Therapy Clinical Indications presents the evidence base for the use of ECT.
• Guidelines, Inpatient Safety Standards: Materials and Systems
  The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a selection of materials, fixtures, furniture and hardware that OMH has reviewed and supports for use within psychiatric inpatient units in order to further the agency’s goal of reducing the risk of harm to individuals. Utilization of any of these products is not mandatory. Please take a moment to read the Introduction to Physical Plant Guidelines before using the guidelines.
• Increased Risk of Heat Illness to Persons Taking Antipsychotic Medications
  Includes links to brochure How to Deal with Heat Illness.
• New York State Clinical Records Initiative (NYSCRI)
  OMH and OASAS offer this standardized and integrated clinical case records form set, on a voluntary basis, for their local licensed non-inpatient programs.
• OMH Influenza Preparedness And Response
• OMH Issues Practice Advisory Addressing the use of ECT for Individuals under Age 18
  This OMH Practice Advisory addresses the use of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) for individuals under the age of 18 years. The Office of Mental Health is distributing it as a directive for all State-operated psychiatric facilities, and as a practice advisory to other mental health care providers in New York State. (Letter | Advisory)
  (July 13, 2009)
• The Psychiatric Services and Clinical Knowledge Enhancement System (PSYCKES) is a HIPAA-compliant, web-based portfolio of tools that use administrative data to support quality improvement and clinical decision-making. Providers with access to PSYCKES are able to review performance on quality indicators, identify individuals who could benefit from clinical review, and obtain treatment histories.

Forensics

• Forensic Mental Health Services
  It is widely recognized that persons with mental illness come in contact with the criminal justice system and that focused interagency coordination, training and intervention on the State and local level is required to maintain community safety while preventing inappropriate and unnecessary incarceration. The Forensic Mental Health Services site provides overviews of these partnerships and the joint programs and initiatives that have been undertaken.

General Information

• Application for Prior Approval Review
  The Application for Prior Approval Review (OMH-165 3/99) is available in Portable Document Format (PDF) and as an on-line form and should be used for projects subject to prior approval by the Office of Mental Health as defined under NYCRR Part 551.
• Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Initiative
  OMH has launched a three–year program that assists clinics in developing and implementing their own quality agendas as a means of improving mental health services for clients across the State. The following CQI development tools are available for download.
  • Instructional presentation (PDF version (651kb) | Powerpoint version)
  • CQI Plan Template (PDF version (165kb) | Microsoft Word version )
  • NYC Instructions for First Year Evaluation (PDF version (93kb)
  • NYC Template for First Year Evaluation (Microsoft Word version )
  • Instructions for First Year Evaluation for Central, Hudson River, Long Island, and Western Regions (PDF version (1mb))
  • Template for First Year Evaluation for Central, Hudson River, Long Island, and Western Regions (PDF version (69kb) | Microsoft Word version )
  • Instructions and Template for Second Year Evaluation (PDF version (617kb))
• Disaster Mental Health Planning and Response Resources
  The New York State Office of Mental Health is one of 23 executive agencies that comprise the State's Disaster Preparedness Commission. OMH chairs the Human Services Mental Health Task Force and also provides resources from its hospital system during disaster response. In its external role, the agency trains and certifies crisis counselors for deployment in mental health disaster response roles. It also compiles and disseminates disaster mental health public education materials for use by the general public.
  (June 14, 2007)
• Disaster Mental Health Planning and Response Guide, New York State County
  The County Mental Health Disaster Planning and Response Guide provides specific information and resources to assist the county Director of Community Services (DCS) in the development of a comprehensive county mental health disaster plan. The Guide follows the disaster management continuum and takes into consideration the important aspects of Planning and Preparedness, Mitigation, Response, Recovery, and Evaluation.
• Guidance Documents
  A Guidance Document is any guideline, memorandum or similar document, prepared by an agency, that provides general information or guidance to assist regulated parties in complying with any statute, rule or other legal requirement.
• Guidelines, Inpatient Safety Standards: Materials and Systems
  The purpose of these guidelines is to provide a selection of materials, fixtures, furniture and hardware that OMH has reviewed and supports for use within psychiatric inpatient units in order to further the agency’s goal of reducing the risk of harm to individuals. Utilization of any of these products is not mandatory. Please take a moment to read the Introduction to Physical Plant Guidelines before using the guidelines.
• HIPAA
  The HIPAA site provides information on the Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, including links to related sites.
• OMH Forms
• OMH Influenza Preparedness And Response
• Part 501 of Title 14 NYCRR grants the Commissioner the ability to waive regulatory requirements for purposes of testing innovative programs that may increase the efficiency and effectiveness of operations or providing additional flexibility to better meet local service needs while maintaining program quality and integrity.
  Instructions | Waiver Request Form (PDF)
• The Psychiatric Services and Clinical Knowledge Enhancement System (PSYCKES) is a HIPAA-compliant, web-based portfolio of tools that use administrative data to support quality improvement and clinical decision-making. Providers with access to PSYCKES are able to review performance on quality indicators, identify individuals who could benefit from clinical review, and obtain treatment histories.

Services

• Adult Housing
  The Adult Housing web page presents the Residential Program Indicators (RPI) report. The RPI is a performance measurement reporting tool for adult housing programs in New York State. Viewers can use indicators in the report to evaluate agency residential programs, based on county, regional, and statewide averages.
• Supported Housing Guidelines
  Guidelines to facilitate the development of Supported Housing in New York State for people with serious mental illness.
• New York State Incident Management and Reporting System (NIMRS).
  NIMRS is a streamlined, Internet-based tool for incident reporting and clinical risk management. It features a user-friendly interface and a comprehensive query package to generate more than 30 pre-designed reports. For Hospitals, NIMRS also contains a separate module for reporting and evaluating the use of restraint and seclusion.
• Forensic Mental Health Services
  It is widely recognized that persons with mental illness come in contact with the criminal justice system and that focused interagency coordination, training and intervention on the State and local level is required to maintain community safety while preventing inappropriate and unnecessary incarceration. The Forensic Mental Health Services site provides overviews of these partnerships and the joint programs and initiatives that have been undertaken.
• Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS)
  PROS is a comprehensive recovery oriented program for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. The goal of the program is to integrate treatment, support, and rehabilitation in a manner that facilitates the individual's recovery.
• Psychiatric Services and Clinical Knowledge Enhancement System (PSYCKES)
  PSYCKES is an interactive, computerized, decision support system that supports cost-conscious, guideline-driven, quality improvement in the OMH state psychiatric hospitals. This site features information and a demo of the Web-based system which has customized views for clinicians, supervisors, and administrators that allow users to examine clinical and fiscal quality indicators at the patient, clinician, ward, facility, and statewide level.
• Wellness Self Management
  Since 2007, OMH has been implementing the Wellness Self Management (WSM) program, a curriculum-based clinical practice that provides information, knowledge and skills designed to help people make decisions that support recovery. Based on one of the nationally recognized evidence-based practices for adults with serious mental health problems, the curriculum has been organized into a personal workbook that is infused with principles of recovery such as shared decision–making, choice and hope. For more information, please contact the Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) – formerly know as the Evidence Based Practices Technical Assistance Center.

Training & Events

• Board of Directors Training for Multi-Funded Agencies
  The New York State Board Training Consortium (SBTC) offers free training to both new and seasoned Board members (and Executive Directors or Chief Fiscal Officers accompanied by a board member) of not-for-profit providers affiliated with the Office of Mental Health that are also funded by one of its sister agencies (Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and Office for People with Developmental Disabilities). The SBTC's Achieving Excellence in Governance Training Series is intended to empower board members of affiliated not-for-profits throughout the state with the information and tools necessary to carry out their responsibilities and obligations. The Training Series is provided through a contract with the New York Council of Nonprofits, Inc. (formerly the Council of Community Services of New York State, Inc.)
• The Children's Technical Assistance Center (CTAC) is a training, consultation, and educational resource center funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health. CTAC collaborates with child-serving clinic providers to address the organizational challenges associated with the recent changes in clinic regulations, financing, and overall healthcare reforms and is designed to assist clinics in their efforts to promote high quality mental health services for the children and families they serve.
• Fire Safety Training
  The Office of Mental Health in conjunction with The Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control developed this training program to be used by our agencies operating supervised community residence programs. However, with some minor adjustments this training packet would be useful to all staff providing a variety of residential services.
• OMH Commissioner Hogan to Present at Conference on Mental Health Recovery Oct. 27-28 in NYC
  Mental Health Recovery: Practice, Services and Research will combine cutting edge approaches and new ways of thinking about human lives and service systems to articulate the promise and possibilities for recovery in practice, policy and research. Hosted by NYUs Silver School of Social Work, the two-day conference has several co-sponsors, including OMH and Nathan S. Kline Institute.
• SSI and SSDI Benefits Training
  Myths, Tips, and Tricks for SSI and SSDI benefits.
• Training in the Treatment of Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders
  The Evidence Based Treatment Dissemination Center (EBTDC) is offering a new round of training in evidence-based treatment of children with disruptive behavior disorders, to be held in various locations across the state (at least one in each OMH region) this fall. The three-day intensive training will be provided by national experts who developed the treatment or work closely with the treatment developers, and will be followed with one year of clinical consultation provided by Columbia University. All public sector mental health treatment program providers are eligible to apply.