Notice of Manual Revisions: Section 2.2 Bed Based Services

Date: 01/20/26

Louisiana Healthcare Connections is sharing a notification from the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH). OBH shared updates to Section 2.2 Bed Based Services in the LA Medicaid SBHS services manual; these changes were posted for public comment through January 1, 2026, and published January 6, 2026.

The changes are as follows:

1) Assessment and Treatment Planning

a. Plan of Care must be developed and implemented no later than 14 days after admission (previously 72 hours)

2) Provider Qualifications - Agency

a. Changed “LDH approved” accrediting body to “OBH approved”
b. Added the Certified Nurse Aide Registry to the list of places that must be checked prior to hiring or contracting with any employee or contractor that are compensated with Medicaid/Medicare funds.

3) Team Qualifications

a. Updated “a licensed psychologist or medical psychologist” to include “or a psychologist possessing a master’s degree in clinical psychology”

4) Added new service, “Specialty Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility Serving Youth with Co-Occurring Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Needs”

a. Providers and MCO staff are encouraged to review this addition to the manual for information.