April 18 PASRR Implementation Phase 2

April 5, 2022

Memorandum

On Monday, April 18, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) will launch Phase Two of the state's Pre-admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) system redesign. PASRR Phase Two includes moving screening submissions and completion of assessments to the new web-based management system, AssessmentPro, for all individuals seeking placement in Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Facilities (SMHRF) and Supportive Living Programs (SLP). Hospitals previously began using AssessmentPro on March 14 for all individuals who apply to reside in a Medicaid-certified nursing facility.

The PASRR Phase Two redesign will shift responsibilities and management for screening and assessment processes to Maximus, the new state PASRR contractor, from all previous state contractors. These changes impact all individuals seeking placement in SMHRFs or SLPs, regardless of payer.

Hospitals seeking general patient placement in Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) delivering nursing facility services must initiate PASRR screening for admission (e.g., for elderly patients); however, for patients with developmental disabilities, hospitals do not need to engage the PASRR system for admission. Referrals to ICFs for patients with developmental disabilities will continue to be coordinated through existing channels, typically the local Independent Service Coordination agency.

Phase Two Hospital Responsibilities
Maximus has provided the following step-by-step SMHRF and SLP responsibilities for hospitals:

  • As soon as the possibility of placement in a SMHRF or SLP for a patient in a hospital is identified, a referral should be submitted in AssessmentPro.
    • Hospital staff must log-in to AssessmentPro and submit a referral for the appropriate placement.
  • Based on the SLP referral outcome:
    • If the screening outcome for SLP indicates that no known or suspected mental illness, intellectual disability, developmental disability, or dual condition was found, hospital staff shall provide the AssessmentPro screening results to the SLP provider.
    • If the referral outcome for SLP indicates a condition of mental illness, Maximus will conduct a specialized mental health assessment and results will be available via AssessmentPro within approximately 48 hours. Please note, this is a desk-based review, and no face-to-face assessment will take place; however, Maximus may call the referral source and the patient being referred.
    • If the referral screening outcome indicates a condition of intellectual disability, developmental disability, or dual condition, the Department of Human Services’ Division of Developmental Disabilities or the Independent Service Coordination agency will follow up with an assessment, as is the current process.
  • If a SMHRF placement is being considered:
    • Maximus will use the Illinois Medicaid Comprehensive Assessment of Needs and Strengths (IM+CANS) instrument to complete an assessment for all individuals referred for SMHRF admission via AssessmentPro, regardless of payer source. This will be complete in approximately 42 hours, as part of a broader SMHRF Preadmission Assessment. HFS currently requires community behavioral health providers to review and update clients’ IM+CANS every 180 days.
    • After the Maximus assessment is completed, hospital staff must provide the AssessmentPro outcome to the admitting SMHRF. Patients cannot be admitted to a SMHRF without a completed outcome.

Resources and Webinar Trainings
If hospital staff are involved in PASRR processes, we encourage you to register for the applicable training opportunities listed below and facilitated by Maximus. Recordings of each training will be available to all registered attendees after completion. Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browsers should be used to register, attend, and view recorded training courses.

Training Module 3: Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Facilities (SMHRF) – Processes and Intent
Understanding the SMHRF – who may be referred, admission timeframes, and how the screening redesign will affect existing processes.

  • Register: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CST Wednesday, April 6, 2022
  • Register: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. CST Thursday, April 7, 2022

Training Module 4A: AssessmentPro Basics for SLP
Learn about AssessmentPro, the system you and your team will use for submitting SLP Initial Screens and related activities. Discussion topics include system registration, navigation, user roles and resources to help you complete your various tasks. We will focus on the nuances for SLPs, so PASRR system users can also benefit if working with SLP.

  • Register: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. CST Tuesday, April 12, 2022
  • Register: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. CST Wednesday, April 13, 2022
  • Register: 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. CST Thursday, April 14, 2022

See the Feb. 9 HFS Provider Notice on the PASRR Phase Two implementation for details. See the Feb. 16 IHA memo for background on the full PASRR process redesign.

For questions, comments or to register for additional webinar trainings on the upcoming program implementation, see the Illinois PASRR Tools and Resources webpage or contact the Maximus Illinois Help Desk at ILPASRR@maximus.com or (833) PASRR-IL (833-727-7745). Maximus responds to inquiries within approximately 24 hours.

Contct us for any additional questions or comments.