Provider Bulletin #90

• Partners Welcomes Rutherford County: Community Open House
• Partners Consumer Survey
• Partners Gaps and Needs Survey Now Open
• Partners’ March Provider Webinar
• DHHS Announces Selection of Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans
• Retroactive Medicaid Service Authorization Requests
• No Balance Billing of Medicaid Patients
• Mandatory Provider Meeting for RFP 0419-003 (High Fidelity Wraparound)
• Mandatory Provider Meeting for RFP 0319-002 (Substance Use Comprehensive Services for Adults and Adolescents in Surry and Yadkin Counties)

• Access to Care Slot Scheduler Assistance
• Claims Information
• Gaston-Lincoln Medication Assisted Recovery Services (MARS) Project
• Partners Licensed Independent Practitioner Collaborative
• Fair Housing Law Training
• Partners Training Academy Upcoming Events
• Opioid Lunch & Learn Series
• Alerts and LME/MCO Joint Communication Bulletins
• Training, Announcements and Reminders

Location:  Isothermal Community College – The Foundation Performing Arts Center,286 ICC Loop Rd., Spindale, NC 28160.

Registration is not required, and light refreshments will be provided.

Who should attend?

• Individuals receiving IDD/MH/SUD services or a caregiver, family member, or guardian of someone who is
• Individuals and agencies providing IDD/MH/SUD services
• Organizations that support or work with individuals receiving IDD/MH/SUD services

If you are a provider, please to share this information with individuals they interact with living in Rutherford County. Click here to learn more.

Partners Consumer Survey

Partners is conducting a consumer-focused survey in mid-February 2019. A total of 1,200 consumers were randomly chosen for the survey, which is being conducted by the Mihalik Group of Chicago, Illinois on behalf of Partners.

If one of your consumers receives a survey, they should complete it and return in the pre-paid envelope. If a consumer has questions about the survey, please direct them to their Care Coordinator or they can call Partners Access to Care at 1-888-235-HOPE (4673).

Partners Gaps and Needs Survey Now Open

Partners Behavioral Health Management is responsible for the following quality assurance measures of behavioral health services for our members:

• Ensuring service coverage for catchment area
• Ensuring services are accessible
• Ensuring individuals have choices
• Addressing needs of underserved and special populations
• Meeting community stakeholders’ needs

In order to achieve this task, Partners annually seeks input from a variety of sources (consumers, community stakeholders, and providers) via the Gaps and Needs Analysis Survey. We need input from every person and from every perspective to find out what people think about the accessibility of services for mental health needs, substance use issues and intellectual or developmental disabilities in their local communities. Please take five minutes to complete our 2019 Community Needs and Gaps below.

Partners March Provider Webinar

Partners will host its next Provider Webinar on Wednesday, March 13 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. To register for the webinar, click here. To view past webinars, slide decks, and handouts, please visit https://providers.partnersbhm.org/provider-webinars-forums/. Please contact Roanna Newton at 828-323-8054 or email rnewton@partnersbhm.org with any questions.

DHHS Announces Selection of Prepaid Health Plans

On February 4, 2019, the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced the selection of Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans that will participate in Medicaid Managed Care when the program launches in November 2019 and February 2020 (View the DHHS Fact Sheet).

Retroactive Medicaid Service Authorization Requests

Service Authorization Requests (SAR) related to Retroactive Medicaid eligibility must be submitted to Utilization Management (UM) Department.  UM will review all requests for medical necessity within 30 days from the Modified Date in NCTracks. For further questions on Retroactive Medicaid requests, please contact the MHSU UM Workgroup at 704-842-6436.

No Balance Billing of Medicaid Patients

Providers are reminded that they cannot “balance bill” Medicaid patients, i.e., bill them for the difference between your charges and Medicaid payments.  Once a provider accepts a Medicaid patient, the provider can only bill the patient for the items allowed by law, specifically 10A NCAC 23J.0106.  Effective September 1, 2018, the NC Department of Health & Human Services readopted the rule with only small changes. Click here for the full, detailed and updated regulation. Permitted billing can include deductibles, co-insurance, or co-payments; uncovered services (if pre-service notice is given the patient); and other narrow exceptions listed in the rule. Medicaid patients must ask to be accepted, but that is as simple as stating they have Medicaid coverage.  While providers do have a right to not accept Medicaid patients, there must be clear notice prior to providing care.  Refusal cannot be because the Medicaid patient cannot afford the deductible, co-insurance, or co-payment.  Recall also that Partners network providers have contracted to take Partners’ Medicaid members and consumers, so refusal to serve them can cause compliance issues.  Partners appreciates how well its providers serve our consumers, including not balance billing them and following these legal requirements.

Mandatory Provider Meeting for RFP 0419-003 (High Fidelity Wraparound)

Partners is initiating a Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify current Partners’ Network Providers interested in and qualified to provide High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) services for persons from birth through age 21 years of age, with a diagnosis of Severe Emotional Disturbance.  The location for services is within Partners catchment area, targeting Burke and Iredell Counties. Interested providers shall have capacity to expand HFW in additional Partners’ counties, as service needs arise.

The grant will provide training, technical assistance and grant funding for program start up.  Interested providers are expected to include a sustainability plan post grant funding cooperatively developed between the provider and Partners. The organization providing services must have the capability and capacity to provide the needed services as well as demonstrate use of evidenced based practices and a strong system for outcomes measurement.   High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) is an intensive, team-based, person-centered service that provides coordinated, integrated, family-driven care to meet the complex needs of youth/young adults who are involved with multiple systems (e.g. mental health, child welfare, juve­nile/criminal justice, special education), experience serious emotional or behavioral difficulties, have dual diagnosis (Mental Health and/or Substance Use Disorder, and Intellectual Developmental Disabilities) with complex needs, and are at risk of placement in PRTFs or other insti­tutional settings, and/or are aging out of Department of Social Services (DSS) care.

High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) is a service that dedicates a full time HFW facilitator to work with small numbers of youth and families to:

• Facilitate care planning and coordination of services for youth 5-20 years of age with serious emotional disturbance (SED)
• Provide access to family and youth peer support services to promote engagement and completion of services
• Engage youth and families to establish an individualized child and family team that develops and monitors a strengths-based plan of care
• Address youth and family needs across domains of physical and behavioral health, social determinants of health, and natural supports

HFW is built on system of care values:  family and youth choice and voice, team-based, collaborative, individualized, and outcomes-based.  HFW strategies include engagement, individualized care planning, identifying strengths, leveraging natural supports, and monitoring progress.  (Simons, Pires, Hendricks, Lipper, 2014).

The HFW Team consists of a Facilitator and most at family choice will include a Family Partner, and/or a Youth Partner.  Each Facilitator may serve 10-12 families.  Each Family Partner and Youth Partner may serve up to 15 families across multiple HFW teams.  The HFW team is provided coaching/supervision by an HFW coach.  The HFW Coach/Supervisor is a North Carolina Licensed or Associate Licensed Professional. (One coach/supervisor for four facilitators, two family peer support partners, and one youth peer support partner for up to 48 youth/families.)

HFW is designed to facilitate a collaborative relationship among a youth with SED, his/her family and involved child-serving systems to support the family in meeting their family and specifically the designated youth’s needs. The HFW process aims to achieve positive outcomes by providing a structured, creative and individualized team planning process with four specific phases (engagement, plan development, implementation, and transition).

If you are interested in being considered for provision of these services with Partners, you must register to attend the Mandatory Provider Meeting to be held on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, from 10-12 am at Partners Behavioral Health Management, 1985 Tate Blvd SE, Multipurpose Room-Basement, Hickory, NC. Click here to register. Registration closes March 22, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

To be considered for provision of this service, you must attend the Mandatory Provider Meeting.  The RFP will be released April 12, 2019.  At that time, organizations who attended the Provider Meeting are eligible to submit a proposal for this RFP.  The submission must follow the required RFP format and be submitted by Monday, April 29, 2019, by 5:00 pm to be considered.

Mandatory Provider Meeting for RFP 0319-002 (Substance Use Comprehensive Services for Adults and Adolescents in Surry and Yadkin Counties)

Partners is initiating a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit responses from appropriately qualified organizations to provide Substance Abuse Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment (SACOT) and substance use services for eligible members (adults and adolescents) in Surry and Yadkin Counties.

This RFP is specifically to identify organizations interested in and qualified to become enrolled as approved network providers through the Partners credentialing process.  This RFP will also be used to identify current Partners network providers interested in and qualified to provide SACOT services as well as comprehensive substance use services.  Organizations approved to become a SACOT provider must have capacity to provide a full continuum of substance abuse services.

To be considered for provision of this service, all interested providers must attend the mandatory roundtable discussion on February 28, 2019 from 10-12 p.m., in Partners’ Elkin office, located at 200 Elkin Business Park Dr, in Elkin, NC, Conference Room A & B. Please click here to register for the Mandatory Provider Roundtable Discussion on Thursday, February 28, 2019.

The RFP will be posted on March 15, 2019, and responses will be due by close of business on April 19, 2019. The RFP will offer an overview of Partners, requirements and links for additional resources. Please review the RFP once it is posted, and if you are interested in being considered for provision of these services with Partners, please attend the Mandatory Provider Roundtable Discussion on February 28, 2019. Only providers who attend the Mandatory Provider Roundtable Discussion will be considered during the review process.

Issuance of an RFP does not guarantee a financial award, nor does it indicate a commitment on the part of the issuer to pursue further contractual relationship. Please contact Roanna Newton at rnewton@partnersbhm.org  with any questions.

Access to Care Slot Scheduler Assistance

If you have questions regarding use of the Slot Scheduler, please take a moment to review the Alpha University Scheduling V2 training webinar located at http://www.alphacm.net/portaluniversity/.

Claims Information

Providers are reminded to use the email claimsdepartment@partnersbhm.org for all email inquiries so that they are handled in the most efficient manner. Please do not send email directly to individual employees. 

Timely Filing Override Requests:  Please make sure claims are being submitted according to the timely filing guidelines available at https://providers.partnersbhm.org/claims-information/.  If claims are denied for any of the reasons below, make sure you submit timely filing override requests within the time frames. Timely Filing Requests should be sent directly to claimsdepartment@partnersbhm.org prior to submitting the claims.

AlphaMCS Portal University is an available resource and guide for navigating AlphaMCS. If you need additional claims training, email rcolvard@partnersbhm.org to schedule a time for training.

Medicaid—January 2019:   Number of Days to Process and Pay All Claims
Received Date to Paid Date:	8.9

Top Five Medicaid Claim Denials—January 2019
Claim Denial	Provider Recommended Action Steps
Service is not authorized	Verify Service Authorization for consumer. Contact Utilization Management.
Duplicate Claim	Claim has previously been submitted and adjudicated. Do not refile.
Claim received after billing period	Write off charges as non-billable. Do not rebill.
No coverage available for Patient/Service/Provider combo	Go to Patient -> Patient Search and search for the patient in question. Check the insurance to ensure the patient has effective insurance covering to date of service submitted on the claim. If this appears to be correct, contact the MCO for further assistance.
Billing Taxonomy submitted is not associated with the Billing NPI.	Rebill claim with a valid taxonomy/NPI information.

Gaston-Lincoln Medication Assisted Recovery Services (MARS) Project

Medication Assisted Recovery Services (MARS) is an opioid treatment and recovery program funded through a three-year Substance Abuse Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) Grant.  Through this project, a comprehensive array of Medication Assisted Recovery Services is provided to under insured and uninsured residents of Gaston and Lincoln counties.

Services provided will include but are not limited to, using FDA approved products for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), screening and treatment of co-occurring mental health and other substance use disorders, outreach and engagement strategies, and recovery support services such as peer support.  Education, screening, care coordination, risk reduction interventions, screening, testing, and counseling will be provided for individuals at risk for or living with infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Tobacco cessation programs will also be developed and offered to people in the program.

Funding for MARS will total $1.6 million over the three years. This will cover services, staff and evaluation for the program.

The goals of the program are to increase the use of medication-assisted recovery services and reduce illicit use of opioids.  MAT is a core evidence-based treatment that is integral to MARS. The use of opioid agonists and partial agonists to mitigate withdrawal symptoms has been well proven as an effective means of engaging individuals in treatment, reducing illicit use, criminal activity, infectious disease transmission and overdose deaths (https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/effective-treatments-opioid-addiction/effective-treatments-opioid-addiction) (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.13193). Evidence shows medications combined with therapy provides improved outcomes over medications alone (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4795974/ ). This evidence-based practice has been studied within the adult population (18 and older) that will be served through the Gaston-Lincoln MARS project.

Medications funded under this grant will be used as only one component of the recovery-oriented services provided to individuals.  MARS will provide regular visits with prescribers, counseling sessions, random urine drug screens, recovery support groups, and peer support services in combination with medications, to assure the delivery of comprehensive recovery services.

There will be a focus on recovery through home, health, purpose, and community.  Emphasis will be placed on assessing financial needs, implementing policies assuring use of other insurance and funding sources, as well as assisting recipients in accessing entitlements, eligible services, and health insurance. Addressing social determinants of health, such as poverty and unsafe living conditions, are key components for facilitating engagement in MARS and promoting meaningful recovery.

• Integrated Care of Greater Hickory will deliver MARS in Lincoln County at their office located on 1228 N. Flint Street in Lincolnton. Referrals to this office can be made by contacting their office at 828-322-5915, ext. 220. They began accepting referrals in January.
• McLeod Addictive Disease Center will deliver MARS in Gaston County. Their clinic is located at 549 Cox Road.  They will be accepting referrals soon. Please call 704-865-1558, ext. 2911, to initiate a referral.

If you have any questions about the MARS Program, please contact Vanessa Anderson at 828-323-8062 or vanderson@partnersbhm.org.

Partners Licensed Independent Practitioner Collaborative

The Licensed Independent Practitioner (LIP) collaborative was developed to improve communication between Partners and Licensed Independent Practitioners. Meetings are held quarterly via conference call or webinar.

Date & Time: Wednesday, March 27, 2019 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Registration: Click Here to Register

View information from past meetings at https://providers.partnersbhm.org/licensed-independent-practitioners-collab/. If you have questions, please contact Maria Ballard at mballard@partnersbhm.org or call 704-884-2607.

Fair Housing Law Training

Fair Housing Laws have helped millions of people since its inception to provide equal access to housing and prevent housing discrimination. This act provides for reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications, which are a valuable resource to our consumers. Reasonable Accommodations are requests to make changes to any rule, policy, or practice to afford a person with a disability the equal opportunity to use and enjoy their home. Reasonable Modifications are physical alterations to a dwelling to allow a person with a disability greater accessibility. Understanding these laws is helpful for us to better advocate for our consumers.

Partners will host a Fair Housing Training on March 21 at Western Piedmont Community College, 1001 Burkemont Ave, Morganton, NC 28655, room number HEC 212. There will be a morning session for service providers and an afternoon session for housing providers. Seating is limited, and registration is required. Please contact Bre Griffin for registration information at bgriffin@partnersbhm.org or 704-884-2514.

Opioid Lunch & Learn Series

Best Practices in Opioid Prescribing and Management: A CME Lecture Series, presented by: Northwest Area Health Education, a program of Wake Forest School of Medicine and a part of the NC AHEC System

Join Northwest AHEC at Partners’ offices for monthly opioid-focused lectures delivered in a lunch-and-learn format. Registered participants will receive lunch and Continuing Education Unit(s) for each session attended on behalf of Northwest AHEC.

Continuing Education Credits:

Each course provides the following credit options after completing and passing a post-test and completing the online evaluation:

• The Wake Forest School of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
• Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) Contact Hours

The Wake Forest School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council of Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Registration:

Advanced registration is required. Register online via the training calendar at www.PartnersTraining.org or the registration links.  Additionally, you are required to create a MyAHEC account if you do not already have one. Instructions to do so will be emailed to registered participants prior to their first lecture.

If you have any questions regarding the Opioid Lunch & Learn Series, please contact Kali Sbalbi, Training & eLearning Coordinator, at KSbalbi@PartnersBHM.org or 704-884-2669.

Program Topics and Objectives:

“Substance Use in Pregnancy: The Scope, Risks and Current Strategies for Care”

Discuss opioids impact on pregnant women in NC: incidence, screening, rules of counseling, drugs, fetal effects comorbid conditions, treatment, newborn sequelae and assessment, and postpartum care

• Gastonia Auditorium: March 19, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)
• Hickory Multipurpose Room (B03): March 21, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)
• Elkin Conference Room A/B: March 21, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)

“Responding to the Opioid Epidemic Effectively Using Team Based Care”

Review the historical events leading to the opioid epidemic, review the STOP Act requirements for providers, and discuss the role of each team member as a solution to the opioid epidemic

• Gastonia Auditorium: April 16, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)
• Hickory Multipurpose Room (B03): April 18, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)
• Elkin Conference Room A/B: April 18, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)

“How to Approach Pain Management in Older Adults: Special Considerations and Treatment Options”

Gain familiarity with current trends in opioid prescribing and prescription opioid misuse in the United States, discuss age related changes that affect pain management, and describe how to approach pain management in older adults

• Gastonia Auditorium: May 14, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)
• Hickory Multipurpose Room (B03): May 16, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)
• Elkin Conference Room A/B: May 16, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)

“Strategies for Safe Opioid Discontinuation in Chronic Use Patients”

Define Opioid Use Disorders (OUD), review medications involved in OUD, identify strategies for opioid discontinuation, and describe medication assisted therapy (MAT) options

• Gastonia Auditorium: July 16, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)
• Hickory Multipurpose Room (B03): July 18, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)
• Elkin Conference Room A/B: July 18, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Registration)

Alerts and LME/MCO Joint Communication Bulletins

Provider Alerts are sent to all providers who subscribed to receive Partners’ Provider Communications. Published alerts are available on the Provider Knowledge Base at https://providers.partnersbhm.org/provider-alert-archive/.

To subscribe to Partners’ various communications (Provider Alerts, the Provider Bulletin, or Behavioral Health Focus), please visit https://www.partnersbhm.org/subscribe/.

Alerts issued since the last Provider Bulletin:

January 30, 2019 –Partners Seeks Interested Child and Adolescent Outpatient Providers for Learning Collaborative

February 4, 2019 –Registration Open for Learning Collaborative Info Session

February 11, 2019–RFP for Surry and Yadkin Services; No Reject Policy, HBCS Online Application

All LME-MCO Joint Communication Bulletins are located at http://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/mhddsas/joint-communication-bulletins.

Providers are encouraged to review the monthly Medicaid Bulletin. Bulletins are posted at https://medicaid.ncdhhs.gov/providers/medicaid-bulletins.

Training, Announcements and Reminders

Partners’ Provider Council:  Partners’ Provider Council will meet on Friday, February 22, 2019, at Partners’ Hickory Office, Basement Multipurpose Room. Providers meet from 9:30-10:30 a.m., and Partners’ employees join the meeting from 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. The Partners’ Provider Council is a professional representative and advocate for all service providers in the Partners’ catchment area. The Council facilitates an open exchange of ideas and brings forward concerns and solutions while promoting collaboration and mutual accountability among providers. All providers are welcome to attend Provider Council meetings. To learn more, please visit https://providers.partnersbhm.org/provider-council/.

Health Information Exchange/NCTracks Updates

All providers must be enrolled in NC HealthConnex by June 1, 2019 or have a State-Approved Extension by that date to continue to receive payment.

Providers are reminded to pay attention to notifications from NCTracks for the latest information regarding a variety of topics, including recredentialing and NC HealthConnex. You can sign up for emails from NCTracks by visiting https://www.nctracks.nc.gov/content/public/providers/getting-started.html.

Community Resilience Training (Registration)

Date, Time and Location:  March 19, 2019, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Elkin

Description: The Community Resiliency Model® (CRM) training teaches skills to re-set the natural balance of the nervous system. CRM®’s goal is to help to create “trauma-informed” and “resiliency-focused” communities that share a common understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system and how resiliency can be restored or increased.

Trainer:  Stephanie Funderburk, Child System of Care Liaison, Partners

Child and Family Team 1 Team Training (Registration)

Date, Time and Location:  April 8 and 9, 2019, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Gastonia

Description: Child and Family Team 1 is a two-day experiential training with a goal of providing an overview of Child and Family Team meetings from the family’s perspective. The training seeks to reinforce the idea of “one family, one plan” by addressing Child and Family Teams through the lens of multiple systems as they affect families in their everyday lives. Agency representatives and parents/family members over 18 years of age are encouraged to attend this training.

Trainer: Jeanne Patterson, Child System of Care Liaison, Partners

Foothills Veterans Stand Down:

This year’s Stand Down will be held April 12, 2019 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Catawba Valley Community College, Tarlton Complex, 2550 US Hwy 70 SE, Hickory NC. This event provides a variety of services for veterans living in the Foothills region and Western North Carolina. To learn how you can volunteer or participate, visit www.foothillsstanddown.com or contact Teena Willis (twillis@partnersbhm.org, 828-323-8084) or Alice Horton (ahorton@partnersbhm.org, 828-323-8047.

2019 NCCAY Regional Meetings:

The North Carolina Community Alternatives for Youth (NCCAY) is hosting a series of regional meetings across the state to assist the Department of Public Safety in sharing the latest information on the implementation of the new Raise the Age legislation. Please join us as Deputy Secretary William Lassiter and many other experts share information on up-to-the-minute updates on Raise-the-Age implementation, understanding trauma in the youth we serve and gain advocacy skills to effectively communicate with our policy makers.

Who should attend: JCPC members, JCPC program providers/managers, court counselors, school personnel, mental health providers, law enforcement, and other partners.

All meetings will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.at the locations listed below. Please click on the appropriate link to register online

February 25, 2019:  Greensboro, First Baptist Church https://caygreensboro2019.eventbrite.com Contact: Teresa Price, teemyprice09@gmail.com

March 8, 2019—Asheville, Eliada Homes https://cayasheville2019.eventbrite.com Contact: Bruce Barton, bruce.barton@conehealth.com

Foster Love Gaston: 

Join Gaston County DHHS along with community partners for a day filled with fun, games, giveaways, and information on Fostering & Adopting. Don’t miss our guest speaker, Derek Clark – The Rapping Dad! Learn more on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/fosteradoptgaston.

Date, Time and Location:  Saturday, March 9, 2019, 1:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m., Stuart Cramer High School, 101 Lakewood Road, Belmont, NC 28012

Realities of Violence Against Women: Domestic/Sexual Violence Intervention, Effective Investigation, Community Collaboration, and Response (Registration)

Presented by Phoenix Counseling Center and Gaston County DHHS

Two opportunities to attend:

Dates and Times:  Tuesday, March 12, 2019, 8:00 a.m. or Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 8:00 a.m.

Location: Partners Corporate Office, Auditorium – 901 South New Hope Road, Gastonia, NC 28078

Contact: Sonja Finger – 704-842-6359

Strategies for a Lifetime to be Focus of Autism Society of North Carolina’s 2019 Conference:

Hundreds of caregivers, educators, professionals, and autism self-advocates will attend the Autism Society of North Carolina’s 2019 annual conference March 22-23 in Charlotte. The two-day event, titled Autism: Strategies for a Lifetime, will feature respected speakers, including Dr. Patrick Friman, Director of Clinical Services at Boys Town and VP of Outpatient Behavioral Health Services in Pediatrics at the University of Nebraska School of Medicine; Dr. David Mandell, Director of the Center for Mental Health Policy at Penn and Associate Director of the Center for Autism Research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Dr. John Spiro, Deputy Scientific Director of SFARI at the Simons Foundation; and professionals from the Autism Society of North Carolina (ASNC).

Speakers will focus on a wide range of topics of interest to the autism community, including anxiety, sleep, best practices, genetics, self-care, adult services, and digestive issues. A panel of autism self-advocates and parents will discuss assistive technology that can improve the quality of life for individuals with autism and families.  Autism self-advocates, families affected by autism, and professionals in the autism field will have the opportunity to network, learn more about available resources, meet with a variety of businesses that support the autism community, and earn continuing education credits.

To register or for more information, please visit the ASNC website at www.autismsociety-nc.org/conference.