HJAR Mar/Apr 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAR / APR 2021 39 Under the above structure, a larger number of providers would have been needed to serve clients with dual diagnoses. Empowering Providers Although the concept and design had been discussed for several years, the effects of COVID-19 brought to light that DHS needed to make immediate changes to the way Arkansas Medicaid certifies providers who operate under the PASSE model. To offer an innovative solution for this unique program, Arkansas Medicaid updated rules and created the Community Support Systems Provider type to allow certified, enrolled Medicaid providers to deliver an array of home- and community-based services to clients who have complex BH needs, high DD needs or both. This new provider type breaks down the silos in service delivery amongst home- and community-based programs for these spe- cialized Medicaid clients and allows new business opportunities for providers. Providers have two options — a base level certification or an enhanced level certifica- tion — to provide and bill for the following services under the Community Support Sys- tems Provider type: Base Level Certification • Behavioral Assistance • Peer Support • Family Support Partners • Supportive Life Skills Development • Child and Youth Support • Supportive Employment • Supportive Housing • Supportive Living • Supported Employment • Respite • Adaptive Equipment • Community Transition Services • Consultation • Crisis Intervention Melissa Singleton Stone, JD Director DHS Division of Developmental Disabilities Services • Environmental Modifications • Supplemental Supports • Specialized Medical Supplies as defined in the 1915(c) Community and Em- ployment Supports under the PASSE program Enhanced Level Certification • All services under the base level certification • Therapeutic Communities • Community Reintegration as defined in the 1915(i) under the PASSE program and the ABSCI program • Adult Rehabilitation Day Treatment for dually diagnosed clients • Mobile Crisis Moving Forward to Improve Client Care The Community Support Systems Provider type fills in the gaps to improve the contin- uum of care for DHS’s highest need clients and breaks down service delivery barriers between the types of DD and BH support services to allow for easier and faster pro- gram transitions for clients. The Division of Provider Services and Quality Assurance (DPSQA) began accept- ing applications for the Community Support Systems Provider type on Jan. 1, 2021. Once a provider is certified, a provider can then enroll in Medicaid under the new provider type. Providers can find the application and all requirements for licensure by visiting the DHS website at https://humanservices. arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/CSSP- APPLICATION.pdf. n Melissa Stone received a Bachelor ofArts and Science in English from the University ofArkansas in 2001 and a juris doctorate from the William H. Bowen School of Law in 2005. She has worked for theArkansas De- partment of Human Services for over 15 years and currently serves as director of the Division of Devel- opmental Disabilities Services (DDS). She oversees Arkansas’five Human Development Centers,division policy and procedures and represents DDS as legisla- tive liaison.She is dedicated to servingArkansans with a developmental or intellectual disability and recog- nizes the importance of providing themwith an array of service options.