Funding to Launch Occupational Therapy Doctorate and Physician Assistant Programs
Application Criteria
Program Description and Purpose
Physicians Assistants (PAs) and Occupational Therapists (OT) fill critical roles in Montana’s behavioral health (BH) and developmental disability (DD) continuum of care. In rural areas where there are shortages of physicians and other behavioral health professionals, PAs often function in primary care roles, making them critical points in functional integrated behavioral health models and often the only providers in rural communities. Occupational Therapists also play a critical role in Montana’s BH and DD continuum of care. The role of OTs as important providers for BH and DD prevention and treatment services is also recognized by the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services), which in 2015 included OTs as approved providers in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. There is substantial evidence establishing the positive impact OTs can have in in-patient, community, and school setting for adults with mental illness, developmental disabilities, addiction, and other BH and DD challenges as well as for children in community or school settings.
Montana has critical workforce shortages of both OTs and PAs, in large part due to a lack of affordable, accessible degree programs in these fields. According to a 2022 Montana Department of Labor and Industry Report, Montana is in critical need of more Physician Assistants and Occupational Therapists. The report estimates that up to 67 Physician Assistants are needed each year to fill the state’s current shortages and only half that number of individuals graduate from Montana programs each year. While Governor Gianforte signing of House Bill 313, which authorizes independent practice of PAs who have 8,000 hours of clinical experience, strengthens the potential of PAs to be an increasingly important part of the BH workforce, this law may also increase the demand for this profession beyond the 2022 estimate.
The same DLI report estimates that the state needs about 33 Occupational Therapists added to Montana’s workforce annually to meet demand.
DPHHS aims to provide one-time funding to support start-up costs for Physician Assistant and Occupational Therapy Doctorate Programs for up to $4 million. Following the guidance of Governor Greg Gianforte, any institution of higher education authorized to issue degrees in Montana by the Board of Regents per 20-25-106, MCA is eligible for one-time grant funding to support start-up costs associated with launching an Occupational Therapy Doctorate and/or Physician Assistant Program.
DPHHS Priorities
The target outcomes for this grant program are listed below.
- Expand the number of Physician Assistants (with an emphasis on primary care providers) in Montana- especially at rural Critical Access Hospitals.
- Reduce the barriers and travel times for rural Montanans seeking behavioral health treatment by increasing the supply of Physician Assistants working in rural healthcare systems.
- Expanding the volume of Physician Assistants and Occupational Therapists in Montana will increase access to care in underserved areas, in a variety of practice settings. Of critical importance, Occupational Therapists will be available for employment in the K-12 environment for early intervention and prevention.
- With a lack of crisis intervention in many rural Montana communities, a higher volume of Physician Assistant in Montana’s rural and frontier communities will provide an additional layer of behavioral health support to state residents.
- With increased access to quality, affordable training options in-state, more Montana residents will pursue PA and OTD paths and be more likely to practice in-state.
- Expand opportunities for affordable PA and OTD degrees so that Montanans are more likely to be able to access these critical need programs and have less debt, making it more practical that graduates will work in community-based settings.
- Expand opportunities for Montanans to earn PA and OTD degrees that provide in-state practicum experiences as a means to retain graduates in Montana communities.
The target outputs for this grant program are listed below.
- Increase the number of Physician Assistants in Montana’s healthcare infrastructure by graduating a minimum of 25 Physician Assistants per academic year.
- Increase the number of Occupational Therapists in Montana’s K-12 school systems and community settings by graduating a minimum of 30 Occupational Therapists per year.
- Decrease cost for a degree and the debt load for graduates of OTD and PA programs as a strategy to retain graduates in-state and incentivize them to serve in community-based settings.
Key Terms
- Montana Board of Regents: The Montana Board of Regents is the entity with the authority to authorize award of post-secondary credentials in Montana. State authorization is intended as a mechanism for quality assurance and consumer protection.
- Operational: DPHHS defines “operational” as a program that has a brick-and-mortar location, has enrolled students, and where courses have or are currently taking place.
Proposed Project Cost Guidance
Applicants should submit proposals with costs that are accurate and verifiable; a project budget is required with each application. Applicants may submit proposals that do not cover the full cost of a project if they identify the sources of other funds that will be leveraged to cover the full cost.
Allowable Uses
Allowable uses of these funds include:
- Start up and administrative costs that an institution will need to undertake before the program will be revenue neutral. These are costs associated with the creation, development and implementation of the program.
Eligibility and Application Requirements
To be eligible to apply for this grant, institutions shall:
- Be authorized to operate in Montana by the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education.
- Have a physical presence in Montana, as defined by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA), the body providing standard guidance on authorizing institutions to operate within states.
- Have the infrastructure to support a graduate-level program.
- Have previously demonstrated foundational work necessary to create an OTD or PA program.
- Use funds for start-up costs for a new program that has not and does not currently have students enrolled.
Reporting Requirements
Academic institutions selected for an award under this program will be required to:
- Track activities and services throughout the start-up period (maximum of two years);
- Monitor outcomes through administering surveys to members served and other activities;
- Report the number of individual members served; and
- Provide data (including reporting related to outcomes and outputs)
- Conduct annual academic program reviews that will examine the expenditures of both programs;
- Receive accreditation by reputable accreditation body prior to enrolling students to ensure long-term program sustainability;
- Be able to demonstrate financial sustainability of program following one-time-only funding investment;
- Participate in ongoing accreditation reviews with appropriate accreditor for quality assurance and to assure program licensure requirements are met.
All applications must be submitted via Submittable. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by DPHHS. Approval notices will be sent out to applicants via Submittable. Accepted providers will be required to sign formal agreements that include additional terms and conditions.
Payment Information
This grant will use reimbursement and up-front payment schedules in order to cover for initial operating start-up costs. In order to be eligible for either option, awardees must adhere to all components of the Funding to Launch Occupational Therapy Doctorate and Physician Assistant Programs Agreement.
Description and Purpose
The Montana Department of Health and Human Services (DPHHS) is soliciting proposals from eligible in state healthcare providers to fund costs associated with participation in Electronic Health Record data contribution to Big Sky Care Connect (BSCC), Montana’s Health Information Exchange (HIE).
Access to complete and up-to-date patient information enables providers to make informed decisions, coordinate care, improve care quality, and reduce service duplication. This program aims to reduce financial barriers to technical integration and enhance information exchange participation for behavioral health, children’s mental health, and developmental disability service providers across Montana.
Funding
A qualifying provider would be eligible for the following:
- Integration costs: Up to $15,000 in provider EHR integration costs to be invoiced by the Provider to BSCC at the completion of the integration project. BSCC will submit costs to DPHHS for reimbursement and pay to the Provider, not to exceed $15,000 per provider. The $2,500 for integration fees and the up to $12,500 in integration costs will be reimbursed by DPHHS at successful completion of the project. All integration work must be completed by February 2026.
- Participation costs: Up to $15,000 for the cost of BSCC participation fees. Any annual participation fees in excess of $15,000 required of the provider by BSCC will be the sole responsibility of the provider.
- NOTE: Maximum total provider amount for all costs (either to Provider or BSCC) will be $30,000. Facility EHR integration costs will be reimbursement-based, not prospective funding.
Qualifications
Providers applying for funds under this program must:
- Be enrolled as a Montana Medicaid provider in good standing
- Provide services within adult behavioral health, children’s mental health, and/or developmental disability service areas
- Serve a minimum number of 500 patients annually
- Currently have a modern EMR/EHR solution with the ability to exchange clinical data electronically
- Be willing/able to contribute required clinical data to the BSCC HIE
- Be able to provide required clinical data to BSCC near real-time or at a minimum of one time daily
Provider Requirements
Providers must agree to the following:
- Complete outbound integration to BSCC with a minimum of a HL7 V2 ADT Feed and HL7 V3 CCD feed or equivalent as approved by Montana Medicaid.
- Complete integration work by February 2026
- Maintain these feeds for a minimum of 2 years.
- Work with BSCC to meet USCDI data quality standards.
This application will remain open on a rolling basis from September 9th, 2024 (12:00 AM) until December 31st, 2024 (11:59 PM).
Program Description and Purpose
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) often need life-long supports and services to ensure health and safety while also accessing and participating in their local communities. These supports and services are often provided on a day-to-day basis by Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).
There is a significant need and in turn value to investing in DSP workforce stabilization and promoting stronger capacity across the continuum to support people with IDD. Specifically, this initiative calls for piloting a DSP credentialing structure to test best practice approaches to DSP stabilization through career ladders. The DSP Workforce Capacity Grants provide one-time grants to five (1 per DDP region) service providers for, on average, 25 DSPs to become credentialed through the National Alliance for Direct Support Professional platform eBadge Academy, a web-based credentialing platform. The Developmental Disabilities Program (DDP) will pre-purchase access to the credentialing platform on behalf of selected agencies, as well as some technical assistance support from NADSP. Grant funds will cover staff time for DSPs participating in the credentialing program as well as “backfilled” staff to cover the shift time of staff enrolled in the credentialing program; payroll processing, grant reporting and tracking and other administrative costs incurred by selected provider agencies; and one-time incentive bonuses to DSPs once they reach credentialing tiers, as modeled below:
DSP – I (Tier 1) –$1,000
DSP – II (Tier 2) – $1,500
DSP – III (Tier 3) – $2,000
DSPs enrolled in the NADSP eBadge Academy must complete the following under each tier to be eligible for the one-time bonuses; a DSP may achieve all three Tiers.
DSP-I
To earn a DSP – I certification, the DSP must earn 15 total E-Badges, including:
- The Code of Ethics Commitment E-Badge
- The 50 hours of Accredited Education E-Badge
- At least one E-Badge in Crisis Prevention and Intervention
- At least one E-Badge in Person-Centered Practices
- At least one E-Badge in Health and Wellness and
- At least one E-Badge in Safety
DSP-II
To earn DSP – II certification, the DSP must earn 30 total E-Badges, including:
- The DSP-I E-Badge
- The 100 hours of Accredited Education E-Badge
- At least one E-Badge in Evaluation and Observation
- At least E-Badge in Communication
- At least one E-Badge in Professionalism and Ethics and
- At least one E-Badge in Community Inclusion and Networking
DSP-III
To earn DSP – III certification, the DSP must earn 50 total E-Badges, including:
- The DSP-II E-Badge
- At least one E-Badge in Empowerment and Advocacy
- At least one E-Badge in Community Living Skills and Supports
- At least one E-Badge in Education, Training, and Self-Development
- At least one E-Badge in Cultural Competence