Announcements and Information

Update 7/20/2022 Find out which FSP and PEI reports providers can run in Outcomes-Latest News & Updates Issue # 1

Update 4/15/2020 – The Quality, Outcomes and Training Division is aware of the challenges currently facing providers with respect to collecting outcomes data. We understand and appreciate your resolve when it comes to administering instruments at the beginning, during pre-defined intervals and conclusion of services or a particular intervention.

Please keep the following terms of use in mind regarding instruments:

  • Some of the instruments cannot be reproduced or recreated without reference to or explicit permission from the developer/publisher. and some cannot be reproduced or recreated at all. Additionally, some of the instruments are priced per copy, and DMH has received permission to create a certain amount. You may NOT make your own copies of those instruments. Continue contacting us to request outcome measures as needed.
  • Whether you have hard copies or electronic versions of a specific instrument, the intellectual property and Protected Health Information (PHI) must be safeguarded. This means ensuring privacy during data collection. Maintain test security by locking away all physical copies of the instrument and password protecting or encrypting electronic versions.
  • Only users who have been trained should administer outcomes. Please use outcome measure quick guides to re-familiarize yourself with the instruments on which you have already been trained, and continue to contact us at PEIOutcomes@dmh.lacounty.gov with questions about the instruments.
  • Those who administer outcomes must note any changes to the mode of administration and consider the impact this has on test data/validity/reliability etc.  Please continue to follow your agencies’ guidelines for documentation and service delivery during these unique times.

EPSDT

The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) has selected the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-35) AND the California Child and Adolescents Needs and Strengths – 50 (CANS-50) tools to measure child and youth functioning.

On November 14, 2017, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) issued MHSUDS Information Notice No.: 17-052 Early Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) – Specialty Mental Health Services Performance Outcomes System Functional Assessment Tools for Children and Youth.

An updated information notice was issued by DHCS on 10/17/18, expanding the age range for the questionnaires.  The CANS is to be completed for all EPSDT children/youth ages 6 through 20 and on all children ages 3 through 18 for the PSC-35.

LACDMH and DHCS have agreed to the following implementation timeline for Los Angeles County:

  • Starting January 1, 2019 the MHP’s providers contracted to provide specialty mental health services (SMHS) to children/youth/non-minor dependents (NMDs) placed in Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs (STRTPs) will begin administering the CANS and PSC-35 to youth entering STRTPs. *****Please note: STRTPs should submit data only on those clients admitted to the STRTP January 1, 2019 or later. ISFC providers should submit data only on those clients whose services begin on April 1, 2019 or later
  • Effective April 1 2019 the MHP’s providers contracted to provide SMHS to children/youth/ NMDs placed in Foster Family Agency (FFA) Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC) will begin administering the CANS and PSC-35 to youth receiving ISFC services;
  • By July 1, 2019, all contracted and DMH directly operated programs will administer and report data collected using the PSC-35 and CANS-50 for new clients under the age of 21 receiving SMHS.
  • No later than August 1, 2019, LACDMH will send CANS and PSC-35 data received from SMHS providers to DHCS reflecting full implementation of EPSDT Functional Assessment Tools and engage in regular, recurring batch submissions.

Relevant notices and bulletins:

PEI

July 1, 2019: Outcome Measure collection requirements for PEI funded EBPs change on July 1, 2019, which affect all Early Intervention Evidence Based Practices (EBP’s), Promising Practices (PP’s), and Community Defined Evidence Practices (CDE’s). The “general” measures, Youth Outcome Questionnaire (YOQ) and Youth Outcome Questionnaire Self Report (YOQ-SR), will not be collected for any practices except for Functional Family Therapy (FFT). The Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 (OQ) will continue to be collected for Crisis Oriented Recovery Services (CORS) and Stepped Care (SC) only.

July 1, 2018: Outcomes data collection protocols for several MHSA prevention programs require the completion of surveys that assess a decrease in risk factors and an increase in protective factors and gathers state required demographic information.

November 2, 2015: MHSA Implementation and Outcomes Division will be hosting a series of webinar booster trainings on updated DSM-5 versions of trauma measures.

February 9, 2015: PEI OMA Version 1.5 was released to collect data for MAP, TF-CBT, and Triple P. For more information, please visit the CIBHS  (formerly CiMH) page.

December 23, 2014: MHSA Implementation and Outcomes Division’s PEI team released the inaugural issue of “A Closer Look”, a publication that dives into the wonderful world of outcome measures. For more information please visit the PEI Publication page.
January 6, 2014: Debbie Innes-Gomberg released a major announcement about the end of CiMH services related to collecting Outcomes for Triple P, MAP and TF-CBT for PEI-funded clients. Read that memo here:CiMH PEI Data Memo.pdf.

July 10, 2013: PEI OMA version 1.3 has been released. It feature one important change to dates and deadlines, and a number of smaller changes that are specific to a few EBP’s.

  • The 14 day window has been expanded to 21 days. Until now, Pre and Post Questionnaires were due on the Date of First (or Last) session, or within 14 days. From now on, there is a 21 Day Window around the due date Pre Questionnaires can be done up to 7 days before Date of First Session, on the Date of First Session, or up to 14 days after the Date of First Session. Post Questionnaires can be done up to 7 days before Date of Last Session, on the Date of Last Session, or up to 14 days after the Date of Last Session.
  • The Provider List page will now show all the providers a user is associated with, and the “Search Active Clients” button now reads “Show Active Clients.”
  • PEI OMA – Practice Specific Changes
    • Removed Practice – Early Detection and Intervention for Prevention of Psychosis (EDIPP)
    • Changed Specific Questionnaire requirements for Practice – Caring for Our Families (CFOF). For clients with Date of First session on or after 12/01/12, the Specific Questionnaire required for CFOF is changed to ECBI/SESBI. General Questionnaires remain unchanged
    • Change Specific Questionnaire requirement for Practice – Loving Intervention Family Enrichment (LIFE). For clients with Date of First session on or after 12/01/12, the Specific Questionnaire required for LIFE is changed to ECBI/SESBI. General Questionnaires remain unchanged.
  • MHIP OMA Related Changes
    • Changed Unable to Collect reasons for Practice – Mental Health Integration Program (MHIP):
      • Add “Therapist did not administer tool
      • Add “Client in crisis
      • Remove “Admin date exceeds range
      • Remove “Administered wrong forms
  • Added confirmation message for Mental Health Integration Program (MHIP). A confirmation message will appear prior to closing an MHIP treatment cycle when EBP Completed=Yes.
  • Added new Disposition for Mental Health Integration Program (MHIP) when EBP Completed=No:
    • Add “Change in focus of treatment”
  • Modified requirement to open treatment cycle for Practice – Mental Health Integration Program (MHIP). Only one treatment cycle can be opened for MHIP services at any given time regardless of focus of treatment (Depression/Anxiety/Trauma).

May 1, 2013: We have completed the rollout of several important changes to the PEI OMA. This is a not a full version update, but we are adding many elements that users have been waiting for such as new practices (PEARLS, PATHS and so on), new questionnaires (DERS and FAD), and data table corrections (such as the score ranges for the PHQ-9 in MHIP). Most users will not notice any obvious changes to the software aside from the addition of EBP’s. The following list includes the updates that will take effect immediately:

  • Practices Added:
    • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
    • Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS)
    • Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Anxiety
    • Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Depression
    • Individual Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Trauma
    • Problem Solving Therapy (PST)
    • Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives for Seniors (PEARLS)
    • Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS)
  • Questionnaires Added:
    • Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale (DERS)
    • McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD)
    • Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7)
  • Focus Added:
    • Emotional Dysregulation Difficulties
  • Corrections:
    • Remove BASIS-24 for all practices
    • Remove PTSD-RI for Prolonged Exposure (PE)
    • Change subscale label for PTSD-RI scales to PTSD Severity Score/Total Score
    • Change minimum score to 0 for PHQ-9 in MHIP

June 28, 2012: DMH rolled out the MHIP (Mental Health Integration Program) as an EBP in the PEI OMA. Existing PEI OMA users are expected to go through MHIP Data Entry Training before they begin tracking outcomes for MHIP. For any questions or concerns regarding MHIP, please contact Robert Levine (213) 381-8064. Outcome measures used for MHIP include: Generalized Anxiety Disorder – 7 (GAD-7); Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ-9); PTSD Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C)

November 29, 2011: PEI OMA Version 1.1 released today. This new version of the PEI OMA adds the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (RBPC) which is now associated to Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT), Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT), and the Strengthening Families Program (SFP). One new feature is the ability to choose one of two respondents for the RBPC. The system will display two copies of the questionnaires (RBPC – Parent and RBPC – Teacher), but only one can be entered. Once the scores are entered and saved for an RBPC questionnaire, the alternative questionnaire will be hidden for the life of that treatment cycle.

Release Notes for Internet Report and OMA (EPSDT, FSP, FCCS, PEI)

FSP

New Version of FSP OMA Flyer

New FSP OMA Learning Labs 

The DMH Outcomes team wants to provide additional support for all of the Directly Operated (DO) and Legal Entity providers as we transition to the new FSP-OMA and Data Change/Deletion Request (DCDR) applications. With this in mind, we are offering daily FSP Outcomes Measures Application Learning Labs on Microsoft Teams.    

Starting August 29th for pilot providers and starting the week of the full go live for everyone else, the DMH Outcomes team will be hosting daily FSP Outcomes Measures Application Learning Labs.  Leaening lab hours will be 9:00AM-10:00AM on Wednesdays.  

Learning Labs will all be online via MS Teams can be accessed through this link: Click here to join the meeting  

These drop-in sessions will provide a space to ask questions about the applications or forms, learn tips on using the applications, or ask questions specific to your provider site.   

The key point is that we to want to provide a space where users can come for support so that they feel more comfortable to use the new FSP-OMA and Data Change/Deletion Request (DCDR) applications as well as the new forms.