NYS Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare

Rally for 8.5% COLA in State Budget - New York City
2022-10-26 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
The NYS Council, along with our colleague associations that represent mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery organizations will be holding two rallies later this month in support of an 8.5% COLA increase for our sector, October 25th in Albany, and October 26th in NYC. We intend to conduct a media blitz in WNY.
Your support will help raise visibility regarding the ever increasing costs associated with operating these programs, and the serious workforce crisis that is impacting our ability to provide access to care. Our staff and the individuals we serve need us to raise our voices together to support them.
Please consider attending one of the rallies discussed below. You can register by scanning the QR code or by going to the registration page at the link listed on the flyer.

Raise your voice in support of the COLA increase! Please let me know if I can assist you in some way.

Rally for 8.5% COLA in State Budget - Albany
2022-10-25 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)

33rd Annual Symposium on Health Care Services in New York: Research and Practice
2022-10-25 08:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
CUNY Graduate Center
365 5th Ave, New York, NY
Between 34th and 35th Streets

Keynote: Jeffrey Brenner, MD, President, The Jewish Board
Fireside Chat: Jonathan Blum, Principal Deputy Administrator & Chief Operating Officer, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Panel Discussion: Cross-Sector Solutions to Address Gun Violence
Chethan Sathya, MD, Northwell Health; Calliana Thomas, NYS Department of Health; Ramon Gist, MD, Kings Against Violence Initiative
Poster Presentations
Presenters will share their research and insights in two poster sessions. Organizations represented include: The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Center for Health Workforce Studies, Center for Home Care Policy and Research at VNS Health, The New York Academy of Medicine, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Department of Homeless Services, NYC Health + Hospitals, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Northwell Health, Weill-Cornell Medical Center, and White Plains Hospital.
Registration is free. For more information and to register, use the link below.
Proof of vaccination is required for entry.
Presented by United Hospital Fund and Greater New York Hospital Association

Q&A for Providers on Changes in OASAS Regulations
2022-10-24 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Please come prepared with questions after reviewing the regulations.
Monday, October 24, 2022
4:00 PM | (UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) | 1 hr

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Regulations Changes Webinar w/ OASAS Providers
2022-10-14 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
OASAS will be hosting a webinar to discuss the forthcoming changes in regulations and answer questions from OASAS providers on Friday, 10/14/22, 2:00-3:00 pm.
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Healthcare Compliance Lunch and Learn Series: Overpayments and Self Disclosures
2022-10-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Please join us for the October Lunch and Learn as we discuss:

– Identifying whether you have an overpayment or potential fraud liability
– Determining when and where to disclose
– Tips for setting yourself up for a successful outcome

The program will be presented and moderated by Robert Hussar, a partner in Rivkin Radler’s Compliance, Investigations & White Collar and Health Services practice groups.

Participants will be eligible for 1.2 CCB credits and 1 CLE credit in Professional Practice.
Date: Thursday, October 13
Time: 12-1 pm
Place: Via Zoom

How Behavioral Health Organizations Can Strategically Leverage Public, Private Grants
2022-09-29 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Behavioral health organizations are benefitting from unprecedented access to public and private grant funding. But there are significant risks to simply “chasing funds,” such as mission drift and increased staff burnout within an already overburdened workforce. During this webinar, speakers from HMA and LAPA Fundraising will outline concrete steps behavioral health organizations can take to ensure they are pursuing the type of grants that support their overall mission.
Join us to:

Obtain an overview of current and upcoming funding opportunities that behavioral health agencies can use to build capacity and better serve their communities
Understand the tools and tactics organizations need to enhance their ability to attract both public and private grants
Develop a long-term strategy for diversifying agency funding for use in both growing existing behavioral health programs and seeding new and innovative initiatives

OMH Vital Signs Dashboard Webinar
2022-09-22 14:00 - 15:00 UTC, 2022-09-14 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York), 2022-08-11 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
We are all aware of the stark reality that people with mental health conditions, especially individuals of color, face inequities in access, quality, and outcomes of healthcare services; challenges that have only been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. The Office of Mental Health (OMH) developed a new Vital Signs Dashboard (VSD) for providers and counties to inform quality improvement planning, identify emerging and persistent health disparities, and promote health equity.
The VSD is a resource to assist in efforts to promote health equity in programs. The dashboard provides prevalence rates on specific quality measures derived from Medicaid data on clients with a mental health diagnosis served by our OMH licensed and designated programs and the data can be stratified by population categories such as race & ethnicity.
Access
You can access the VSD with the following link:
https://mypublicdashboard.ny.gov/t/OMH/views/OMHVitalSignsDashboardVSD/VSDHome-Adult?:showAppBanner=false&:display_count=n&:showVizHome=n&:origin=viz_share_link
Note: This link does not require login credentials and works best on Chrome, Edge or Safari web browsers. At this time the VSD link is only being shared with OMH licensed and designated providers as well as county mental health authorities, to allow you an opportunity to review your organization’s data before a broader release. Please do not redistribute outside of your organization.
Introduction to OMH Vital Signs Dashboard Webinar
OMH leadership will introduce the vision for the VSD and provide an overview for its use. This webinar will be offered in August and September; please see the VSD webinar registration page for more details and to register for the date and time that works for you.
Technical Support & Opportunities for Feedback
If you have any questions, please contact the VSD team. OMH is also interested in your feedback and will hold monthly office hours beginning in October to support use of the VSD; more information will be distributed soon. Thank you!

Clinician Education Initiative Drug User Health and HCV Conference
2022-09-22 08:45 - 12:45, 2022-09-21 12:45 - 16:45 UTC
CEI (Clinician Education Initiative) is sponsoring a FREE virtual conference on Drug User Health and HCV on Wednesday, 9/21/22, 12:45 pm-4:45 pm and on Thursday, 9/22/22, 8:45 am-12:45 pm. It will provide CME (physicians), CNE (nurses/NPs), and CPE (pharmacists) for those attending. Please inform your clinical staff of this educational opportunity. Commissioner Chinazo Cunningham will be doing the keynote address: Updates from OASAS, on Thursday, 9/22/22, 9:00 am-9:45 am and Dr. Kelly S. Ramsey will be doing a didactic breakout session: Low Threshold Urine Toxicology: A Case-based Discussion, on Thursday, 9/22/22, 11:30 am-12:30 pm. Hope you can join us!

OASAS SAPT Supplemental Grant Information Session
2022-09-21 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
The next OASAS SAPT Supplemental Grant Information Session on the Statewide SUD System Support Initiative and Other Updates will be held on September 21, 2022, from 2:00-3:00. During the call, we will provide a general update on the SAPT supplemental grant contracts and payments as well as address questions about the Statewide SUD System Support Initiative.
Remember to submit any other SAPT Supplemental grant initiative/award/contracting questions to the COVID Funds mailbox: COVIDFunds@oasas.ny.gov, and include in the subject line of the email your provider number, the name of the initiative that you applied for, and your contract number (if you have one).
If you have any questions about specific questions about expense reports, please submit them to the COVID Funds Accounts Payable mailbox: COVIDFundsAP@oasas.ny.gov .

Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit Transition Webinar
2022-09-20 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) is hosting an informational webinar about the transition of the pharmacy benefit from Medicaid Managed Care to NYRx, the Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) pharmacy program. This is part of a series of recurring monthly webinars about this topic, which are open to all interested MRT stakeholders. There will be a designated question and answer period at the end of the webinar.
The All Stakeholders Meeting – Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit Transition webinar will be held on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Following the webinar, the presentation will be posted to the DOH website.
Please complete the registration form. Registration is required to attend this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar. Please plan to join the webinar 5 minutes ahead of the start time. This will reduce wait times getting into the webinar and allow for a prompt start.

OASAS Masking Guidance Webinar
2022-09-16 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
OASAS Masking Guidance has been revised. Please see the updated guidance here: https://oasas.ny.gov/guidance-mask-wearing-requirements. Attached is a version of the guidance with the changes highlighted in yellow.
We will be holding a webinar with providers on Friday, 9/16/22, 3-4 pm, to answer any questions.

Thank you.
Friday, September 16, 2022

3:00 PM | (UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) | 1 hr

Conducting HIPAA Breach Assessments and Disclosures: Requirements and Tips for Success
2022-09-08 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Please join Rivkin Radler Associate Ashley Algazi as they present the September Lunch and Learn. The program will:

Review HIPAA breach definition
Discuss the analysis and investigation process to determine if a breach has occurred
Review exceptions to the definition of ‘breach’
Discuss covered entity vs business associate obligations
Review deadlines and required reporting in the event of a breach
Discuss documentation recommendations
Practical considerations and best practices

The program will be moderated by Robert Hussar, a partner in Rivkin Radler’s Compliance, Investigations & White Collar and Health Services practice groups.
Participants will be eligible for 1.2 CCB credits and 1 CLE credit in Professional Practice.
Date: Thursday, September 8
Time: 12-1 pm
Place: Via Zoom

Healthcare Worker Bonus (HWB) Program Stakeholder Webinar
2022-08-19 13:00 - 14:00, 2022-08-19 11:00 - 12:00 UTC
The New York State Department of Health (Department) will be hosting an informational webinar to review with qualified employers recently enacted legislation requiring the payment of bonuses to eligible workers as per Part ZZ of Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2022. This webinar will provide a general overview of the NYS HWB Home Page and will include the following topics of interest to all qualified employers:
Eligibility and requirements,
Account registration process,
Vesting periods,
Manual and bulk upload process,
Frequently asked questions.
Two webinars have been scheduled for your convenience. To accommodate anticipated demand, please select only one of the following links to register:
Title: Healthcare Worker Bonus (HWB) Program Town Hall Stakeholder Webinar
Date: Friday, August 19, 2022
Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
Registration Link: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=e736d574cdb00e61eb01a88847b62352a

Title: Healthcare Worker Bonus (HWB) Program Town Hall Stakeholder Webinar
Date: Friday, August 19, 2022
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Registration Link: https://meetny.webex.com/meetny/onstage/g.php?MTID=e1890107bbdd340c12eda014cc136c659
The Department looks forward to providing additional information to qualified employers on this important initiative to bolster New York’s health care workforce.
For more information in the interim, please visit the NYS HWB Home Page as well as the Frequently Asked Questions regarding the HWB Program. Qualified employers are encouraged to routinely review these resources for the latest information.

All Stakeholders Call – Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit Transition
2022-08-16 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
The New York State Department of Health (DOH) is hosting an informational webinar about the transition of the Medicaid Pharmacy benefit from Managed Care to the fee-for-service (FFS) program. This is the first of a series of recurring monthly webinars about this topic, which are open to all interested MRT stakeholders. There will be a designated question and answer period at the end of the webinar.
The All Stakeholders Call – Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit Transition webinar will be held on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Following the webinar, the presentation will be posted to the DOH website.
Please complete the registration form. Registration is required to attend this webinar. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar.
Please plan to join the webinar 5 minutes ahead of the start time. This will reduce wait times getting into the webinar and allow for a prompt start.

"Incident To" Provisions of the Proposed 2023 Physician Fee Schedule
2022-08-16 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
On Tuesday, August 16th at 12:00 pm ET, the National Council will host a webinar for all members on, ‘”Incident To” Provisions of the Proposed 2023 Physician Fee Schedule” with Susannah Vance Gopalan of our outside counsel Feldesman Tucker Leifer Fidell LLP.
Background – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) is proposing updates to the 2023 Physician Fee Schedule that would create an exception to the direct supervision requirement of “incident to” billing to allow for general supervision, which would allow certain mental health providers to be reimbursed without the physician or non-physician practitioners on-site requirement. Medicare’s Physician Fee Schedule, updated yearly, contains a comprehensive listing of the maximum fees physicians and other providers may be reimbursed under fee-for-service in Medicare.
Please join the National Council for Mental Wellbeing for a special webinar discussing the “incident to” billing provisions in the proposed Physician Fee Schedule rules for calendar year 2023. In this webinar, participants will be provided an overview of “incident to” billing in Medicare, a summary of the “incident to” proposed rule changes for 2023, an analysis of the impact and implications to providers, and context for the applicability to dual eligible individuals.

Participants will also have the opportunity to ask questions. Please join us August 16, 2022 at 12:00PM ET.
To register please see this link – Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: ‘Incident To’ Provisions of the Proposed 2023 Physician Fee Schedule. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

NIMH Facebook Live Event: The Youth Mental Health Crisis
2022-08-11 13:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Facebook Live Event: The Youth Mental Health Crisis
Date/Time: August 11, 2022, 1:00-1:30 p.m. ET
Location: NIMH’s Facebook
Learn About This Event!
Round icon with a computer screen showing a webinar in progress
As children prepare to return to school during these uncertain times, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is conducting a Facebook Live event on the nation’s youth mental health crisis.
The event features NIMH Deputy Director Dr. Shelli Avenevoli, who will cover topics such as the alarming rate of youth suicide, the effects of technology and the pandemic on the developing brain, and what the research says about supporting the mental health of current and future generations of youth.

New OMIG Compliance Regulations: What You Need to Know
2022-07-28 12:00 - 13:00, 2022-07-27 12:00 - 13:00 UTC
On July 13, the Office of Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) published proposed regulations implementing 2020 changes to law relating to provider compliance programs, Medicaid managed care fraud, waste and abuse prevention programs, and OMIG’s self-disclosure program. The proposed changes will significantly impact both payers and providers alike.

Hear from Robert Hussar, a compliance professional and former OMIG First Deputy on OMIG’s proposed changes to New York’s Mandatory Compliance Program requirements, including the long-awaited new Self-Disclosure Program and new obligations under the Medicaid Managed Care Fraud and Abuse Prevention programs.

This program will be offered on two days. It is the same session both days.

Participants will be eligible for 1.2 CCB credits and 1 CLE credit in Professional Practice. *Since both sessions are the same, participants will only receive credit for attending one session.

Dates: Wednesday, July 27 or Thursday, July 28
Time: 12-1 pm
Place: Via Zoom

Click here to register for the July 27 session.

Click here to register for the July 28 session.

The Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

The Substance Abuse Disorder Epidemic Among Youth: Responding to a Growing Mental Health Crisis
2022-07-27 13:00 - 14:00 UTC
Last year, the number of overdose deaths in the United States exceeded 100,000 for the first time ever. Equally alarming, the rate of drug-related overdose deaths among U.S. teenagers nearly doubled in 2020. Since that time, the data indicates that the mortality trend among adolescents is continuing.
In a new webinar, Manatt Health, the American Medical Association (AMA), and a panel of leading providers and SUD advocates with expertise in the youth and adolescent crisis will provide an overview of SUD among adolescents and discuss the challenges that states and communities face in addressing the substance abuse epidemic. Key topics include:

Trends in youth substance use, addiction and overdoses
Major issues and barriers to address
Federal and state policy options for responding
The intersection of the substance abuse epidemic among youth and juvenile justice issues

Behavioral Health Carve-In to Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP)
2022-07-27 10:00 - 11:30 UTC
Effective January 1, 2023, Behavioral Health Services will be included in the Managed Long Term Care Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP) benefit package. The New York State Department of Health (DOH), Office of Mental Health (OMH) and Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) are working to integrate services for Medicaid and Medicare dually eligible and MAP-enrolled members to streamline care and better treat enrollee’s needs holistically.
This webinar will provide an overview of the transition, a description of the services being carved-in and specific billing requirements
Target Audience: NYS Behavioral Health Providers serving MAP-enrolled members
Please be sure to share this information with your finance or billing staff
Date and Time:
July 27th, 2022
10:00am-11:30am
This webinar will be recorded and be made available if you are not able to attend.

OASAS Revised COVID-19 Guidance Webinar
2022-07-21 10:00 - 11:30 UTC
OASAS will be hosting a webinar to discuss the updates in the guidance documents on Thursday, 7/21/22, from 10:00-11:30 am. You may join the webinar using this link:

Thursday, July 21, 2022

10:00 AM | (UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) | 1 hr 30 mins

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United Hospital Fund’s Annual Medicaid in New York Conference
2022-07-21 09:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Thursday, July 21, 2022
9:30 am – 3:30 pm
In-person at New York Academy of Medicine and Virtual Live Webcast
(Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, New York City)
The conference program will include:

Opening Keynote by New York State Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri
A morning panel about improving Medicaid through regional health planning highlighting the experience of Common Ground Health featuring Wade Norwood and other panelists to be announced
A fireside chat about community-based organization networks to address social care needs featuring Lori Andrade of Health Equity Alliance of Long Island and Christopher Joseph of EngageWell IPA
An afternoon panel about the new opportunities in the 1115 waiver to reduce health care access barriers for people in the criminal justice system featuring Tracie Gardner of the Legal Action Center and other panelists to be announced

Conference sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact medicaidinstitute@uhfnyc.org if you are interested.
In-person and virtual participation available. Morning coffee and lunch provided on site. Proof of vaccination required for in-person participants.

Advancing Behavioral Health Equity: Integration of the National CLAS Standards in Service Delivery
2022-07-07 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
The intent of the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Standards (NCLAS) is to improve the quality of care, help eliminate health care disparities, and advance health equity by establishing a blueprint for health and healthcare organizations to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
More than two decades after the release of the original CLAS Standards, and eight years since the enhanced National CLAS Standards were published, there is still much work to be done. Racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care remain a public health challenge, despite advances in health care technology and new delivery systems, and even when factors such as health insurance coverage, income, and educational level are taken into consideration.
By providing standards and specific action steps to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate services, the enhanced NCLAS can improve an organization’s ability to address behavioral health care disparities.
Come inform your service delivery, agency approach and improve clinical outcomes by:
– Expanding and deepening your understanding of the NCLAS
– Discovering ways to improve access to care, promote quality and reduce disparities
– Learning about resources to further implement these in your work
Facilitated by Dr. Suganya Sockalingam & Scott van Loo, this webinar will provide a foundational understanding of the NCLAS and its three themes:
– Governance and Leadership
– Communication and Language Assistance
– Accountability, Quality Improvement and Community Engagement
Hosted in collaboration with the Pacific Southwest MHTTC.

PCDC Open for Business Program
2022-06-30 12:00 - 12:45 (America/New_York)
Our colleagues and partners at the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC), a non-profit provider of financing, policy, and technical assistance to healthcare providers, are offering no-cost training and technical assistance for small health care organizations across New York. These projects can focus on integration, revenue cycle, operations improvement, data and quality improvement, access, and other operational priorities. To be eligible, your organization must have less than 500 employees and an annual top-line revenue less than $15MM. If interested, please contact Isaac Kastenbaum at ikastenbaum@pcdc.org.
An overview webinar for PCDC’s Open for Business program is scheduled for June 30, 2022 from 12-12:45PM ET. Register here: https://pcdc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_N-T4QY0wTj6XkCb6_sjj1g
In addition, PCDC has made available a free, online learning platform to support administrative and frontline staff, operating in smaller practice settings, to build the necessary skills for organization success. Enrollment is free and available here: https://pcdc.course.tc/catalog/small-practice-management-essentials.
Many thanks to PCDC for extending this special opportunity to eligible NYS Council members!

Compensation Equity: A Values-Based Framework & Implementation Guide
2022-06-23 14:00 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Organizations deeply committed to justice are actively considering ways of making their compensation more equitable. And it is not easy. As leaders, we confront labor market forces and the pervasive culture of secrecy around money even as our beliefs are shifting about how work and lived experience should be valued in a social justice context.
In this webinar, the consulting team from Vega Mala Consulting will share a framework they have developed called the Compensation Scale Equity Process and Calculator™. This process and tool support organizations already deeply committed to equity, to:

design a pay scale that embodies organizational values;
analyze their current salaries for pay equity; and,
transition along a continuum from a market-based salary policy to an anti-racist reparations model that works to reverse-engineer racist pay policies.Please note: This webinar is best suited to organizations steeped in equity values and comfortable challenging traditional compensation assumptions and practices.
