PRESS RELEASE – With the new fiscal year about to begin, the Four County ADAMhs Board approved its office budget and remaining service contracts at its Thursday, June 12 meeting.
Three contracts were approved for inpatient psychiatric services: St. Charles/Mercy Health Systems, $125,000 for adult patients; University of Toledo Medical Center/Kobacher, $250,000 for children and adolescent patients; and ProMedica healthcare facilities, $150,000 for adult, child and adolescent patients.
Other service contracts approved include:
-Williams County common pleas court, $12,000 for use by all four county common pleas courts to support a parent coordination program that helps families with limited income by providing education, case management, conflict management, coaching and decision-making programs.
-Carla B. Davis, attorney, reimbursement at $135 per hour to represent the ADAMhs Board during probate hearings for four county residents.
-Montgomery County ADAMhs Board, a two-year contract totaling $90,042 to handle claims and data processing of four county clients’ service reimbursement for providers.
The board also authorized the CEO to directly arrange residential placement agreements for adults whose mental health needs require a Class 2 residential facility.
Class 2 facilities not only provide living accommodations and personal care services, but can also provide daily living help, including assistance with medications. The total cost of the agreements cannot exceed $125,000.
The board approved agreements to participate in three state-funded programs that serve specific populations:
-Addiction Treatment Program, an allocation of $225,000 from carryover and new funding for treatment of persons diagnosed with opiate and other substance use disorders.
These funds can be used by Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio, Maumee Valley Guidance Center and Ohio Guidestone as well as the specialty docket drug courts in Williams, Fulton and Henry counties.
-Access to Wellness Program, an allocation of $36,000 to support services for persons who are diagnosed with a severe mental illness and are served by multiple systems.
-Community Transition Program, an allocation of $6,000 to be used by Recovery Services of Northwest Ohio, Maumee Valley Guidance Center and Ohio Guidestone to assure that incarcerated adults with a severe mental illness have a smooth transition to community behavioral health services prior to their release from prison.
The board office budget of $672,200 was also approved. That amount is a $23,600 increase from the current allocation.
Board officers for the new fiscal year will be John Nye, chairperson, and Tod Hug, vice-chairperson.
Sandra Weirauch of Napoleon, a retiring board member, was recognized for her 20 years of service to the Four County ADAMhs Board under three different CEOs.
The board entered executive session for the purpose of compensation of a public employee. A decision was made to renew CEO Tonie Long’s contract for an additional two years.
Board CEO Tonie Long reported that several Northwest Ohio ADAMhs boards will offer an early August training: “Partnering with Schools: Behavioral Health Threat Assessment and Management Workshop.”
Geared to behavioral health professionals throughout northwest Ohio, the training is part of a regional behavioral health disaster preparedness effort that is being developed. Invitations will also be extended to area health department and EMA staff. The workshop will be offered in both Findlay and Archbold.
Long also provided updates on the following topics:
Five-year strategic plan
Staff now report twice a year (June and January) on the progress that has been made to implement the new strategic plan that was adopted earlier this year by the board. Long noted that incremental progress has been made in some areas.
Dani’s Place
This is a new 20 bed step-down unit on the campus of the state psychiatric hospital in Toledo for persons who have been hospitalized there, but who are not ready to return to the community without the transitionary support that Dani’s Place will provide.
State behavioral health allocations and Medicaid
State funding for the fiscal year starting July 1 will remain the same as this year, Long reported. However, federal funding is yet to be determined.
The most recent information from the state is that boards should expect an estimated 25 percent reduction in federal funding. She added that it is still unknown whether federal funding for Medicaid expansion will continue.
Consequently, Long said that boards across the state are considering changes that they may need to make depending on possible Medicaid program changes.
For example, if Medicaid requires participants to update their eligibility every six months, how will board systems make sure their Medicaid clients comply?
Or, if certain Medicaid recipients are required to seek employment, will board systems need to develop supportive employment opportunities so those clients still have healthcare?
Even though it is not yet clear how Medicaid will be impacted in the next federal budget, Long explained that certain things appear likely to change.
Therefore, it’s important to start planning for those changes that seem to have the most support in Congress.