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Spring 2011 Issue
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Letter from the Executive DirectorDear Friends, With the end of Mental Health Month nearing, MHAPA thought now a good time to look at positive trends in behavioral health care. We've dedicated this issue to celebrating impact: the impact Pennsylvania's behavioral health HealthChoices program has on individuals and the delivery of mental health and addiction services, and the impact of ending institutionalized mental health care in favor of that which is community-based and self-directed. We specifically look at Allegheny County, a model for the management of behavioral health care services. In 2010, Allegheny HealthChoices, Inc. (AHCI), an independent non-profit agency that oversees the Allegheny County's behavioral health HealthChoices program, completed a report that looks at the impact and outcomes of the county’s program since it began in 1999. This issue of the Newsfeed shares some of the findings of this study as an illustration of what's possible for consumers when public and private agencies work together to better manage resources and spending. Back to top
Budget Update
On May 10, the House Republican Caucus released its proposed 2011-2012 budget (HB 1485). This budget, which maintains Governor Corbett's proposed budget of $27.3 billion, cuts $470 million from the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) to restore a portion of the Governor's proposed cuts to basic and higher education. The cuts to DPW significantly reduce funding for the Behavioral Health Services Initiative (BHSI) and the Medical Assistance Transportation Program (MATP). Back to top
Ten Years of HealthChoices in Allegheny County – Improving Access and Quality of Services
Editor's Note: Beginning in 1999, Allegheny County established a unique public-private partnership to operate the local behavioral health managed care HealthChoices program. As the program reached its 10th anniversary, Allegheny HealthChoices, Inc., (AHCI), an independent non-profit oversight and evaluation agency, completed a review of its achievements. MHAPA and advocates across the state believe these achievements help inform priorities for county systems and the Commonwealth as a whole. Below is a summary of the report's findings, written for the Newsfeed by Emily Heberlein, Manager of Evaluation and Outcomes for AHCI. Back to top
OpenMindsOpenDoors: Community Integration
The Closing of Mayview State Hospital Mayview State Hospital, which served Allegheny County and four others, closed in December 2008. Its successful closing is a clear example of how an integrated local system — County and Medicaid managed care, in this case across five counties—has the capacity to work together to fundamentally change the delivery of behavioral health treatment and supports. The closure successfully shifted resources from an inpatient state institution to community-based care, demonstrating the local system's commitment to meeting the requirements for providing treatment in the community as set forth in the 1999 Olmstead decision. This shift expanded the capacity to meet the complex needs of a highly vulnerable group of individuals — those institutionalized at Mayview and future consumers needing intensive supports to avoid institutionalization. Back to top
Children's News: HealthChoices for Children and Youth
In Allegheny County, as everywhere, the needs of children and youth with emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges are different from those of adults living with mental illness. Over the past decade, the Allegheny County HealthChoices program has evolved and grown to meet the varying needs of the young people and adults it serves. In its review of the program, AHCI looks at utilization trends among youth as evidence of the program's high quality. With permission from AHCI, the Newsfeed shares these outcomes here. Back to top
Affiliate Update
(Formerly The Mental Health Association of Reading & Berks County)
Announcements and EventsDo you have news or announcements to share about mental health services or events in Pennsylvania? Email us the details at newsfeed@mhapa.org. June10 and 12 14-16 July21 |
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Greater Reading Mental Health Association