After a monthlong suspension, the state will again permit referrals to certain community mental health services operated by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

Joan Erney, deputy secretary for the state Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said the referrals can resume Monday.

Although the suspension is being lifted, she noted that the state will continue to be actively involved in community mental health services delivered by Western Psych and other providers in the Pittsburgh area.

A new policy requires that state and county officials approve proposed discharges of people from case management services, she said.

While some people may no longer need that support, officials don't want people who still need help disconnecting from services, she said.

The state also wants to improve outreach to high-risk people who may be more disengaged from care, she said. And the state will do clinical and chart reviews in the coming weeks to make sure that changes implemented at Western Psych will be sustained, she said.

Western Psych has made a number of system changes, some on its own and others at the state's request, she said.

Dr. Claudia Roth, the facility's president, said substantial changes were made in response to Western Psych internal reviews. She said the lifting of the moratorium "reflects the state's confidence in the quality of care" delivered at the agency.

On July 23, the state informed Western Psych that it would temporarily halt referrals to some of the agency's programs pending a review of practices and procedures. About 71 people who otherwise would have been referred to Western Psych were directed to other service providers, Dr. Roth said.

The temporary ban on new referrals applied to some community mental health services for adults in certain public-funded programs such as Medicaid. Patients already receiving care from those programs or other Western Psych services were not affected.

Western Psych was singled out for the moratorium and review process, according to the state, because six of 10 serious incidents, known as sentinel events, that have occurred in recent months in Allegheny County involved adults who have received outpatient mental health services from that agency.