Delaware Psychological Association Professional News

American Rescue Plan Act and DPA: Resources

Brooke Fernandez — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 21:32:54 GMT

ARPA and DPA Grant

Please see these Professional and Public Education Resources

As we exit the third year of the COVID 19 pandemic, it is clear that the challenge to the population has been overwhelming, and has adversely affected mental health at all ages. We know from past disasters and pandemics that this trauma results in the worsening of anxiety and insomnia. A significant number of people will develop post-traumatic stress symptoms as well as depression.

DPA will offer a number of continuing education workshops through grant funding received from the American Rescue Plan Act. These workshops will initially focus on post-COVID 19 related trauma. There will be universal communication on the needs of the people during the pandemic and post pandemic. Our initial upcoming CE programs will include the background framework on Covid trauma informed care, universal effective self-help strategies for PTSD, anxiety and stress. Our goal is to develop core content on these important topics that can be delivered to healthcare professionals, students, and members of the public.

Free Substance Use Disorder Screenings Available

Brooke Fernandez — Tue, 23 May 2023 17:37:22 GMT

Click here to learn more.

We are here to provide free virtual substance use disorder screenings through a grant we received from DSAMH. To this end, we have educational materials and Naloxone kits available for distribution to your organization. These free services will run from June 1st, 2023 through September 29, 2024.

Please consider taking advantage of:

Free Screenings
Naloxone Kits
Educational Materials
Referrals if Needed

To schedule a free screening or to learn more, please contact us at 302-495-9512

or by email at DEMentalHealthServices@gmail.com.

Acknowledgment of Recent Events and Harm by Dr. Roger Harrison, DPA's President-elect

Brooke Fernandez — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 19:33:13 GMT

Please read Dr. Harrison's acknowledgement here:

https://conta.cc/3iaASZn

Join the Delaware Coalition against Gun Violence

Brooke Fernandez — Fri, 27 May 2022 17:51:02 GMT

Please click on the link below to join:

https://delawarecoalitionagainstgunviolence.salsalabs.org/joinusnow/index.html

APA resources for coping with mass shootings, understanding gun violence

Brooke Fernandez — Fri, 27 May 2022 17:48:55 GMT

Please see these resources here:

https://www.apa.org/topics/gun-violence-crime/mass-shooting-resources

Talking to Kids About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers

Brooke Fernandez — Wed, 25 May 2022 14:52:19 GMT

Please see the National Association of School Psychologists tips for talking to kids about violence HERE.

Resources: Helping Students After a School Shooting

Brooke Fernandez — Wed, 25 May 2022 14:48:52 GMT

Please see the American School Counselor Association resources HERE.

A statement from the Delaware Psychological Association on recent legislation targeting LGBTGEQIAP+ youth and families

Brooke Fernandez — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 19:18:42 GMT

Please see a statement from the DPA on recent legislation targeting LGBTGEQIAP+ youth and families.

FREE WEBINARS to support those affected by Covid-19

Brooke Fernandez — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 17:00:20 GMT

The Delaware Psychological Association is here to provide outreach, emotional support, group and individual therapy sessions, and public education. We can offer virtual and on-site training opportunities if there is an expressed need for training and education on mental health and disaster response, coping skills, warning signs, and stress management.

To this end, we have volunteers available to provide these supportive services. We also have several webinars planned that may be of interest to you or someone you know.

If you have questions about our volunteer program, please feel free to contact us at 302-635-0311 or by email.

Free Coronavirus Sanity Guide

Brooke Fernandez — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 20:57:43 GMT

https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide

Coronavirus Sanity Guide

In times like these, we need practical, actionable ways of coping with stress, fear, and anxiety. The meditations, podcasts, blog posts, and talks on this page will help you build resilience and find some calm amidst the chaos. We’re adding more resources as they're created - so keep checking back.

Downloadable Mobile App: COVID Coach

Brooke Fernandez — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 14:13:29 GMT

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/appvid/mobile/COVID_coach_app.asp

The Wellness Society's Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook

Brooke Fernandez — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 14:09:30 GMT

Coronavirus-Anxiety-Workbook.pdf

DPA Statement and Resources - COVID-19

Brooke Fernandez — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 20:22:33 GMT

These are challenging times with many Delawareans experiencing fear and anxiety about their health of themselves and their loved ones along with financial stress and uncertainty. The Delaware Psychological Association has resources available on their website to support mental health as well as information about psychologists who are taking new clients, including services delivered through video conferencing. As we focus on our physical health we also need to make our mental health a priority. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Keep a routine. It doesn’t need to be rigidly followed, but have some type of routine that includes regular times to sleep, eat and exercise.

2. Get things done around the house, but only if it feels good to do so. Try not to put pressure on yourself to accomplish a great deal, but notice if it helps to feel that you are getting things done. Try to balance getting things done with time doing things just for pleasure.

3. Spend time outdoors on a regular basis.

4. Reach out to others on a daily basis though phone calls or video chats. Think of creative ways that you can spend time with people virtually such as eating meals, watching movies, playing games or listening to music.

5. Limit exposure to the news and social media if you notice it is having a negative impact on your mental health.

6. Come up with a resiliency plan that incorporates some of these ideas and make changes to it as needed.

Crisis and Mental Health Resources
NAMI Delaware Website and Helpline (888-427-2643, select 1 for Helpline; https://www.namidelaware.org/covid19-resources)
Delaware Crisis Intervention and Mobile Crisis Hotlines (https://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dsamh/crisis_intervention.html)
Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255; https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/)
Coping with COVID-19
Psychology Tools (https://www.psychologytools.com/psychological-resources-for-coronavirus-covid-19/)
Psychology Tools: Guide to Living with Worry and Anxiety Amidst Global Uncertainty (https://www.psychologytools.com/assets/covid-19/guide_to_living_with_worry_and_anxiety_amidst_global_uncertainty_en-us.pdf)
American Psychological Association: Five Ways to View Coverage of the Coronavirus (https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/pandemics)
Dr. Shelley Mackaman/Washington Psychological Association: Survival Tips from Ground Zero (https://www.wspapsych.org/docs/Survival_Tips_from_Ground_Zero1.pdf)
American Psychological Association Help Center (https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/)
International OCD Foundation: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and COVID-19 (https://iocdf.org/covid19/)
Free workbook for anxiety related to Covid 19 (https://thewellnesssociety.org/free-coronavirus-anxiety-workbook/)
Discrimination and Stigma
Washington State Department of Health: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/NovelCoronavirusOutbreak2020COVID19/StigmaReduction
CDC: Reducing Stigma (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/reducing-stigma.html)
Unicef Voices of Youth: COVID-19: Your Voices Against Stigma and Discrimination (https://www.voicesofyouth.org/covid-19-your-voices-against-stigma-and-discrimination)
US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: What You Should Know About the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and COVID-19 (https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/wysk/wysk_ada_rehabilitaion_act_coronavirus.cfm)
Talking to Children and Adolescents about COVID-19
Nemours: Coronavirus: How to Talk to Kids (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-VMJIP6jJo)
American Psychological Association: How to Talk to Children about Difficult News (https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/talking-to-children)
National Child Traumatic Stress Network Guides (English, Spanish, and Chinese; https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types/disasters/pandemic-resources)
NPR: A Comic Exploring the New Coronavirus (https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus)
New York Times: Quaranteenagers: Strategies for Parenting in Close Quarters (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/well/family/coronavirus-covid-teenagers-teens-parents-kids-family-advice.html)
Muson Heathcare: Explaining Social Distancing to Kids (https://www.munsonhealthcare.org/blog/explaining-social-distancing-to-kids)

Public Awareness Statement and Resources from the DPA: COVID-19

Brooke Fernandez — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 20:07:06 GMT

DPA Statement on COVID-19.pdf

DCHI: Insurer Resources for COVID-19 and Telehealth

Brooke Fernandez — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 19:57:50 GMT

Insurer Resources for COVID-19 and Telehealth

As multiple, necessary strategies are employed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth is growing in importance as a scalable tool that can help to increase access to medical care, and to ensure the safety of the healthcare workforce, as well as protect at-risk patients. More hospitals and healthcare providers are offering telemedicine as an alternative to in person visits.

With the upsweep in demand for health care related to the virus, and the urgent need to quell the spread of the disease, the insurance industry/payors are modifying policies around telehealth ─ including policies that address utilization, cost, and reimbursement. As such DCHI’s Payment Workgroup is providing quick links to the respective payor websites dedicated to COVID-19 and telehealth.

Thank you for all that you are doing to keep Delaware safe and healthy!

Aetna

COVID-19 Related Links:

AmeriHealth Caritas

COVID-19 Related Links:

AmeriHealth: Telehealth Services - FAQs

Cigna

COVID-19 Related Links:

Highmark BCBS

COVID-19 Related Links:

Highmark Health Options

COVID-19 Related Links:

United Healthcare

COVID-19 Related Links:

Temporary Changes to Federal Medicare Telehealth Policies

Brooke Fernandez — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 19:53:58 GMT

A revolution has silently occurred for the provision of MH/SA services. We are essential personnel! We are routinely doing telehealth along with family doctors, physician specialists, and psychiatrists. We are able to help people who may have difficulty getting to our office. Hopefully this will help CMS, insurance companies and legislators see the necessity of treating us with the same value as those other doctoral level providers in the physician definition. The need for our services to deal with the stress, anxiety and isolation of life during a pandemic and its aftermath will only increase. I will leave you with a link that helps you understand how much advocacy APA has done to offer guidance that helps our patients, in the interpretation of a bill translated to law, which impacts the regulation of our practice. Your input into the process, regardless of the legislation, is often necessary at many points along the way, whether it is to urge sponsorship, or to push for specific regulatory interpretations. Please consider responding when asked. It is important. Let us not loose the momentum of modernizing our practices due to necessity the pandemic has created.

Here is the link of all the things we can now do, which begs the question of why this should be time limited:

https://www.apaservices.org/practice/reimbursement/government/medicare-telehealth-temporary-changes

Take care of yourselves during this pandemic so that you can continue to help you families, friends, colleagues and clients make it through these challenging times.

Barbara Giardina, Ph.D.

APA: Sample Informed Consent Form for Resuming In-Person Services

Brooke Fernandez — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 16:52:37 GMT

https://www.apaservices.org/practice/clinic/covid-19-informed-consent

Sample informed consent form for resuming in-person services

Psychologists transitioning back to face-to-face services may wish to protect their practice through informed consent.

APA has created a sample informed consent form (DOC, 25KB) for psychologists who are returning to the office to provide face-to-face services with the lifting of “stay at home” restrictions. (Please see our article on important factors to consider before reopening your office for more information.)

This document contains important safety considerations to help minimize exposure to the coronavirus, including guidance published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of possible actions nor is it meant to encourage psychologists to resume face-to-face services before they feel comfortable doing so.

Since the state and local health authorities where you practice may have published additional guidance, you are encouraged to modify this template to fit the specific requirements of your community as well as to the needs of your practice and patients.

This document is designed to be used in addition to your normal informed consent and business practices form — not as a substitute. You should use your normal informed consent form with clients before initiating services to cover important information (e.g. your fees, billing and collection practices, limits to confidentiality) and use this template as an addendum when patients are returning to (or starting) in-person services.

You may also wish to consult with your malpractice insurer for additional content they may recommend.

Disclaimer: We prepared this document to provide information to psychologists in this rapidly changing landscape. Because the law, regulations, and related information continually change, you are encouraged to monitor local, state and federal officials and update this form as necessary to stay in compliance with their guidance. Please note the date stamp on this form. Please note this document does not constitute legal advice, as APA and APA Services do not and cannot provide legal advice to our members or state associations. The information in this form should not be used as a substitute for obtaining advice from an attorney in your state.

HHS Extends Deadline for Attestation, Acceptance of Terms and Conditions for Provider Relief Fund Payments to 45 Days

Kelly Wetzel — Thu, 07 May 2020 18:19:42 GMT

HHS Extends Deadline for Attestation, Acceptance of Terms and Conditions for Provider Relief Fund Payments to 45 Days

The Department of Health and Human Services has extended the deadline for healthcare providers to attest to receipt of payments from the Provider Relief Fund and accept the Terms and Conditions. Providers will now have 45 days, increased from 30 days, from the date they receive a payment to attest and accept the Terms and Conditions or return the funds. As an example, the initial 30-day deadline for providers who received payment on April 10, 2020, is extended to May 24 from May 9, 2020. With the extension, not returning the payment within 45 days of receipt of payment will be viewed as acceptance of the Terms and Conditions.

President Trump is providing support to healthcare providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic through the bipartisan CARES Act and Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act which provide $175 billion in relief funds to hospitals and other healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. This funding will be used to support healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19 and to ensure uninsured Americans can get treatment for COVID-19.

In allocating the funds, the Administration is working, among other things, to address both the economic harm across the entire healthcare system due to the stoppage of elective procedures, and addressing the economic impact on providers particularly impacted by COVID-19, and to do so as quickly and transparently as possible.

Visit hhs.gov/providerrelief for more information on the allocations. Recipients of payments from any of these allocations must attest and accept the Terms and Conditions within 45 days.

HHS is distributing $50 billion across the healthcare system to providers and facilities that bill Medicare.
Recognizing the financial strain from COVID-19 inpatient admissions, HHS is distributing $12 billion to hospitals that reported at least 100 COVID-19 inpatient admissions through April 10 to HHS.
HHS is distributing $10 billion to rural hospitals and clinics.
HHS is distributing $400 million to tribal healthcare providers.
HHS is using a portion of the Provider Relief Fund to reimburse healthcare providers, at Medicare rates, for COVID-related treatment of the uninsured.
HHS is working to provide relief to additional healthcare providers including skilled nursing facilities, dentists, and other providers significantly impacted by COVID-19.

Telehealth guidance by state during COVID-19: State emergency orders relevant to licensed psychologists during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

Kelly Wetzel — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 14:05:20 GMT

Telehealth guidance by state during COVID-19

State emergency orders relevant to licensed psychologists during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

Delaware

Status as of April 24, 2020

Existing state telehealth coverage mandate?

YES for commercial health plans; requires reimbursement parity; and allows audio-only phone

Del. Code Title 18, Ch. 33

Emergency state action on telehealth reimbursement parity?

CMS Section 1135 Medicaid Waiver approved 3/27/20 allows for reimbursement of payable claims by out of state licensed providers not enrolled in the state Medicaid program subject to certain conditions for the duration of the public health emergency.**

Emergency licensure waiver?

A joint order issued 3/24/20 by the Department of Health and Human Services and Emergency Management Agency allows out-of-state mental health providers with an active license to provide in-person and telemedicine mental health services. Further, all mental health providers who held a Delaware license within the last 5 years which is now inactive, expired or lapsed may provide services.

Online registration form is available.

Supervised Trainee Telehealth Services – Telesupervision and Medicaid Reimbursement

Trainees are not eligible to provide telehealth services as they are not licensed in Delaware (and those performing services from other jurisdictions are required to have an active license elsewhere). Postdoctoral students licensed as Psychology Assistants would be eligible to perform services.

For more information by state: https://www.apaservices.org/practice/clinic/covid-19-telehealth-state-summary

Ensuring Medicare Patients Have Access to Telehealth During COVID-19 Emergency

Kelly Wetzel — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 21:13:49 GMT

On March 6, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020 (H.R. 6074, Public Law 116-123), which provides $8.3 billion in emergency funding, including a provision that allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to waive Medicare telehealth restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak so that patients can receive care no matter where they are located, including at home.

House sponsors of the CONNECT for Health Act, another bill that would waive telehealth reimbursement restrictions during national emergencies, sent a letter last week to HHS Secretary Alex Azar urging the expeditious waiver implementation and guidance, as did Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.

On March 17, HHS waived key restrictions and issued public guidance on that waiver. Notably, the guidance allows Medicare patients to receive telehealth services in their homes and permits psychologists to provide services to both existing and new Medicare patients allowing for greater service delivery than what was enacted into law. Providers can use telephones for patient services as long as they are equipped with audio and video capabilities that enable two-way, real-time interactive communication. The Office of Civil Rights at HHS announced it would waive penalties for potential HIPAA violations during this public health emergency.

APA will be releasing more details on these waivers as soon as possible. In addition, APA will continue to advocate for increasing patient access to telehealth services at the federal and state level so that psychologists can provide essential mental health care.

APA applauds the House and Senate sponsors of the APA-supported CONNECT for Health Act—Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Reps. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) and Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) for securing elements of their telehealth bill in the coronavirus response package.

For more information, contact Laurel Stine, JD, at lstine@apa.org and Deborah Baker, JD, at dbaker@apa.org.

http://d3dkdvqff0zqx.cloudfront.net/groups/apapractice/attachments/apa%20advocacy%20washington%20update%203_18.pdf

Behavioral Health Consortium Town Halls

Kelly Wetzel — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 20:52:10 GMT

DPA members:

Please consider attending one of the upcoming Town Hall meetings for the Lt. Governor's Behavioral Health Consortium. This is a great opportunity to learn about the accomplishments of this group and to be a voice at the conversations about ongoing initiatives and opportunities. I plan to attend the meeting for New Castle County and I look forward to seeing many of you there!

Please see below for more information about BHC and visit the website to review past meeting minutes: https://ltgov.delaware.gov/behavioral-health-consortium/

The Behavioral Health Consortium is an advisory body comprised of community advocates, law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and state leaders that will assess and outline an integrated plan for action to address prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders. The consortium will develop short-term and long-term strategies and initiatives to address the major addiction and mental health challenges we face in Delaware.

Malina Spirito, Psy.D., M.Ed.

Licensed Psychologist

Delaware Psychological Association

Executive Council-President

BHC Sussex Forum.pdf

BHC NCC Forum.pdf

BHC Kent Forum.pdf

Psychologists will see payment increases for health behavior services in 2020 Feedback from more than 6,000 psychologists encouraged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to accept APA’s recommended values.

Kelly Wetzel — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 19:46:27 GMT

Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, psychologists will receive higher payments for providing treatment to Medicare patients who receive services for coping with or managing a physical health condition.

APA had been strongly advocating for changes to psychologists’ payments for these treatments—billed as Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention (HBAI) services—to more accurately represent current clinical practice. As part of its advocacy, APA urged psychologists to submit comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in support of a new coding structure for HBAI services and proposed value increases (see chart below).

CMS listened. They accepted APA’s recommendations and issued their approval of the rate increases in the agency’s 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule, released Nov. 1.

CMS noticed psychologists’ efforts, stating in the final rule that the “total number of comments for the HBAI CPT codes are from Psychologists who are uniformly pleased to see that CMS has accepted all of the AMA RUC’s recommended increases for the Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention (HBAI) services....”

“The rate increases are strong evidence that CMS recognizes the importance of addressing the psychological factors that affect patients’ physical health problems. The new HBAI code set will make it financially more sustainable for psychologists to provide HBAI services and expand access to psychological care for patients with physical health conditions,” says APA Chief of Professional Practice Jared Skillings, PhD, ABPP.

Although CMS accepted APA’s recommended values, Medicare will still not cover Health Behavior Family Intervention services offered without the patient being present.

APA will continue to review and analyze the 2,500-page final rule and provide further details on payment policies and other issues that psychologists need to be aware of in the next issue of “PracticeUpdate.”

Visit APA Services’ Reimbursement webpage for more information and updated resources related to HBAI and other coding and billing issues.

Article published Nov. 7, 2019

Finalized coding changes and work RVUs for HBAI services in 2020

CPT ® Code	Code Descriptor	2020 wRVU
Health Behavior Assessment Services
Assessment or Re-Assessment
96156	Health behavior assessment or re-assessment (i.e., health-focused clinical interview, behavioral observations, clinical decision making)	2.10
Health Behavior Intervention Services
Individual Intervention
96158	Health behavior intervention, individual, face-to-face; initial 30 minutes	1.45
✚ 96159	Each additional 15 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)	0.50
Group Intervention
96164	Health behavior intervention, group (2 or more patients), face-to-face; initial 30 minutes	0.21
✚ 96165	Each additional 15 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)	0.10
Family Intervention with Patient Present
96167	Health behavior intervention, family (with the patient present), face-to-face; initial 30 minutes	1.55
✚ 96168	Each additional 15 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)	0.55
Family Intervention without Patient Present
96170*	Health behavior intervention, family (without the patient present), face-to-face; initial 30 minutes	1.50
✚96171*	Each additional 15 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)	0.54

“ ✚ ” Indicates an Add-On Code to be reported with primary service/base code

PSYPACT News: From the Board of Examiners Homepage- September 2019

Kelly Wetzel — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 18:41:44 GMT

Delaware Joins the Psychology Interjurisdicational Compact (PSYPACT).

On July 4, 2019, Governor Carney signed into law House Bill 172. This change in the law enters Delaware into PSYPACT, allowing Delaware licensed psychologists who wish to practice psychology in another compact state via telepsychology. For more information on PSYPACT, including which other states are members of PSYPACT, go to www.psypact.org.

COMPACT COMMISSION PROPOSED RULES:

The Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact Commission has published Proposed Rules for consideration and comment. The Proposed Rules can be found HERE.

These Proposed Rules are open for a period of 60 days for public comment for those stakeholders interested in providing such comment. The deadline for submission of written comments is September 30, 2019.

Written comments should be submitted via the public comment form found on the PSYPACT website (www.psypact.org) and submitted to the PSYPACT Commission no later than 5:00 pm EST on September 30, 2019.

A public hearing will be conducted via Zoom on October 1, 2019 beginning at 3:00 pm EST. Interested parties may participate and notification will be posted to the PSYPACT website (www.psypact.org) 30 days prior to the meeting with call -in information provided.

PSYPACT WEBINAR: View Recording Here

Kelly Wetzel — Fri, 31 May 2019 18:00:00 GMT

PSYPACT's Executive Director, Janet Orwig, MBA, joined the DPA on May 31st from 12-1 PM in order to support our members' understanding of PSYPACT. Please use the information below to view a recording of the webinar.

PSYPACT Webinar

2019-05-31 12.07 PSYPACT Webinar.mp4

Check out these handouts for more information:

Why PSYPACT is Important.pdf

PSYPACT Fact Sheet.pdf

PSYPACT and Discipline.pdf

How PSYPACT Works.pdf

Audio Recording: A Night Out with Dr. Arthur Evans

Kelly Wetzel — Wed, 29 May 2019 17:56:07 GMT

Thank you to everyone who made it to our evening with Dr. Arthur Evans on May 10th. If you were not able to attend, but have interest in what was discussed, please check out this link for an audio recording of the night.

2019-05-10 17.48 A NIGHT OUT WITH DR. ARTHUR EVANS_1.mp3

New APA Survey: Americans Becoming More Open About Mental Health

Kelly Wetzel — Mon, 06 May 2019 15:38:32 GMT

SURVEY: AMERICANS BECOMING MORE OPEN ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

American adults mostly harbor positive views about mental health, though some stigma remains

WASHINGTON – Most Americans harbor positive views about mental health disorders and treatment, according to the results of a survey released today, in recognition of mental health month. The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association.

A total of 87% of American adults agreed that having a mental health disorder is nothing to be ashamed of, and 86% said they believe that people with mental health disorders can get better, according to the poll.

"The results of this survey are encouraging, and a signal that APA's and others’ work over the years to promote mental health care is paying off," said APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD. "They indicate a willingness to be more open about mental illness, as well as a strong belief among older respondents that having a mental disorder is nothing to be ashamed of."

Despite this welcome news, some stigma still persists. A third of respondents (33%) agreed with the statement, "people with mental health disorders scare me," and 39% said they would view someone differently if they knew that person had a mental health disorder.

In the case of mental health disorders, familiarity seemed to breed comfort: 42% percent of people who had never had a mental health diagnosis or known someone who did said that people with mental health disorders scared them. Of people who had been diagnosed with a mental health disorder or knew someone who had, only 27% and 28%, respectively, said the same. Most respondents — 59% — know someone with a mental health disorder. This personal experience is a step toward destigmatizing mental illness, Evans said.

The survey found that 81% percent of people said they would be very or somewhat comfortable being friends with someone with a mental health disorder, and 79% would be very or somewhat comfortable interacting with a person with a mental health disorder. Those numbers dropped, though, for more intimate involvement: The proportion of people comfortable dating someone with a mental health disorder was 51%, and only 35% said they would be comfortable letting someone with a mental health disorder care for a child.

Notably, significant minorities of Americans do not consider the most common mental health disorders to be disorders. A third (33%) said they did not consider anxiety to be a mental illness, and 22% said the same about depression.

The survey also delved into attitudes about suicide. Large majorities of Americans agree that people who are suicidal can be treated and go on to live successful lives (91%) and that suicide can often be prevented (87%). Most also supported openness around suicide, with 87% agreeing that people should talk about suicide more openly, and 84% agreeing that people should not be ashamed to say a loved one died by suicide. Nearly 4 out of 5 (79%) agreed that less stigma and shame around mental health disorders would lower suicide rates.

However, 30% of people said that they would keep quiet about the cause of death if their own loved one died by suicide, and 63% agreed with the notion that suicide is a selfish act.

Young adults between 18 to 34 reported the poorest mental health of those surveyed, as well as the most shame around mental health disorders. Twenty-seven percent of this age group reported poor or fair mental health, compared with 20% of 35 to 64-year-olds and 4% of those 65 and older. While 92% of those 65 and older and 89% of those between 35 and 64 agreed that having a mental health disorder was not something to be ashamed of, only 78% of the youngest adults said the same. Young adults were also more likely than older age groups to believe that most mental health disorders do not require treatment (35% of 18 to 34-year-olds, 17% of 35 to 64-year-olds and 9% of those 65 and older), to say that they would keep quiet about the cause of death if a loved one died by suicide (40% of 18 to 34-year-olds, 30% 35 to 64-year-olds, 18% of those 65 and older), and to disagree that people with mental health disorders can live normal lives (23%, 14%, and 10%, respectively).

"More young adults reported feeling shame and stigma surrounding mental health issues than their older peers," Evans said. "This points to the need for psychology to continue to educate the public so that more people understand that there is no shame associated with being mentally ill."

The survey of 1,006 U.S. adults was conducted by The Harris Poll between Nov. 20-29, 2018. Respondents took a 15-minute online survey about their attitudes toward mental health disorders and mental health treatment. The results were weighted by education, age, gender, race, ethnicity, geography, household income, household size and marital status to represent the U.S. population.

The full report and additional graphics are available here.

APA:Testing Code Webinar and Follow Up

Kelly Wetzel — Mon, 06 May 2019 15:32:31 GMT

Dear State Leaders,

Thank you for attending our April 26 webinar describing our advocacy efforts around the implementation of the new psychological and neuropsychological testing codes. The recording of that webinar can be found using this link. Please share this with your relevant SPTA leaders who were unable to join us.

The focus of the webinar was to seek your assistance in distributing a Testing Code Guide to local and regional payers. This document has been designed to help commercial and Medicaid payers appropriately process and pay these codes. We had planned to share this document with you this week; however, during final review, industry experts had the helpful suggestion of including test billing examples to make the guide even more useful to payers. We are in the process of revising the document to include detailed examples around issues that have caused frequent confusion with payers:

Psychological or neuropsychological testing over multiple days of service using base and add-on service codes
Typical use of technician test administration and scoring; and
Use of the technician test administration and scoring code, and qualified health provider and technician test administration on the same date of service

We hope to have the finalized document to you very soon.

In conclusion, I am pleased to share a positive development regarding reimbursement. Anthem BCBS of CT, the last major company we’re aware of with payment delays, appears to finally be reprocessing and paying claims.

Please continue to keep us informed of any problems. Thank you all again for working with us to solve these issues.

Best Regards,

Jared L. Skillings, PhD, ABPP

Chief of Professional Practice, American Psychological Association

Board-certified in Clinical, Clinical Health, and Behavioral & Cognitive Psychology

Certified Black Belt, Six Sigma Process Improvement

202-336-5913 | JSkillings@apa.org | Twitter: @JLSkillings | Linkedin.com/in/jlskillings

Delaware Psychological Association Professional News

American Rescue Plan Act and DPA: Resources

Free Substance Use Disorder Screenings Available

Acknowledgment of Recent Events and Harm by Dr. Roger Harrison, DPA's President-elect

Join the Delaware Coalition against Gun Violence

APA resources for coping with mass shootings, understanding gun violence

Talking to Kids About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers

Resources: Helping Students After a School Shooting

A statement from the Delaware Psychological Association on recent legislation targeting LGBTGEQIAP+ youth and families

FREE WEBINARS to support those affected by Covid-19

Free Coronavirus Sanity Guide

Downloadable Mobile App: COVID Coach

The Wellness Society's Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook

DPA Statement and Resources - COVID-19

Public Awareness Statement and Resources from the DPA: COVID-19

DCHI: Insurer Resources for COVID-19 and Telehealth

Aetna

AmeriHealth Caritas

Cigna

Highmark BCBS

Highmark Health Options

United Healthcare

Temporary Changes to Federal Medicare Telehealth Policies

APA: Sample Informed Consent Form for Resuming In-Person Services

Sample informed consent form for resuming in-person services

HHS Extends Deadline for Attestation, Acceptance of Terms and Conditions for Provider Relief Fund Payments to 45 Days

Telehealth guidance by state during COVID-19: State emergency orders relevant to licensed psychologists during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

Telehealth guidance by state during COVID-19

Delaware

Ensuring Medicare Patients Have Access to Telehealth During COVID-19 Emergency

Behavioral Health Consortium Town Halls

Psychologists will see payment increases for health behavior services in 2020 Feedback from more than 6,000 psychologists encouraged the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to accept APA’s recommended values.

Finalized coding changes and work RVUs for HBAI services in 2020

Health Behavior Assessment Services

Assessment or Re-Assessment

Health Behavior Intervention Services

Individual Intervention

Group Intervention

Family Intervention with Patient Present

Family Intervention without Patient Present

PSYPACT News: From the Board of Examiners Homepage- September 2019

PSYPACT WEBINAR: View Recording Here

Audio Recording: A Night Out with Dr. Arthur Evans

New APA Survey: Americans Becoming More Open About Mental Health

APA:Testing Code Webinar and Follow Up