The deadline for completion of training has been extended to September 30, 2024. Attestations are due by close of business on September 30, 2024.
Serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) is an important part of Arizona’s integrated care model. Individuals supported by the Division of Developmental Disabilities and their families have expressed concerns related to barriers they encounter when trying to access appropriate behavioral and physical healthcare. As a result, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) included one-time funding to expand access to care from a well-trained, highly skilled workforce as part of its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) spending plan.
The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD/the Division) has collaborated with its subcontracted health plans, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan and Mercy Care, to utilize ARPA funding to enhance training available to behavioral health agency clinical staff. The training focuses on best practices for working with individuals who have both a developmental disability and a behavioral health diagnosis. The goal of this initiative is to enhance provider competency, offer opportunities for professional development, improve member outcomes, and bridge gaps in knowledge for the professionals who serve individuals with a developmental disability and behavioral health diagnosis and their families.
The Division provided funding to add the Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD) Course Library to the Relias course catalog and make it available to all AHCCCS registered behavioral health agencies with access to Relias statewide. The full I/DD Course Library includes 100+ courses that learners will have access to, including many that are CEU-eligible.
Additionally, the Division is offering an incentive to behavioral health agencies for the completion by eligible staff of specified training courses. Incentive funding will be available to agencies that have at least 10% of their clinical staff complete the Training Plan titled “Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Essential Knowledge for BH Providers” between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024. Eligible agencies will be compensated in accordance with the payment information detailed further below in this document.
Training Plan: Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Essential Knowledge for BH Providers
Twelve of the courses in the Training Plan are Computer-Based Training and one course, “Introduction to the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities for Behavioral Health Providers”, is a live, virtual instructor-led course.
The specific training courses in the “Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Essential Knowledge for BH Providers Training Plan” are:
Course Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|
Introduction to the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities for Behavioral Health Providers (Please note - this is a live, Virtual Instructor led course) | 2.00 |
A Day in the Life: An IDD Perspective | 0.50 |
An Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders (formerly Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders) | 1.00 |
Assessments in IDD | 2.00 |
Common Health Problems and Interventions for Persons with IDD | 0.50 |
Informed Decision Making | 0.50 |
Integrated Care in IDD | 1.00 |
Intellectual Disabilities: Interventions, Supports and Outcomes | 1.00 |
Providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Persons with IDD | 1.25 |
Reducing Readmissions and Unnecessary Hospitalization | 1.00 |
Rights of Individuals with IDD | 0.75 |
Trauma-Informed Service Programs | 1.75 |
Understanding Intellectual Disability | 0.75 |
Behavioral health provider agencies, contracted with either Mercy Care or UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, of the following Provider Types are eligible for the incentive.
Services eligible for the incentive include the HCPCS/CPT codes listed on the AHCCCS Behavioral Health Outpatient MCO Fee Schedule (effective May 1, 2023) provided to DDD/ALTCS Members during the specified time period.
The lump-sum incentive payments will be calculated using a flat percentage of eligible providers’ Title XIX Medicaid payments from a specified time period for the select eligible services.
Provider Agency representatives must submit an attestation form, attesting that 10% of the clinical staff have completed the Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Essential Knowledge for BH Providers Training Plan by September 30, 2024.
For the purpose of this incentive, “clinical staff” refers to Behavioral Health Medical Professionals (BHMPs), Behavioral Health Professionals (BHPs), Behavioral Health Technicians (BHTs) and Behavioral Health Paraprofessionals (BHPPs) as defined in the AHCCCS Contract and Policy Dictionary.
The completed attestation form should be emailed to the Division of Developmental Disabilities by September 30, 2024. Providers encountering issues downloading the attestation or with questions should email the Division's Behavioral Health Administration.
The attestation must be downloaded and completed in either Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Acrobat Reader, it cannot be completed in a web browser tab.