The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #38733

Barry C. Savitz, MGA, Coordinating Office for Drug and Alcohol Abuse Programs, City of Philadelphia, 1101 Market Street, Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-685-5425, barry.savitz@phila.gov

The Behavioral Health System, consisting of the County offices of Drug and Alcohol and Mental Health and the City's managed behavioral healthcare organization, and the criminal justice system have collaborated to develop and fund the Forensic Intensive Recovery (FIR) Program and five other criminal justice treatment initiatives to safely reintegrate felony offenders with substance abuse and co-occurring mental illness. An unprecedented successful collaboration among the Philadelphia County Assistance Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Discussion, the Philadelphia Behavioral Health System, and the Defender Association of Philadelphia has resulted in having prisoners from the Philadelphia Prison System having Medical Assistance coverage on the day of release into substance abuse treatment. This presentation will discuss the process of developing and implementing a process of taking Medical Assistance applications in a county jail with the goal of having clients on Medical Assistance upon release from jail and admission to behavioral health treatment. Participants will present the goals and benefits for clients with co-occurring drug and alcohol, mental health, and medical diagnoses. Presenters will provide the data for the start-up period and discuss financial and clinical implications in a mandatory managed behavioral health care environment.

Learning Objectives:

• ·Describe the role of the Department of Public Welfare, the Coordinating Office for Drug and Alcohol Abuse Programs of the Philadelphia Behavioral Health System, and the Defender Association of Philadelphia to establish a program for taking application for Medical Assistance in a county jail.
• ·Describe the design and implementation of making application for Medical Assistance and the positive impact on the continuity of care for clients.
• ·Identify key relationships between various public agencies, and summarize the areas where cooperation and collaboration between participants will result in a continuum of services for the criminal justice population.
• ·Summarize the financial and clinical impact on a managed health care system and early results.

Keywords: Medicaid Managed Care, Criminal Justice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.