News & Events Archive

02/04/04  New Crisis Guide for Parents Published
In collaboration with the Department of Social Services (DSS), MBHP has developed a guide to provide information on the supports available to foster and adoptive parents should a crisis occur with a child in their care.

02/04/04  MBHP Post Office Boxes Change
This change only affects mail sent to MBHP's post office boxes; it does not affect items mailed to MBHP's street address.

2/18/03   Changes in MassHealth Benefits
The Division of Medical Assistance has announced that it is changing the eligibility requirements for MassHealth members.
The effective date of this change will happen before April 1, 2003. Please visit the Division of Medical Assistance web site for more information.

 2/18/03    MBHP Posts Report Detailing Members Access to Outpatient Services
The MBHP central regional office is now generating a monthly report that provides current information on Members' access to outpatient mental health and substance abuse clinics. The purpose of the report is to provide current data to MBHP-contracted providers at all levels of care and to facilitate timely access to outpatient services for Members. The report lists the outpatient clinics and group practices that are contracted by MBHP in Central Massachusetts. The report examines the response time, the amount of time between the referral call and the first face-to-face appointment, among children, adolescents and adults. For each population, the report has specified the response time at each clinic for therapy, psychopharmacology (ie: psychiatric/medication evaluation) and psychological testing. It also specifies the languages available for each service.

10/20/2003   MBHP To Provide Care to MassHealth Essential Members
Starting November 1, 2003 MBHP will be providing medical care management services for up to 2,500 MassHealth Members at high risk enrolled in the MassHealth Essential program. MBHP will be hiring up to 27 regionally-based field clinical care managers. These care managers will be RNs or medical social workers with experience in community care settings serving high-risk populations. They will spend almost all of their time at primary care clinicians' offices and local emergency rooms.

10/20/2003   Electronic Transactions and Codes Are HIPAA Ready
On October 16th, 2003, MBHP implemented the new HIPAA transaction and coding regulations, including new service codes, new claim formats, and new eligibility formats. Following CMS' guidance, MBHP has put a contingency plan into operation that allows providers to utilize the old claim formats through November 30. Through HIPAA, electronic health communications have become standardized throughout the industry. The HIPAA privacy regulations were put into place in April 2003.

6/20/03   MBHP Staff were interviewed by NPR during the 2003 Recovery Conference
Madge Kaplan, a reporter from National Public Radio (NPR), attended the Partnership's sixth annual Partnering for Recovery conference on May 20 and interviewed staff from the Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance, members of the Partnership's consumer advisory council, and a number of Partnership staff, including Partnership CEO Nancy Lane and Kim Holt, projects coordinator for the prevention, education, and outreach department, as well as VO president, public sector division, Richard Sheola. The NPR segment, which aired on June 11 focused on the important role that consumers play at the Partnership.

9/28/02      MBHP Launches New Web site
The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP) launched its new web site today. MBHP has redesigned its web site to include new sections on careers, statewide contacts, resources, reports and publications, and conferences. The Member and Provider sections of the site have also been expanded to include the most up-to-date information on MBHP's programs and services.

9/28/02       MBHP Director to Be Honored for Work with Mentally Ill Patients
Craig Bennett, director of concurrent review and care coordination in the Clinical Services Department at MBHP, will be honored at the Freedom Trail Clinic's 30th Anniversary Celebration on October 5, 2002. The event will recognize his outstanding tenure at the Freedom Trail Clinic and his contribution to the clinic's tradition of excellence in serving some of Boston's most severe mentally ill residents.

10/18/01 Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance Awards Contract to MBHP
The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership was awarded its second five-year contract from the Division of Medical Assistance to administer the mental health and substance abuse services for the Division's Primary Care Clinician (PCC) Plan. Building from the success of the first contract, MBHP looks forward to enhancing its highly responsive system of care that stresses high standards, continuity of care, and consumer and family involvement.

MBHP Earns a Perfect Score on Audit
MBHP was recently notified that it earned a perfect score in an independent audit conducted by PriceWaterHouseCoopers. The widely-recognized audit, titled Statement of Auditing Standards (SAS) Number 70, evaluated how effectively MBHP manages its record keeping, computer information systems, claim payment, and banking functions. SAS 70 assurance means that MBHP's network infrastructure and processes have passed rigorous, third-party testing, which further strengthens MBHP's reputation for exceeding performance standards for customer service, reporting, and timely payment of claims.