LOUISIANA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant ...

Etc.
o Medical Director approval
All other antidepressants
PROCEDURES
Hospital and regional medical directors must approve all medications and specific usages of medications
noted above within the “Medical Director approval required” categories.
o Medical directors will keep records for each contact requesting approval for specific medication
use
o Medical directors will report each month to the OBH medical director requests for specific use and
outcome of each action on the specific UM form that has been developed for monitoring these
reviews
o OBH medical director will review each action and will work closely with medical directors in the
implementation of these procedures
Hospital medical directors will develop a system of “rounds” attended by treating physicians/prescribers
and pharmacy directors, among others, to ensure that information about medication cost and the cost of
possible alternatives is available to the clinician.
Patients admitted to OBH clinics taking (previously prescribed) medications requiring medical
approval or prohibited will be allowed to continue the medications without medical director approval
for 3 months, during which time the physician/prescriber will work with the patient to discontinue the
prohibited medication (transfer to a non prohibited medication) and, as much as possible, the
medications that require medical director approval.
Specific budgetary targets will be developed for each region and hospital. Progress toward achieving
expected targets will be monitored during the course of the fiscal year so that additional formulary changes
can be made, if necessary.
A significant administrative change occurred with the Mental Health Rehabilitation (MHR) program
that removed the oversight of the program out from the Office of Mental Health after June 30 th , 2009;
when the oversight and management of the program was transferred to the DHH Bureau of Health
Services Financing/ Medicaid. All staff, equipment, materials, contracts, purchase orders, processes
and personnel were transferred. Starting with the new fiscal year, Medicaid began to provide all
utilization management, prior authorization, training, monitoring, network, and member service
activities. Under the new oversight, services remain the same as previously, and include services in
the community to adults with serious mental illness and to youth with emotional and behavioral
disorders. The available services include Assessment, Reassessment, Community Support, Group
Psychosocial Skills Training, Counseling, and Medication Management. Optional services for
children/ youth are Parent Family Intervention-Intensive, which provides intensive home-based
services to assist children who are at-risk of being placed out of their homes. All authorized
providers in the network are required to be accredited by JCAHO, CARF, or COA.
Cultural and diversity needs in the service delivery system are under-developed, as are the special
needs of the transitional age and older adult population. Service providers with specialties in these
areas are under-represented, and there is need for more staff training. These areas are receiving more
emphasis.
The Office of Mental Health‟s (OMH) statewide Cultural and Linguistic Competence Planning
Committee began its work with an initial meeting in April 2005. Soon after the hurricanes of 2005,
the committee agreed to focus on hurricane related cultural and linguistic competence issues across
the State. The National Alliance of Multi-Ethnic Behavioral Health Associations (NAMBHA)
PART C LOUISIANA FY 2011 PAGE 73
SECTION II: ADULT & CHILD/ YOUTH
IDENTIFICATION & ANALYSIS OF SERVICE SYSTEM’S STRENGTHS, NEEDS, & PRIORITIES
UNMET SERVICE NEEDS & PLANS TO ADDRESS UNMET NEEDS