| Disposition: The outcome of a request for services to identify whether or not the client will be seen for an appointment based on their requested/identified needs.
Initial Appointment: A period of time scheduled with a practitioner for the purpose of responding to the client’s needs and providing necessary interventions in accordance with DMH Policy 302.07.
Initial Medication Appointment: A period of time scheduled with a psychiatrist or psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner for the purpose of initiating an evaluation for medications and providing necessary medication services as identified in DMH Policy 302.07.
Initial Request for Mental Health Services (Initial Request): Any request for mental health services whether made by the potential client or someone on behalf of the potential client, including an appointment request or program referral.
Mental Health Triage (Triage): A documented inquiry designed to determine scheduling priority prior to consent for services being obtained for a potential client presenting face-to-face or by telephone. A standard assessment will not be conducted on the same day the individual presents and consent may not yet have been obtained and/or financials completed.
Potential Client: An individual who is seeking, or for whom someone else is seeking, services and does not have a clinical record or whose treatment is considered inactive per DMH Policy 312.01.
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| All providers shall have an identified process for receiving and responding to initial requests for service in as timely a manner as possible that includes an identified telephone number or other Department-approved processes for receiving such requests.
Requests may be made via telephone, walk-in, or in writing (electronic or hard copy).
Staff shall offer an initial appointment to individuals requesting service. - Staff shall not direct individuals requesting service to walk in or contact the DMH Helpline.
Providers are responsible for handling any request for service by: - Attempting to contact the client to offer an appointment; or
- Transferring to another appropriate service provider.
- Providers should not transfer the request back to the site from which the request originated.
All initial requests shall be: - Screened using the Universal Screening questions; and
- Recorded in the Service Request Log (SRL) (MH709) or Service Request Tracking System (SRTS).
- Areas of inquiry in Universal Screening are listed in the SRL and SRTS and include:
- Request (e.g., date, time);
- Referring party (e.g., name, relationship to the potential client);
- Potential client (e.g., demographics, release from facilities, emergent medication needs, previous/current mental health services, cultural considerations); and
- Disposition (e.g., where referred, appointment date).
Contracted providers must electronically submit all SRL data to the Department within thirty (30) days of the request date.
All outpatient providers with a spectrum of services that do not require an official referral (e.g., Wraparound, Full Service Partnership) shall: - Be set up in the SRTS in order to accept referrals from the DMH Help Line and other providers;
- Reserve initial appointment times for DMH to utilize based on guidance from the QA Unit; and
- Ensure the reserved appointment information is kept up to date.
Upon initial request, practitioners shall screen for urgent medication needs (e.g., client will run out of medications prior to next routine appointment, have run out of medications, and/or clinically present in distress for which medications may assist) and consult with a practitioner for whom it is within scope of practice to identify an urgent medication note based on the clinical needs of the situation, If there is an urgent medication need, an urgent initial medication appointment shall be given in accord with the DMH Policy 302.07.
All first offered initial appointments shall be in accordance with DMH Policy 302.07.
The disposition of an initial request shall be recorded in the SRL or SRTS within five (5) business days unless another DMH-approved timeline has been determined from the initial date of contacting or attempting to contact the potential client/representative.
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