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Office of Mental Health

OMH Field Offices | Patient Safety Standards Guidelines | BHSA Council

Prior Approval Review
Process

The Prior Approval Review (PAR) process includes of three types of review categories. They are differentiated by the prior mental health experience of the applicant, the type and scope of the project including the project’s implications for the service system, the amount of information that is requested, the time frame for review, and who participates in the review. The review category table contains a list of projects that usually fall within each category.

Review Categories

Comprehensive PAR Reviews include proposals by applicants that do not currently operate an Office of Mental Health (OMH) certified program as well as other projects that have the potential to significantly impact the service system and capital projects exceeding $600,000. These projects are reviewed by the Local Government Unit (LGU), the OMH Field Office, OMH Central Office, and the Mental Health Services Council.

E-Z PAR Reviews include proposals made by the operators of existing OMH certified programs for the establishment of new programs or changes to existing programs including capital projects of less than $600,000. These projects usually have fewer implications for the service system than comprehensive review applications. The local government unit should issue a letter of support for the project before an E-Z PAR application is submitted.

Administrative Action Reviews include proposed changes to existing OMH certified programs including capital projects of less than $250,000. These changes have minimal impact on the service system. They are submitted and reviewed through the MHPD system and require OMH support of the proposal.

Applications are submitted through the Mental Health Provider Data Exchange (MHPD) system. You may read the E-Z PAR training below to review the submission process.

  • MHPD
  • E-Z PAR Video on how to use the submission process through MHPD.

Comments or questions about the information on this page can be directed to the Bureau of Inspection and Certification.