Guide to Edits Included in Policies Relating to the CANS-NY

  • Guide is also available in Portable Document Format (PDF)

Summary: As of May 2022, the Child Adolescent Needs and Strengths – NY (CANS-NY) will now be completed on an annual basis, as opposed to every six months, as has been the previous requirement. This requirement is outlined in policy and guidance. This has also impacted the re-assessment, evaluation, and update timeline for the Plan of Care and Interdisciplinary Team Meetings, which are now required annual when completing the CANS-NY.

HHCMs/HCBS providers/C-YES/MMCPs must alter their processes and timelines as a result of this policy change. To reflect the change from six months to annually, the following policies have been updated:

Document Link to Document posted on Website Page and Section Update Made Current Text
Key: Red text is the identified text that will be changed		 Updated Text
Key: Red text is what text will be updated to
Health Home Standards and Requirements for Health Homes, Care Management Agencies, and Managed Care Organizations UPDATED May 2022 HH Standards and Requirements for HHs, CMAs, and MCOs (ny.gov) (PDF) Page: 24

Section: A. CANS-NY Standards		 Updated CANS Reassessment Timeline The CANS-NY must be completed 6 months from the first day of the month it was completed, unless one of the following significant life event occurs that requires the CANS-NY to be completed prior to 6 months The CANS-NY must be completed annually from the first day of the month it was completed, unless one of the following significant life event occurs that requires the CANS-NY to be completed prior to the annual CANS NY.
Page: 24

Section: CANS-NY Standards		 Added Standards language Health Homes will be expected to meet best practice standards by completing the Early Reassessment CANS-NY 30 days from the date of the Documented significant event selected above. Health Homes will be expected to meet best practice standards by completing the Early Reassessment CANS-NY 30 days from the date of the Documented significant event selected above. Anytime a reassessment is completed, the timeline for completing the next annual CANS-NY review must be reset.
Page: 29

Section: D. Plan of Care		 Updated CANS Reassessment Timeline Since the CANS-NY reassessment is on a 6-month, care managers shall ensure that the plan of care is updated accordingly to any changes within the CANS-NY reassessment or if there is an early CANS-NY reassessment. Such reassessment shall document the member's progress in meeting his or her goals from prior plans of care and shall be documented in the member's record. Since the CANS-NY reassessment is on an annual basis, care managers shall ensure that the plan of care is updated accordingly to any changes within the CANS-NY reassessment or if there is an early CANS-NY reassessment. Such reassessment shall document the member's progress in meeting his or her goals from prior plans of care and shall be documented in the member's record.
Children's Waiver Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Workflow FAQs Children's Waiver Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Workflow FAQs (ny.gov) (PDF) Page: 2

Section: #8		 Updated CANS Reassessment and POC Timeline For children, the POC should be reviewed, at minimum: during the 6-month HH CANS-NY assessment; annually during the annual HCBS/LOC re-determination (if different time frame); and when there is a significant life event.

The POC should be updated, at minimum, annually and any time there is a change to the POC of services, providers and/orneeds of the member. When there is a change to the POC that is specific to services, providers and/or needs of the member, the POC must be sent to the MMCP.		 For children, the POC must be reviewed and updated, during the annual HH CANS-NY assessment and HCBS/LOC re-determination (if different time frame); and when there is a significant life event.

The POC must be updated annually and any time there is a change to the POC of services, providers and/or needs of the member. When there is a change to the POC that is specific to services, providers and/or needs of the member, the POC must be sent to the MMCP.
Health Home Comprehensive Assessment Policy (Adult and Children) HH0002 Health Home Comprehensive Assessment Policy (Adult and Children) (ny.gov) (PDF) Page: 8

Section: Reasons for an Early CANS-NY Reassessment (children)		 Updated CANS Reassessment Timeline Reasons for an Early CANS-NY Reassessment (children) For children, a CANS-NY must be completed every 6 months from the date of the last completion, unless the following occurs requiring the CANS-NY to be completed sooner than every 6 months:
  1. Significant change in child's functioning (includes increase or decrease of symptoms or new diagnosis)
  2. Service plan or treatment goals were achieved
  3. Child admitted, discharged or transferred from hospital/detox, residential placement, or foster care
  4. Child has been seriously injured or in a serious accident
  5. Child's (primary or identified) caregiver is different than on the previous CANS
  6. Significant change in caregiver's capacity/situation
  7. Court request
 Reasons for an Early CANS-NY Reassessment (children) For children, a CANS-NY must be completed annually from the date of the last completion, unless the following occurs requiring the CANS-NY to be completed sooner than annually:
  1. Significant change in child's functioning (includes increase or decrease of symptoms or new diagnosis)
  2. Service plan or treatment goals were achieved
  3. Child admitted, discharged or transferred from hospital/detox, residential placement, or foster care
  4. Child has been seriously injured or in a serious accident
  5. Child's (primary or identified) caregiver is different than on the previous CANS-NY
  6. Significant change in caregiver's capacity/situation
  7. Court request
Page: 5

Section: Health Homes Serving Children and the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths-New York (CANS-NY)		 Updated CANS Reassessment Timeline The best practice for completion of the CANS-NY is 30 days from the date of Health Home enrollment. Children's Health Homes have up to 60 days calendar days from enrollment for completion of the initial comprehensive assessment and plan of care. An annual Comprehensive Reassessment is required. When reviewing and updating the CANS-NY, the Care Manager must also review and update the member's comprehensive assessment and plan of care. The CANS-NY must be completed every 6 months from the date of last completion. The best practice for completion of the CANS-NY is 30 days from the date of Health Home enrollment. Children's Health Homes have up to 60 days calendar days from enrollment for completion of the initial comprehensive assessment and plan of care. An annual Comprehensive Reassessment is required. When reviewing and updating the CANS-NY, the Care Manager must also review and update the member's comprehensive assessment and plan of care. The CANS-NY must be completed annually from the date of last completion.
Health Home Plan of Care Policy HH 0008 July 30, 2019 Health Home Plan of Care Policy (ny.gov) (PDF) Page: 5

Section: Frequency		 Updated CANS Reassessment and POC Timeline At a minimum, the children's POC must be reviewed and updated if necessary, every six months concurrently with a CANS-NY assessment. The POC for adults must be updated at least annually; however, updating concurrently with the HML assessment is best practice. All Health Home members, adults and children member's POC's must be reviewed and updated annually,
  1. For Children, concurrently with a CANS-NY assessment.
  2. For adults, updating concurrently with the HML assessment is best practice.
Page: 5

Section: Frequency		 Updated CANS Reassessment Timeline For children only, the CANS-NY must also be updated by choosing the assessment type of "CANS-NY prior to six months" when there is a significant life change. For children only, the CANS-NY must also be updated by choosing the assessment reason "Assessment due to a Significant Life Event when there is a significant life event.
Children's HCBS Provider Manual Children's Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Manual (ny.gov) (PDF) Page: 30

Section: Plan of Care (POC) Development		 Updated CANS Reassessment and POC Timeline At a minimum, the POC must be reviewed every six months, during CANS-NY reassessment (for HH), if the child/youth, and/or parent/guardian requests it, or earlier if there is a significant life event, as well as during the HCBS/LOC Eligibility determination reassessment. The POC must be reviewed annually, during CANS-NY reassessment (for HH), if the child/youth, and/or parent/guardian requests it, or earlier if there is a significant life event, as well as during the HCBS/LOC Eligibility determination reassessment.
Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Plan of Care (POC) Workflow Policy number: CW0002 Children's Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Plan of Care (POC) Workflow Policy (ny.gov) (PDF) Page: 6

Section: Plan of Care (POC) Development		 Updated CANS Reassessment Timeline At a minimum, the POC must be reviewed every six months during CANS-NY reassessment (for Health Home), or earlier if there is a significant life event as well as during HCBS/LOC Eligibility determination reassessment. At a minimum, the POC must be reviewed annually during CANS-NY reassessment (for Health Home), or earlier if there is a significant life event as well as during HCBS/LOC Eligibility determination reassessment.