Co-occurring Diagnoses Initiative Underway
The Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Public Welfare issued a bulletin in February 2006, designed to enhance services to persons with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders. Purely a voluntary initiative, the bulletin defined Co-occurring Competency Approval Criteria for all licensed facilities in the state. Magellan and our partner Counties fully supported this initiative and actively work with our provider network to encourage Co-occurring Diagnoses (COD) Competency Certification.
Many providers in our Counties have either achieved or are actively working toward their Co-Occurring Certification. Certification requires modification to their mission statement, policy manuals, screening and assessment protocols. It also requires a significant commitment to training and system change.
As a direct result of this initiative, the Counties and Magellan have recognized the importance of accurate assessment and diagnosis in the development of a recovery plan. As one means of assisting our providers to achieve Certification, Magellan developed a claims-based report that will track the prevalence of individuals treated who have been diagnosed with co-occurring conditions. Therefore, we are asking that each agency have a system in place that allows for documentation of both a mental health and substance use diagnosis on a claim, if appropriate.
We understand that there may be barriers to overcome within your agencies to allow the appropriate diagnostic information to be captured in your claims systems. Magellan Network staff will be happy to work with you to overcome any barriers. Please feel free to contact your Magellan network coordinator if you need assistance.