OBRA PASRR
(Preadmission Screening Resident Review) Office

In 1987, Congress recognized that a national problem existed regarding appropriate placement for mentally ill and mentally retarded/related condition individuals and passed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) for Preadmission Screening and Resident Review to Medicaid certified nursing homes. The Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation’s OBRA PASRR Office is responsible for reviewing referrals submitted by health care entities and maintaining a system to regulate the appropriate placement of residents and prospective nursing home patients who have a serious mental illness and/or mental retardation/related condition.

In the State of Alabama, the OBRA PASRR Office is responsible for screening all applicants and residents of Medicaid Certified Nursing Facilities for suspected mental illness, mental retardation and/or a related condition. It is recognized that individuals diagnosed with mental illness and/or mental retardation/related condition may have special needs for their condition which are not provided in a nursing facility. Also, a nursing facility should be utilized by individuals whose medical conditions warrant nursing facility level of care. If an individual has a diagnosis of mental illness and/or mental retardation/related condition and is a nursing facility applicant/resident, the Alabama OBRA PASRR Office evaluates to determine the most appropriate placement based on the individual’s service needs.

For more information about the Alabama OBRA PASRR Office and to utilize the online referral system, you can visit our website at www.mh.state.al.us/obra or call 1-800-548-2188 or
334-242-3946.