DRCNH Home > Issue Areas > Mental Health > Changes to He-M 401

November, 2004

The rules for individual service planning for clients of community mental health centers (CMHCs) were recently revised, effective 9-2-2004. These rules change the way the service planning process works.

The changes to the service planning process:

• Gives you, the consumer, the choice of whether you want a formal client centered conference each year.
• Your case manager or clinician should explain to you orally and in writing that you now have two choices of how to develop your service plan (ISP). You can choose whether to:
  • Have a formal client centered conference; or
  • Have a less formal process of smaller meetings with your psychiatrist and other members of your team, phone calls, or email.
• Before you decide which is the best way for you, you can have ten days to make the decision, and you can talk with anyone you want to about your options.
• Either way, your plan should focus on your recovery, and on helping you with your goals, with employment and self sufficiency, and with being a part of your community.
• A plan can also include a crisis plan and an employment or education plan, as appropriate.
• If you are considered a "low utilizer", the service planning process is different. It will occur every two years, and if you only need medication-related services, can be limited to only medication-related objectives. If you DO need more extensive services, the CMHC must develop a service plan as described above.
• You get a copy of the service plan, and can sign that you approve or don't approve. If you don't sign it at all, that will indicate that you approve of the plan.
• If you need services that are not available, it should be noted in your service plan, and the CMHC must notify the state (DHHS) in an annual report in July of every year.

See all of the rules about eligibility and service planning in the CMHC system.

If you have any questions about your rights to services from a CMHC, call the Disabilities Rights Center at 228-0432 or 1-800-834-1721.