The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs is reminding residential drug and alcohol treatment facilities of their ability to use flex beds to meet capacity needs during COVID-19 mitigation. DDAP originally established the practice of flex beds in 2015.
“Providers may use flex beds to remove barriers to treatment and assist facilities in their efforts to effectively utilize resources to meet the needs of individuals entering residential treatment,” said DDAP Secretary Jennifer Smith.
Using this flex bed approach allows a facility already licensed to provide both residential detoxification and residential rehabilitation at the same location to utilize empty beds in one activity to conduct services provided in the other activity. For personnel purposes, facilities approved for flex beds may also utilize counselors as primary care staff within their detox unit when utilizing additional detox beds.
A facility must submit an exception request to be considered for approval of flex beds. The form can be found at ddap.pa.gov/Get%20Help%20Now/Documents/Request%20to%20Flex%20Beds%20Form.pdf. For more on flex beds, visit ddap.pa.gov/Get%20Help%20Now/Documents/COVID-flexbeds.pdf
