Preadmission Screen Resident Review (PASRR) Level II for Mental Illness - Process Changes

November 30, 2017

Subject: Preadmission Screen Resident Review PASRR) Level II for Mental Illness– Process Changes

Dear Administrator:

The purpose of this letter is to alert you to a change in the Preadmission Screen Resident Review (PASRR) Level II referral process for individuals who are known or suspected of having serious mental illness (SMI) and who are seeking nursing home admission, or who already reside in a nursing home and are identified as having a significant change in condition.

Effective Friday, December 1, 2017, Ascend, a MAXIMUS company, will be responsible for completing all Level II evaluations for mental illness. Referrals are to be initiated by downloading and completing a New York PASRR Fax Coversheet for the individual being referred for the Level II evaluation, and faxing it to 877-431-9568, along with all required documentation, as follows:

  • Referral Intake Form
  • Current Comprehensive History and Physical Evaluation
  • Current Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation (preferred, if available)
  • Complete, Accurate, and Current PRI and SCREEN

The New York PASRR Fax Coversheet is available along with other resources and tools at:
https://www.ascendami.com/ami/Providers/YourState/NewYorkPASRRUserTools.aspx .

Ascend will summarize its Level II evaluations via the New York Summary of Findings Preadmission Screening and Resident Review report, which details the PASRR evaluator's recommendation, which will be forwarded to the referring entity. The referring entity is responsible for interpreting and explaining the PASRR NYS Level II Adult Mental Health Evaluation Report to the assessed individual and, as applicable, his or her legal representative.

The New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) remains responsible for PASRR level II intellectual or developmental disability evaluations. These evaluations are conducted by the local Developmental Disabilities Service Office (DDSO). For questions related to DDSO PASRR Level II evaluations, please contact Barbara Burditt, PASRR Coordinator for OPWDD at 518-388-0694.

Questions regarding the New York PASRR Level II process may be answered by e-mailing Ascend at: Ascend-NYPASRR@maximus.com, by calling the Ascend New York PASRR Help Desk: 877-431-1388, ext. 3475, or by emailing pasrr@health.ny.gov.

Sincerely

Sally Dreslin
Executive Deputy Commissioner
New York State Department of Health
Christopher Tavella
Executive Deputy Commissioner
New York State Office of Mental Health