Louisiana Crisis Response System and 988 Lifeline

	24/7 crisis resources  available for immediate assistance.  Medicaid Members Contact your MCO Behavioral Health Care Crisis Line Aetna Better Health  1-833-491-1094  AmeriHealth Caritas of Louisiana  1-844-211-0971  Healthy Blue  1-844-812-2280  Humana Healthy Horizons of Louisiana 1-833-204-5504 Louisiana Healthcare Connections  1-844-677-7553  United Healthcare 1-866-232-1626

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH)/Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) has begun implementing the Medicaid service delivery system related to crisis services. 

LDH/OBH has joined the rest of the nation to transition the Suicide Prevention Lifeline 10-digit number to an easier to remember 3-digit dialing code, 988, for calls and text.   988 chats are available through the Lifeline website   www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat.

Click here to learn more about 988.

After working with partners in Medicaid and national experts, OBH finalized the service design associated with a crisis system of care that is modern, innovative and coordinated. The services that are being implemented include:

• Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) is an initial community-based, mobile crisis response intended to provide relief, resolution and intervention to individuals where they are located through crisis supports and services during the first phase of a crisis in the community.
• Behavioral Health Crisis Centers (BHCC) are facility based services that operates twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, as a walk-in center providing short-term behavioral health crisis intervention.
• Community Brief Crisis Support (CBCS) is an ongoing crisis intervention response rendered for up to fifteen (15) days and designed to provide relief, resolution and intervention through maintaining the member at home / in the community, de-escalating behavioral health needs, referring for treatment needs, and coordinating with local providers.
• Crisis Stabilization (CS) are short-term bed-based crisis treatment and support services for members who have received a lower level of crisis services and are at risk of hospitalization or institutionalization.

Services are available for Medicaid recipients who are:

• 21 years and older 
• Associated with one of the 6 Managed Care Organizations in Louisiana (Aetna Better Health, AmeriHealth Caritas of Louisiana, Healthy Blue, Humana Healthy Horizons of Louisiana, Louisiana Healthcare Connections, and United Healthcare)
• Experiencing emotional distress, and would benefit from crisis response from trained practitioners to get the supports needed to resolve the crisis and stay in the community
• Not already on a legal commitment and are able to voluntarily participate in services 

Select an area of the map for Crisis Resources in your area.

Modeling a Crisis System of Care

Early in the development of this new system, the Louisiana Department of Health sought input from stakeholders and interested parties to assist in the development of a vision for a modern and comprehensive crisis system of care through a Request for Information.Based on findings from the Request for Information, LDH developed a crisis framework:

• My Choice Louisiana Crisis Framework

As part of the process to implement new Medicaid covered crisis response services in Louisiana, LDH is pleased to announce that the following providers have been selected to receive intensive crisis response training, to be facilitated by the Center for Evidence to Practice.  Following training the providers will start providing these services by the indicated go live dates.

Additional Resources  

• Request for Applications for LA- Crisis Response System Mental Health Providers Training – with the link Request For Applications for LA-Mental Health Crisis Response System Provider Training 3 (Page 1 of 16) (office.com)
• Louisiana Crisis Response E-Mail Subscription 
• Crisis System of Care Model 
• Service Definitions posted for public comment within the Medicaid Provider Manual webpage Click Here 
  • Section 2.2 – Bed Based Services – Crisis Stabilization for Adults (Item Number: 2021-BH-11)
  • Section 2.3 – Outpatient Services – Crisis Response Services for Adults (Item Number: 2021-BH-12)
    • Mobile Crisis Response
    • Community Brief Crisis Support
    • Behavioral Health Crisis Care Centers
• Updated Fee Schedule with service rates, codes, and modifiers have been posted to the Louisiana Medicaid website  in both Excel and PDF format. 
  • Please note the following changes:
    • Additional page for Serious Mental Illness, appended with effective dates of 2/1/2022, 3/1/2022, and 4/1/2022
    • Revisions can be identified in red font on the SMI and Modifier pages of the SBHS fee schedule (V10 10/21/2021).

       

• NASMHPD Crisis Now: Dedicated to Transforming Mental Health Crisis Systems 
• SAMHSA Crisis best practices - Core Elements for Responding to Behavioral Health Crises: Practice Guidelines 
• Crisis Services Effectiveness, Cost-Effectiveness, and Funding Strategies 
• Making the Case for a Comprehensive Children’s Crisis Continuum of Care 
• SAMHSA guidelines for trauma informed care Trauma-Informed Practices 
• SAMHSA Recovery Support Tools and Resources/Peers 
• Crisis Now Learning Community 

Upcoming Presentation Schedule

Statewide Implementation Plan Updates *dates subject to change*

Presentations

• 2021 Presentations
• Presentation: LDH/OBH Crisis Response System Implementation Plan – April 28, 2022
• Building Pathways to Louisiana Crisis Services – Change Management – June 1, 2022 
• Presentation: LDH/OBH Crisis Response System Implementation Plan Update- July 7, 2022