What is URAMP?
URAMP will be the Bureau of Health Professions Licensures (BHPL) Unified Rehabilitation and Monitoring Program for licensed professionals under its 21 boards when it is launched in 2024. URAMP is being established in accordance with Chapter 177 of the Acts of 2022, An Act Addressing Barriers to Care for Mental Health. This requires BHPL to establish a confidential, voluntary program for monitoring the rehabilitation of licensed health care professionals who seek support for their mental health or substance use, or who are referred to the program by a licensing board.
Who will URAMP be available to?
Applications to the URAMP program will be available to all licensed professionals under BHPLs 21 professional licensure boards in circumstances where they seek support for their mental health or substance use or are referred to the program by their licensing board. There will be specific criteria for acceptance to the program, which are in the process of being designed.
When will URAMP launch?
URAMP is currently being designed in collaboration with an external Advisory Committee, as required by Chapter 177 of the Acts of 2022. A date for the launch of the service is not yet confirmed, but it is expected to be at some point during Summer 2024.
What is the URAMP Advisory Committee?
The URAMP Advisory Committee is an external advisory group established under Chapter 177 of the Acts of 2022 to assist BHPL in the design and build of URAMP. The legislation includes specific requirements for the constitution of the Advisory Committee and set out the topics it must consider as part of the advisory process. Advisory Committee members are appointed by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health. A list of appointed of Advisory Committee members is available here.
What will happen to the existing rehabilitation programs within the BHPL when URAMP launches?
BHPL is required to make URAMP available to licensees under all 21 of its professional licensing boards. As a result, BHPL’s existing Substance Addiction Recovery Program (SARP) under the Board of Registration in Nursing and its Pharmacy Substance Use Disorder Program (PSUD) under the Board of Registration in Pharmacy will transition to URAMP when the service launches. The mechanics of this transition will be established during the advisory process for URAMP. A primary objective will be to ensure there are no adverse impacts for participants current engaged in SARP or PSUD programs.
What is the difference between BHPL’s current SARP and PSUD programs and the required URAMP program?
SARP and PSUD are programs available to two specific professional licensing boards within BHPL. Each program has its own, specific rules and procedures. The URAMP program will be available to licensees under all 21 professional licensing boards at BHPL and the established framework of rules and procedures will apply to all applicants and participants in the program.
SARP and PSUD are confidential, voluntary programs for licensed healthcare professionals with substance use disorders (SUDs) that impact their practice. URAMP will also be a confidential, voluntary program but will be available to licensees with SUDs and non-SUD related mental health concerns which have the potential to impact their practice. Requirements for admission to the program under both grounds are currently being designed.
Will URAMP be available as an alternative to disciplinary action by a licensure board?
Licensed healthcare professionals that apply to participate in or are referred by the licensing board to URAMP will be required to specify the mental health condition or substance use that they believe may impede or has affected their ability to safely practice their profession and shall agree to comply, to the best of their ability, with an individualized rehabilitation plan to be admitted into the program.
Upon admission to URAMP, the licensing board may dismiss any pending investigation or complaint against the participant that arises from or relates to the participant’s mental health or substance use. The licensing board may change the participant’s publicly-available license status to reflect the existence of non-disciplinary restrictions or conditions.
How can I find out more about URAMP?
Updates to this page will be posted throughout 2024 as the advisory process progresses. Agendas and minutes for each meeting of the Advisory Committee will be posted on the Advisory Committee webpage here.
Once available, URAMP policies and procedures will be posted to the URAMP webpages. Stakeholders, program participants and other interested parties will be notified directly as the launch of the service is confirmed and approaches.