Updated Family Support Program Guidance
April 27, 2021
MEMORANDUM
On April 26, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) issued a Provider Notice providing updated Family Support Program (FSP) guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic to hospitals and community mental health centers. Guidance replaces the Department’s April 10, 2020 informational notice, providing changes in requirements for continued FSP enrollments, residential continued stay requests and bedholds.
For initial FSP youth enrollment applications, all required documents completed within the previous 180 days will continue to be accepted as part of the Initial FSP Enrollment Application.
Continued Enrollment for redeterminations of FSP eligibility and Residential Continued Stay request submissions for residential treatment services will resume July 1, with further detail provided in the notice. Previous HFS guidance stated that existing FSP Enrollments and Residential Continued Stay Requests approved for an FSP youth would be extended until the State of Illinois’ Stay-at-Home order is lifted.
As a continued accommodation, signature requirements for Initial FSP Enrollment Applications will be considered met if the parent’s/guardian’s approval/consent is documented via email or via verbal attestation on the applicable form. For verbal attestation, the date and time that the verbal approval/consent was obtained and the initial and date of the staff who obtained the verbal approval/consent should be included on the form.
Bedholds may be submitted for up to seven (7) consecutive days for COVID-19 related reasons (e.g., the family/youth is under mandatory quarantine), but the bedhold continuance spanning up to 28 days total is no longer specified in the HFS policy. For bedhold requests unrelated to COVID-19, standard bedhold policy applies.
Questions regarding this notice may be directed to the Bureau of Behavioral Health via telephone at 217-557-1000 or via email at HFS.BBH@illinois.gov. Questions or comments for IHA can be submitted here.