Progress with UMBH

We will begin to receive single patient agreements from UMBH for those patients with Autism who are enrolled with UMBH and want to receive services from New Way Day Services. Parents need to get a prescription letter from their pediatrician and/or neurologist specifying the need for ABA therapy and at what frequency the child requires. Once this is available, the parents must contact the UMBH referral department to get the process started. It is important that the parents specify the facility or agency they want to provide the services i.e. New Way Day Services for their child. This will then begin the process of UMBH contracting with the agency. Please contact our office at 305-597-3861 if you have any questions. https://www.newwaydayservices.org

Florida Senate Bill Number 2654: 1 small step for ABA providers, 1 giant leap for ABA clients

On May 2, 2008 the Florida Senate passed Bill Number 2654. Below is an overview of the Bill taken from www.autismvotes.org:

• Authorizes the Agency for Health Care Administration to seek federal approval for Medicaid coverage of applied behavior analysis and other therapies for children with autism and other developmental disabilities. 
• Requires the Office of Insurance Regulation to convene a work group that will negotiate a developmental disabilities compact binding health insurers and health maintenance organizations to insure persons with autism and other developmental disabilities. 
• Mandates coverage for individuals with autism by health insurer.

Although this seems like a huge accomplishment, after talking with several ABA providers in other states that have had similar bills in effect for over a year, Bill 2654 is merely a stepping stone in the right direction.

I called several providers in all of the states (namely AZ, IL, IN, MT, NM, PA, SC, TX) that mandate that ABA services be covered by private insurances as well as Medicaid in order to gain some insight into the process. Although the ABA providers in the aforementioned states were extremely helpful, they did not have very good news or very many positive things to say about the new Bills. Even though the Bills had been in effect for a year or more in these states, ABA providers were still battling with insurance companies to get reimbursed. I have the reimbursement rates that various insurance companies pay in these states. Please feel free to contact me (newwayday@gmail.com) with anymore information you may have or advice. Together we can work this out!

http://www.newwaydayservices.org/

How to develop BASP Implementation schedule to increase caretaker compliance.

During one of our supervisions, a therapists suggested that we implement a Behavior Analysis Services Plan (BASP) in order to coincide with the parents' complex schedule in the evenings.

Solution (Develop a BASP implementation schedule): A BASP implementation schedule is used match the client's and caretaker's schedule with the current intervention.

I suggested that the therapist sit down with the family and talk about observations regarding events that occur in the evenings. Then we could determine the role of the caretaker with respect to the interactions between the client and his siblings.

The therapist mapped out the caretaker's schedule in the evening hours and used a schedule she found online from Microsoft word templates.

Benefits: Once the schedule is posted in the home, the therapist is able to observe and monitor how the caretakers are currently implementing the BASP. Programtic Updates & introduction of new intervenions to the plan can be added to the schedule and probed. data collection and data collection procedures could also be added to the schedule. For sample schedule please e-mail request at newwayday@gmail.com.

How Can We Help?

New Way Day Services, Inc. is a multi-service agency whose primary focus is to enhance the lives of persons with disabilites and their families. We are dedicated to working closely with the family and direct care staff to assist our clients to achieve the highest level of independence and community integration. With proven techniques in Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Modification, Mental Health Services and Parent Training, we have been successful in improving the quality of life of those we serve.

We are currently starting a new program for children with Special Needs in 2009. We are here to help you and your family.

Jose A. Merida

Certified Behavior Analyst

http://www.newwaydayservices.org/