Texas drug courts with a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in effect with the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) may register to use the Clinical Management for Behavioral Health Services (CMBHS) system. Access to CMBHS allows Judges to view the DSHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services health records of a defendant (with consent as required by law) receiving services from a DSHS contracted service provider.
Having direct access to the client’s service documentation (assessments, treatment plan, lab results, attendance records and progress notes etc) facilitates the Court’s monitoring of the defendant’s participation and progress in treatment and ensures that the Judge has timely access to the information he or she needs to make important decisions about the client’s legal status.
CMBHS can also assist drug courts in tracking the drug court’s own performance through output and outcome measures. The Court can use the data to further evaluate and improve its performance. CMBHS also provides drug court information for state and federal reporting.
To contact a DSHS staff person by email about the ATR program,
CLICK HERE to access the following link:
- AccessToRecovery@dshs.state.tx.us
For a Copy of the MOA,
CLICK HERE to access the following link:
- http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/sa/atr2/documents/ATR2_DrugCourtMOA_FY09.doc
Working with DSHS
Drug courts that have a valid MOA with DSHS will receive information from DSHS regarding additional information from the court that is needed for the set up process.
DSHS will also provide any instructions for the drug court on the set up process and available training. DSHS will complete as much of the set up process as possible and work with each drug court representative to complete the process.
This work is usually done by phone with the person designated by the court as drug court Administrator. DSHS has special staff designated as contacts for the drug courts, most are already known to existing courts.
New drug courts or drug courts that have not yet had contact with DSHS, can CLICK HERE for more information on a DSHS Contact person.
As with all users of the CMBHS application, the drug court will also be working closely with the DSHS Substance Abuse/Mental Health Services, Training and Technical Assistance Unit. It is the Training and Technical Assistance Unit’s goal to provide hands-on, comprehensive training, with ongoing technical support to ensure that all CMBHS users have a good foundation in the use of CMBHS and continued opportunities for growth through training.
Contact the CMBHS Help Desk at 1 866-806-7806 for assistance using CMBHS or for information about available training. As with all CMBHS users, the Drug Court will also be working closely with the DSHS Mental Health/Substance Abuse Services, Training and Technical Assistance Unit.
It is the Training and Technical Assistance Unit’s goal to provide hands-on, comprehensive training, with ongoing technical support to ensure that users have a good foundation in the use of CMBHS and continued opportunities for growth through training.
For information on contacting the DSHS MH/SA Services, Training and Technical Assistance Unit, CLICK HERE.
Security and Confidentiality
CMBHS is designed to provide drug court users access to the information they need to follow the client’s progress in treatment, while also maintaining compliance with all state and federal laws regarding the protection of client health information.
It is important that every CMBHS user organization ensure that all staff that are given access to CMBHS are knowledgeable of all applicable laws, policies and procedures related to the protection of client identifying information.
NOTE:
- CMBHS Drug Court Users will have “Read Only” access to defendant’s health records and are not permitted to document in the record.
- Drug court users of CMBHS have access only to the records of clients that have given written consent to their treatment provider to disclose their health care information to the drug court.
- Consent must be documented by the client when he/she is at the provider location.
The CMBHS user organization is responsible for immediately terminating the account of any user that leaves the Court’s employment or of any employee that might pose a threat to the information in CMBHS to prevent unauthorized access to CMBHS.
The CMBHS user organization must notify DSHS immediately if there is ever a breach of security that results in or is likely to result in the unauthorized release of a client’s protected health information.
Call the CMBHS Help Desk at 1 866-806-7806 for information about security or to report any breaches of security.
CLICK HERE to return to Drug Court Information page
CLICK HERE for information on Getting Started