This quarterly newsletter provides a recap of the second quarter of 2021, as well as, updates on current activities for the association and committee updates.

• News Flash Recap
  • Multiple Legislative Proposals Introduced to Restructure Michigan’s Behavioral Health System
    • Over the past few months, two different legislative proposals have been drafted that would significantly change the way behavioral health services are managed in Michigan. These bills, referred to as Behavioral Health Integration initiatives, include House Bills HB 4925, HB 4926, HB 4927, HB 4928, HB 4929 along with Senate Bills SB 597 and SB 598. While these bills differ in detail and in several important mechanisms of implementation, at their core both the House and Senate goals are to replace the current Pre-Paid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs) with an approach that would better integrate and improve the quality of medical care while also streamlining administration and reducing costs.
    • We will be monitoring these and other topics closely, and will update our membership as events unfold.
  • An Update on TRICARE ABA Coverage and Feedback to Operations Manual (TOM) Revisions
    • A copy of recent letters can be found through the links below. In particular, these letters provide a good summarization of potential issues with TOM changes.
      • NCAAS Letter to US House Armed Services Committee
      • American Academy of Pediatrics Letter to DHA
      • Exceptional Families of the Military, CASP, & APBA Letter to DHA
• MiBAP Webinar Series
  • Completed Webinars
    • MiBAP Webinar: Resolving Barriers to ABA in School Settings: Navigating Case Law, Legislation, and Administrative Rules
    • MiBAP Webinar: Clinical Operations – Prioritizing Quality Services (Part2)
  • Upcoming Webinars
    • Dr. Matthew Brodhead, BCBA-D – Ethics (currently planned for September)
    • TBD – Please keep an eye out for an upcoming survey on webinar topics

MiBAP is here to support all of our members in these difficult times – please do not hesitate to reach out (info@mibap.org) with your questions, comments, feedback, or concerns.

Below are quick updates from each of our committees, along with a few articles and papers you may find of interest. Stay safe!

 
Access Committee

The Access Committee continues to develop informational flyers and videos for pediatricians and parents. Our “What is ABA” video outline is nearing completion, as is a flyer which will provide information on autism, ABA, the diagnostic process, and resources for families (e.g., Let Me Hear Your Voice). We plan to house our informational videos on the MiBAP YouTube channel so that all providers may easily send this information to those who are in the access pipeline. Additionally, we are beginning conversations with pediatricians to discuss how we can offer CEUs or ‘Lunch and Learns’ and provide clearer guidelines for referrals and the diagnostic process. Finally, we have a new Access Committee Chair – Rachel Enright, from Gateway Pediatric Therapy. Thanks so much to Rachel for stepping into this role, and a HUGE thanks to Adam for his work leading this committee since its inception! Rachel’s contact info is: rachel@gatewaypediatrictherapy.com

Advocacy Committee

The remainder of 2021 is getting exciting. So many decisions will be made in the next 5 Months! From the 2022 State Budget to the very structure of our Behavioral Health service delivery system, there’s so much at stake. MiBAP is an active participant in the discussions that will impact the delivery of ABA services in Michigan. One highlight is MiBAP’s active planning for a kickoff panel presentation for the MAC Conference in October. This panel will consist of legislative leaders who will discuss Behavioral Health Integration proposals and respond to questions. There are plenty of opportunities to become involved in the Advocacy Committee and their effort to serve the MIBAP Board of Directors. If interested in participating in the committee, please email your area of advocacy interest to jeffbrown@centriahealthcare.com and you will be included in the next committee meeting in mid-August. Have a great finish to your summer.

Education Committee

scenes to ensure the MiBAP Educational Webinar Series is executed well and our members and other behavior analytic professionals have access to important training opportunities not frequently offered from other webinar series. Please continue to check out our website and read our emails for updates on the latest webinars and links to register. In addition to our webinar series, we also work to produce this quarterly newsletter. We are always open to additional content from our members that may be beneficial for our group at large. If you have any questions or suggestions related to this committee, please contact Mike Dow (MiBAP Executive Director) or Megan DiMartino (MiBAP Education Committee Chair).

Quality Committee

The Quality Committee continues to collect data and discuss quality outcomes measurement and reporting.  Recent discussions have included more standardized objective measures rather than those that rely on parent report.  Other topics include quality standards for supervisory staff, competency or criteria-based onboarding, and the consideration of standards developed by various other organizations.  Part 2 of the Clinical Operations Promoting Quality webinar was presented on June 30th.  Both part 1 and part 2 are now available for member organizations to view on the MiBAP website.

From the President

MiBAP has continued to advocate for our members and those we serve throughout the second quarter of 2021. We have had several meetings with legislators and stakeholders regarding proposed legislation and collaborated with CASP, APBA, and Autism Speaks on a letter to the Michigan House Health Policy Committee. Our boilerplate language appears in the budget drafts currently under consideration in the House and Senate, and HB 4059 passed in the House in early June. This bill removes the requirement for re-evaluation for children with confirmed diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder unless medically necessary. It has now been referred to the Committee on Health Policy and Human Services so is on its way to becoming law! We continue to be active in discussions regarding other bills of interest and actions that affect the ABA provider community in Michigan. MiBAP has also hosted additional webinars (ABA in Schools with Lorri and Dan Unumb and Clinical Operations – Prioritizing Quality Services Part 2) since our last update. Recordings are available in the Member section of our website. We are looking forward to an Ethics presentation from Dr. Matt Brodhead in the fall and are also putting together a panel discussion featuring Michigan legislators as well as a presentation for the Michigan Autism Conference in October. Let us know if there are additional topics you’d like to see in an upcoming webinar, or if you encounter concerning issues you’d like MiBAP to address. We are here to serve you!