Schedule of Operations and Appointments

(A) Standard Hours Schedule of Operations. The center must offer appointment and treatment availability Monday through Friday during the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Required appointment availability excludes state and federal holidays. (B) After Hours Schedule of Operations. Outside of the standard hours of operation, the center must provide after-hours coverage to triage needs and personnel must be available to offer referral to qualified professionals, emergency services, or other mechanisms for effectively responding to a crisis, in accordance with the requirements set forth at 130 CMR 448.412(A)(6). (C) Urgent and Crisis Services Schedule of Operations. The center must provide clinic coverage 24-hours per day, 7 days per week to respond to members with an urgent need or in crisis. (1) Clinic coverage must include live telephonic access to qualified professionals and, if indicated, arrangements for further care and assistance in real-time to an appropriate provider. (2) Each center must maintain a current roster of all on-call clinicians available to speak with members. A pre-recorded message will not fulfill this requirement. The after-hours triage phone line shall provide a direct connection to the center’s AMCI/YMCI. (D) Scheduling Appointments. (1) Initial intake appointments must be made available within 24 hours of initial contact. (2) Where clinically indicated, diagnostic evaluation services appointments must be made available on the same day of the initial intake, or the next day of clinic operation following the initial intake. (3) Urgent behavioral health appointments must be made available within 48 hours of initial contact. (4) Based on psychosocial assessment, urgent psychopharmacology appointments and Medication for Addiction Treatment evaluations appointments must be made available within 72 hours of an initial diagnostic evaluation services appointment. (5) All other treatment appointments, including follow-up appointments, must be made available within 14 calendar days.