Patient Discharge Policy

SUD Specialty Group – CA, Mental Health Specialty Group, P.A., Mental Health Specialty Group NJ, PC, and Mental Health Specialty Group KS, P.A. (collectively, “Group”) contracts with Path, CCM, Inc. d/b/a Rula (“Rula”) for management and administrative support services. Each entity within the Group and Rula may be referenced herein as a Company and, collectively, as the Companies.

Policy Statement

This policy ensures that patients are discharged from treatment services appropriately. 

Applicability

This policy applies to all team members. For purposes of this policy, the Companies’ team members include individuals who would be considered part of the workforce, such as employees, independent contractors, and other persons whose work performance is under the direct purview of the Companies’  business practices. 

Definitions

Discharge: is a discontinuation of clinical services from the Group; discharges can be planned or unplanned. 

Discharge Note: is a document within the patient’s electronic health record (EHR) that describes the patient’s course of treatment and makes recommendations for continued care, when needed.  

Policy

1. Discharge Criteria: Criteria for discharge listed in this policy are not all inclusive and are meant to serve as a guide to consider a patient for discharge from services.  
2. Patients will be discharged from services with a provider when:
   1. They no longer meet medical necessity as determined by the Medical Necessity Policy and treatment goals have been achieved.
      1. Medical necessity is to be reviewed continuously by the practicing provider. 
      2. The Group may also utilize a Clinical Care Review process to evaluate medical necessity when indicated.   
   2. They no longer want telehealth services. 
   3. They are unhappy with their services and wish to transfer to another provider. 
   4. The patient has permanently moved out of the service area where the Group is practicing (i.e. outside the United States). 
   5. They display behaviors that fail to comply with the patient code of conduct. 
      1. Documentation of the patient's behaviors will occur in the EHR.
   6. The patient has been recommended for a higher level of care, and does not comply with treatment recommendations. 
      1. Documentation of the need for assessment or higher level of care will occur. 
      2. Patients will be given other clinical resources in these instances
   7. The patient does not regularly attend scheduled treatment appointments, or late cancels appointments, or no-shows appointments with their Provider three times or more.
   8. The patient has died.  
3. Discharges may be completed when the patient does not engage in a therapeutic relationship with the Provider or if the patient no longer regularly schedules appointments 
   1. For providers, this may include a patient who does not schedule a follow-up visit within 90 days after a first appointment or a patient who does not schedule a follow up appointment within 30 days of the most recent visit. In these situations, the provider is expected to make a minimum of one documented outreach attempt to the patient by phone or email to inquire if they would like to continue to receive services.  If there is no response from the patient within 10 days, a discharge note will be completed.
   2. For psychiatric practitioners, this may include a patient who is moving out of state or is being transferred to another clinic/HLOC 
4. For all patients discharging from services, a written Discharge Note will be completed by the patient’s Provider. The Discharge Note should include the date of discharge, reason for discharge, follow up recommendations, and a summary of treatment completed. 

Attachments: 

None

Updated December 22, 2025 21:36