Substance Abuse & Mental Health
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Does my agency need to participate in the RMTS if we are not a Medicaid provider?
Yes. This RMTS captures administrative activities being performed by providers. All providers that meet the criteria established by DCF and outlined in Question #2, regardless of their Medicaid billing status for direct services, must participate in the RMTS. Providers that are enrolled as a Medicaid provider are enrolled to claim for direct services. Administrative claiming is handled through this process and providers do not "enroll" for DCF to claim for administrative costs that support the Medicaid program.
2) What criteria is used for determining whether or not providers participate in the time study?
The criteria for participating in the RMTS is (1) providers who offer community-based mental health and/or substance abuse services and (2) providers who have contracts with DCF in amounts of $500,000 or greater. Providers with contracts in amounts less than $500,000 are welcome to participate if they choose.
3) Will the RMTS be an on-going process that agencies are responsible for?
Yes. Per the direction of DCF and the Legislature, the RMTS will be operating on an on-going basis and agencies will be responsible for participating and providing information for the time study. In order for the State of Florida to claim these costs, the time study must be continuous.
4) What is the role of the Time Study Coordinator?
The Time Study Coordinator will be the point person for all RMTS matters. In addition, the Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring time study participants are trained on the process and activity codes/definitions (new staff and those staff unable to participate in the statewide trainings), following up with participants regarding non-responses, distributing/coordination paper forms, if applicable, and ensuring that PCG receives monthly participant roster updates from providers. Please refer to the Coordinator Check List for additional details.
5) Do providers need to have one Time Study Coordinator per site?
We recommend at least one coordinator per site. However, if this arrangement will not work for a provider, it is sufficient to have one coordinator overseeing the RMTS as long as the agency designates an appropriate number of back-up coordinators to assist in the RMTS process.
6) How will the Time Study Coordinator be able to monitor the RMTS participants' responses to the "sample moments"? Will coordinators be copied on participants initial moment emails, or have access to participants' responses?
Coordinators will not receive notification of initial moments because those emails contain confidential user name and password information. In addition, coordinators will not have access to responses in the system. However, coordinators will be cc'd on follow-up emails that remind participants to respond to their moments. We will also provide reports to coordinators after the fact on responses and response time. Please note that we will implement these processes as close to April 1 as possible. Please note that under no circumstance may RMTS coordinators respond in the system on behalf of participants.
7) Do all staff that meet the criteria outlined in the roster instructions need to participate or is it possible to time study a sample of our staff?
Every eligible employee must be included in the RMTS. A sample of employees is not allowed under this methodology, per federal requirements.
8) Should only clinical staff participate in the RMTS?
No, staff that perform more than one of the activities below should also be part of the time study, in addition to clinical staff:
- Perform direct services
- Participate in care planning meetings
- Participate in utilization review
- Interact with clients either directly or indirectly
- Perform prior authorization activities
- Perform client intake activities
- Prepare referrals
- Coordinate services
- Perform outreach activities
- Assist with eligibility determinations
- Perform program planning or quality assurance activities
9) Should the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Executive Officer, IT staff, payroll staff, billing clerks, clerical staff responsible for medical records and receptionists be part of the time study?
No, these staff are considered overhead/support staff and most should not participate. However, these staff should participate if they perform more than one of the activities identified in the answer to Question #8.
10) Should staff responsible for program planning, quality assurance and/or overseeing the outpatient program (such as directors and managers) participate in the time study?
Yes, these staff should participate if they perform more than one of the activities identified in the answer to Question #8.
11) Should Medicaid billing and/or accounting staff participate in the time study?
No, these staff should not participate in the time study.
12) Should drivers and transportation providers participate in the time study?
No, these staff should not participate in the time study.
13) Should staff funded with a federal grant participate in the time study?
No. Staff who are 100% federally-funded are excluded from the time study.
14) Should staff that work in inpatient programs participate in the time study?
No. Inpatient and Residential programs are excluded from the time study. The RMTS only includes community mental health and substance abuse programs that are included in your DCF contract, such as prevention and outreach programs, community support services, case management, outpatient programs, after care and supportive housing.
15) Should school-based staff participate in the time study?
Only if these staff are providing services and performing activities specifically contracted by DCF.
16) Should staff that work part time in a community setting and part time inpatient programs participate in the time study?
Yes. If someone works part time in an inpatient program AND part time in a community setting, they should participate.
17) Can providers choose whether to receive moments via email or paper?
No. Providers with email capability must utilize the email-based system, even if these staff do not have ongoing daily access to their email. The paper-based option is only available for providers if participating staff do not have individual email accounts. Since the email-based system dramatically reduces the administrative burden on providers and Time Study Coordinators, it is strongly encouraged that providers without individual staff email accounts explore adding this capability in the future. In the meantime, these providers will receive their moments via the paper-based system.
18) Can Time Study Coordinators receive all of the moments on behalf of staff via email, distribute to the appropriate staff for a response, and then input the results into the web-based system?
No. Federal requirements prohibit coordinators from receiving staff emails and/or responding on behalf of staff. Initial emails that notify staff of their random moments must be sent to each participant. The initial email contains confidential information-such as user name and password-that only the person selected for the sample can have access to. In addition, only participants may input their responses into the system. However, coordinators will be cc'd on all follow-up emails that remind staff to respond to their moments. These follow-up emails do not contain confidential information. It is the coordinators responsibility to follow-up with staff to ensure they respond to their moments in a timely manner. In no circumstance may a coordinator respond on behalf of a participant in the system.
19) When responding to a moment, if the participant is required to provide a client identification number, what number should be provided?
Your agency's client ID number should be provided, not the client's Social Security number or Medicaid ID number.
20) When responding to a moment, if the participant is required to specify the client's primary presenting diagnosis, how should the participant respond if there is a co-occurring diagnosis?
The participant should indicate the primary presenting diagnosis. Even in the event of a co-occurring diagnosis, there is one primary diagnosis and one secondary diagnosis.
21) When preparing the roster information, should staff that work on programs that are not part of our DCF contract be included in the time study?
No. Only community-based mental health and substance abuse programs that are under contract with DCF should be part of the time study. For example, if you operate a prevention program that is not part of the services DCF contracts with you to provide, this program should be excluded from the roster.
22) If I'm providing services covered under Psychosocial Rehab, how do I record my time?
If you are providing services that are specific to the Psychosocial Rehab Medicaid program, you should record this time under "Direct Medicaid and Behavioral Health Services." Although the activity you are performing may be social service in nature, Psychosocial Rehab is a service listed in the State's Medicaid plan. Direct social services that are not related to Psychosocial Rehab should be recorded under "Direct Non-Medical and Non-Behavioral Health Services".