ASERT Does Not Offer Crisis Services
If you or someone you love is experiencing mental health distress or thoughts of suicide please call or text 988 for support.
Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS)
Overview
Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) was previously known as Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS) or “wraparound” services. These services are individualized mental health services provided in the home, school, or community. The services are provided by trained staff working one‐on‐one with your child to help with emotional or behavioral problems.
What is IBHS?
IBHS is replacing BHRS formerly known as wraparound services. IBHS went into effect on October 19, 2019, and the transition year ends on January 17, 2021. IBHS is replacing BHRS formerly known as wraparound services. IBHS went into effect on October 19, 2019, and the transition year ends on January 17, 2021. Services under BHRS have changed since they began in 1994, and the recent regulations for IBHS is an effort to create guidelines for how these services should be delivered. In addition, these changes create guidelines for how these services should be delivered.
IBHS provides supports for children, youth or young adults under the age of 21 with mental, emotional or behavioral health needs. To qualify to receive IBHS the child, youth or young adults must have a behavioral health disorder diagnosis. Services can be provided in the home, school or other community setting.
Types of Services
- Individual services – which provides services to one child.
- Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) – which is a specific behavioral approach to services.
- Group services – which are most often provided to multiple children at a specific place.
- Evidence-based treatment (EBT) – behavioral health therapies that use scientifically established methods. These can be delivered through individual services, ABA services, and group services.
Can my child continue to receive BHRS?
- If your child has a current authorization for BHRS, your child may continue to receive services. BHRS can be provided until January 17, 2021.
- Prior to your child’s authorization for BHRS expiring, someone will discuss with you transitioning the services your child receives to IBHS.
- Your child is likely to transition from BHRS to IBHS sometime in 2020.
What are the steps for my child to receive IBHS?
- Obtain a written order from an individual with a qualifying license.
- An individual with a qualifying license can be:
- Physician
- Physician’s Assistant
- Family doctor
- Psychologist
- Psychiatrist
- Licensed clinical social worker
- Licensed professional counselor
- Licensed marriage and family therapist
- An individual with a qualifying license can be:
- Give the written order to an IBHS provider to begin providing services to your child.
- IBHS will then begin with the assessment of your child’s strengths and challenges, the strengths and needs of your family, existing and needed supports for your child and what you need to help your child.
- The written order and assessment will be used to develop your child’s Individual Treatment Plan (ITP). Your child’s ITP includes the goals of your child’s services and the people who are responsible for helping to implement each ITP goal.
IBHS Acronym List
Services List
Asst. BC-ABA – Assistant behavior consultation-applied behavior analysis
BA – Behavior analytic
BC – Behavior consultation
BC-ABA – Behavior consultation-applied behavior analysis
BHT – Behavioral health technician
BHT-ABA – Behavioral health technician-applied behavior analysis
MT – Mobile therapy
Board Certification List
BCaBA – Board-certified assistant behavior analyst
BCAT – Board-certified autism technician
BCBA – Board-certified behavior analyst
RBT – Registered behavior technician
For More Information
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services HealthChoices Website provides additional information and resources about the change from Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS) to Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS). Their website includes links to the new regulations, trainings and webinars with information about the changes, and documents for further clarification on the recent changes and addition of services. Click the link below to visit the PA Health Choices website for more information.
Types of IBHS Services
What are Individual Services?
Therapeutic interventions and supports used to reduce and manage a child’s, youth’s, or young adult’s needs that are identified in the individual treatment plan.
Help to increase coping strategies and support skill development, which promotes positive behaviors.
What are Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Services?
Involve the review of a child’s, youth’s or young adult’s behavior within his or her environment.
Explore why a behavior occurs and then uses specific interventions based on why a behavior occurs.
Seek to increase useful or desired behaviors.
ABA Services includes: Behavior Analytic services, Behavior Consultation-ABA services, Assistant Behavior Consultation- ABA services and Behavior Health Technician-ABA services.
What is Evidence Based Therapy (EBT)?
Evidence Based Therapy (EBT) can be provided through Individual Services, ABA Services or Group Services. EBTs are behavioral health therapies that use scientifically established methods.
The following are examples of EBT:
- Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST): MST is an evidence-based therapy for youth or young adults and their families, which targets behaviors that lead to criminal activity and other juvenile offenses. It is used to addresses all environments that impact high risk youth -homes and families, schools and teachers, neighborhoods and friends. Individuals who provide MST are on call 24/7. MST is used to help empower parents and caregivers, work with parents and caregivers on focusing the youth or young adult on school or gaining job skills, and introducing the youth or young adult to recreational activities as an alternative to hanging out with anti-social peers.
What are Group Services?
Intensive therapeutic interventions that are provided mostly in a group format.
They can be provided in a school, community or community like setting. Community like settings mimic an environment a child might typically be in such as a school, daycare or afterschool program.
Examples of Group Services include:
- Group ABA: A group of children, youth or young adults that participate in treatment activities, which include ABA interventions. The treatment activities are designed to help the children, youth or young adults develop individual skills.Center-based services may be delivered through group ABA services in a community-like setting. These services may be delivered in a ratio of staff to child, youth or young adult that reflects individual need.
Other downloads
| Name | Description | Type | File |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS) Transitions to Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) | This resource will provide families with information on the transition of BHRS to IBHS. | Download file: Behavioral Health Rehabilitation Services (BHRS) Transitions to Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) | |
| Individual Services | The resource will provide families with information on IBHS and an explanation of Individual Services. | Download file: Individual Services | |
| Applied Behavioral Analysis | The resource will provide families with information on IBHS and an explanation of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Services. | Download file: Applied Behavioral Analysis | |
| Evidence Based Therapy | The resource will provide families with information on IBHS and an explanation of Evidence Based Therapy. | Download file: Evidence Based Therapy | |
| Group Services | The resource will provide families with information on IBHS and an explanation of Group Services. | Download file: Group Services |
This information was developed by the Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training Collaborative (ASERT). For more information, please contact ASERT at 877-231-4244 or info@PAautism.org. ASERT is funded by the Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations, PA Department of Human Services.