House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Human Services Passed Unanimously House Bill 248 on wednesday. The bill is now on its way to the House of Representatives for consideration.
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HB 248 provides long-term home-based and community-based support for people with severe mental illness and requires deployment plans to be developed by the Department of Health and Human Services. Assertive community treatment Statewide (ACT) teams.
“What this bill does is create a way that Medicaid funds can be used to help people with severe mental disorders,” said Rep. Marcia Judkins (R-Provo), who sponsored the bill. I was. “And then we created a grant program so that these [ACT teams] Can be made in a community that can show that this can be done [with] Loyalty.
The ACT team consists of approximately 10 people, each of whom is responsible for a variety of areas, including therapists, peer support specialists, case managers, occupational specialists, and APRN for medication administration.
The measure calls for a one-time general fund of $5 million from the state’s Medicaid Community Support Waiver. This fund provides grants to the county to establish an ACT team to provide long-term, ongoing support to individuals with severe mental illness.
Sherri Wittwer, director of Mental Health America of Utah, testified before the commission on the effectiveness of the ACT team and worked on the development and implementation of the program in Salt Lake County.
“ACT is an evidence-based model,” says Wittwer. “It has been around for a very long time, and there has been a lot of research done that has proven results and the cost savings that come with it. Developed to help our most needy individuals live in communities rather than in expensive settings.This is the highest level of community-based care available to us.”
According to Wittwer, there are many barriers for people with acute mental illness, including basic transportation and reservation management issues. The ACT team has him available 24/7 as a “hospital without walls.”
and Interview with State of Reform last monthJudkins talked about how the current system is built around crisis response rather than long-term mental health support.
“We really lack support such as long-term behavioral support, medication support and peer counseling. [and] What people need for the rest of their lives if you have a severe mental illness.
It doesn’t go away in 4 months. So it’s structurally different from what we’ve been doing so far. There’s a big gap and I’m trying to fill it. ”
All bills on committee agenda It was passed with a favorable recommendation at a public hearing on Wednesday.
Related bill Medicaid Dental Waiver (Senate Bill 19), services for people with disabilities (HB242), social worker license reform to support ESL candidates (HB250), Amendments to the Child Welfare Review (HB180), and the establishment of the Kidney Health Task Force (HB142) proceeds to the House floor for consideration.
