Western Highlands Network
Friday E-Mail Newsletter
Number 93
3/30/2007
The Friday E-Mail is a weekly update for providers by the Services Management Department of Western Highlands Network. Please distribute to all your staff.
URGENT MESSAGE REGARDING National Provider Identification Numbers (NPI)!!!
Only
19,385 (32%) of 60,000 North Carolina Medicaid providers'
NPI Collection
Forms
have been received.
If your agency has not obtained these numbers, you MUST do so immediately! Forms must be in by March 31, 2007.
For Questions regarding this process, please contact Servetta McDowell, extension 2191, or billingquestions@westernhighlands.org.
Update on Attachment Therapy
It has come to our attention that the use of techniques and therapies commonly referred to as Attachment Therapy (AT), and its associated parenting techniques, are being used within the Western Highlands service area. These practices must stop immediately. Providers engaging in these activities will be reported to DSS for suspected abuse/neglect, referrals will be frozen and endorsements may be withdrawn.
The following are the recommendations in the February 2006 report from the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s (APSAC) position and was also endorsed by the American Psychological Association’s Division 37 and the Division 37 Section on Child Maltreatment:
"Treatment techniques or attachment parenting techniques involving physical coercion, psychologically or physically enforced holding, physical restraint, physical domination, provoked catharsis, ventilation of rage, age regression, humiliation, withholding or forcing food or water intake, prolonged social isolation, or assuming exaggerated levels of control and domination over a child are contraindicated because of risk of harm and absence of proven benefit and should not be used."
The APSAC report also attacked the mistaken theories of child development and behavior that are used to justify the use of AT. "Intervention models that portray young children in negative ways, including describing certain groups of young children as pervasively manipulative, cunning, or deceitful, are not conducive to good treatment and may promote abusive practices." It goes on to warn professionals, "In general, child maltreatment professionals should be skeptical of treatments that describe children in pejorative terms or that advocate aggressive techniques for breaking down children's defenses."
The Report calls upon child-welfare professionals not to tolerate parenting behaviors that pretend to be therapeutic but are actually abusive:
"Withholding food, water, or toilet access as punishment; exerting exaggerated levels of control over a child; restraining children as a treatment; or intentionally provoking out-of control emotional distress should be evaluated as suspected abuse and handled accordingly."
The practices prohibited above should not be interpreted as pertaining to common and evidence based treatment or behavior management approaches, such as time-out, reward and punishment contingencies, appropriate seclusion or physical restraint (i.e. CPI, NCI, PMAB, TCI) as necessary for physical safety, restriction of privileges, "grounding," or offering physical comfort and nurturance to a child, etc.
Included in the prohibited interventions are the following:
Strong Sitting
Hassle Chores (age inappropriate tasks that are not tied
to consumer behavior or that are clearly excessive)
Differential Meal
Preparation
Humiliation
Prolonged Isolation
Withholding water, food, toilet, or hygiene access
Forced food or water
intake
Provoked catharsis
Restraint or therapeutic holding as treatment in absence
of safety risk
Re-birthing techniques
Compression holding therapy
Rage reduction therapy
Z-Process therapy
Boot Camp
Forced exercise to the point of exhaustion
If you have a question about an intervention or technique, or know of a provider using such practice, please call your Western Highlands Provider Specialist.
Important Reminder Regarding Level I Quarterly Incident Reports
Level I Quarterly Incident Reports are due to Western Highlands Network by Tuesday, April 10, 2007 for the 3rd Quarter (January, February, March 2007)
(Some of you may have the good fortune to have a vacation during this time. Send your report before you go!)
If you had no Level I incidents during this time period a report is still required. Just fill in the sections with a 0. If you have multiple facilities then a report must be sent for each facility.
Fax to Lynn Trotter 828 225-2784 or Email to lynn@westernhighlands.org
No NPI...No payment. Have you registered your National Provider Identifier(s) with Western Highlands? See Western Highlands website for more information http://www.westernhighlands.org
Charlie Schoenheit
Director of Services Management
Western Highlands Network
356 Biltmore Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801
Telephone: (828)258-3511 x2219
FAX: (828) 225-2779
E-Mail: Charlie@westernhighlands.org
Website: westernhighlands.org
