PA HealthChoices

The PA HealthChoices Behavioral Health Program has enabled Magellan, in partnership with Bucks, Cambria, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton Counties, to generate cost savings for the communities we serve through reinvestment funds. With the help of these reinvestment funds, new programs and services have been created that help to increase members’ access to care, improve service use rates, expand the continuum of services in alignment with evidence-based models, and we have maximized clinical appropriateness and quality of care. These new programs have helped to meet the unmet needs of “underserved” and/or special populations. For example:

  • Wellness Recovery Teams for individuals with co-occurring serious mental illness and complex physical health needs
  • Mobile Crisis and Warm Lines that provide intensive community support for individuals and families to prevent the need for hospitalization
  • Dual Diagnosis Treatment Teams (DDTT) for individuals with co-occurring mental health challenges and intellectual disabilities
  • Certified Recovery Specialists for members with substance use disorders
  • The Transition to Independence Process (TIP) for transition age youth
  • Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) and Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) for children and adolescents with autism
  • Supported housing/apartment living, Critical Time Intervention (CTI) and specialized case management teams for individuals with housing challenges
  • Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) models for individuals with substance use disorders
  • Forensic residential treatment and community support teams for individuals with criminal justice involvement

We have also introduced and implemented a variety of innovations to improve health outcomes for individuals and their families. For example, we have:

  • Incorporated recovery and resiliency principles into our system of care, creating a hope-filled environment that nurtures and invites Member empowerment, growth, recovery, and resiliency.
  • Implemented a quality management program that is outcomes and data-driven through Value Based Purchasing initiatives, continuous evaluation of the quality of services, and routine monitoring of core performance indicators.
  • Prioritized network and innovative program development, including the expanded use of evidence-based and promising practices such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Assertive Community Treatment, and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to meet the evolving needs of the members we serve, resulting in stronger providers and the delivery of high-quality, accessible care.
  • Advanced work in health care integration, Member-centered recovery, and family-driven and youth-guided initiatives, through such activities as the creation of a network of peer-support providers, the implementation of Wellness Recovery Teams, and the launch of MY LIFE.

To learn more about the HealthChoices Program, go to http://www.healthchoices.pa.gov/info/about/.