| R 386 |
| 2024 -- S 3167 Enacted 06/13/2024 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE SECRETARY OF THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR ESTABLISHING A SINGLE UNIFIED SYSTEM OF INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES FOR ACROSS THE LIFE-CYCLE |
Introduced By: Senator Joshua Miller |
| Date Introduced: June 13, 2024 |
| WHEREAS, It is in the interest of all Rhode Islanders for the State to maintain a system |
| of publicly funded behavioral and mental health care that has the capacity to provide equitable |
| access to high quality services throughout the life-cycle; and |
| WHEREAS, The State currently operates two somewhat distinct systems of publicly |
| funded behavioral and mental health care -- one for children and their families and another for |
| adults, 21 and older, in need of programs and services; and |
| WHEREAS, Although there are areas where the two systems intersect, differences in the |
| ways they are administered and operate often make the pathway to services and transitions |
| between them difficult for Rhode Islanders to navigate and understand; and |
| WHEREAS, Maintaining the two systems also impedes the State’s ability to fully |
| leverage limited resources, expand best practices, and develop and sustain provider networks, |
| programs, services, and supports that foster community integration without regard to age, family |
| structure or circumstance; and |
| WHEREAS, A recent RI Senate Report on publicly funded health and human services in |
| Rhode Island recommended establishing a unified system of State behavioral and mental health |
| services under the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretariat by consolidating |
| existing services and programs administered by the RI Department of Children, Youth and |
| Families (DCYF) and the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Development Disabilities and |
| Hospitals (BHDDH); and |
| WHEREAS, The Senate Report recommended the unified system of care be located in a |
| redesigned BHDDH, as it currently serves as the State mental health authority, under the EOHHS |
| umbrella pending the transition of the administration and operations of the state-operated |
| hospitals currently under the department’s jurisdiction into a new agency dedicated solely to the |
| management of state public health facilities; and |
| WHEREAS, The realignment of the State-operated hospitals is not expected to be |
| completed until July 2025, the DCYF is still in the process of obtaining accreditation and |
| implementing the Family First Prevention Services Act, and the network of Rhode Island the |
| Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, overseen by EOHHS, is just launching, it is |
| essential that a plan be developed for establishing the unified system that considers these and |
| other related factors and their impact on the agencies affected, funding sources, provider |
| networks, and, most important, the people and communities we serve; and |
| WHEREAS, The development of such a plan must take into account federal actions |
| directing the State to address issues and concerns related to access and utilization across the two |
| existing systems and ensure they are appropriately mediated; and |
| WHEREAS, The plan must also be aligned with other State health planning efforts and |
| systematically and intentionally include strategies for improving equitable access to high quality |
| behavioral and mental health care and substance use treatment across the life-cycle based on: |
| trends in the need for services, providers, programs and facilities, the scope of resources |
| required to meet that need today and over time, and, on this basis, the priorities and the action |
| steps for achieving the goal of implementing a unified system of care; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby respectfully requests |
| the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to initiate the planning |
| process to establish a unified system of care for publicly funded behavioral and mental health |
| care and substance use treatment by no later than 7/1/2026. The system of care shall be |
| administered by (BHDDH) within the Executive Department of the State to serve as the State |
| agency responsible for overseeing and administering the organization, finance, management and |
| delivery of programs and services across the life-cycle. The plan shall facilitate and effectuate the |
| timely and seamless transfer of budget and personnel from these facilities current home agencies. |
| The Secretary may request technical assistance from expert vendors and from the departments |
| and facilities involved to assist in the planning process; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby further requests that the Secretary shall be |
| authorized to: |
| • Prepare and execute an umbrella memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) specifying |
| the conditions for providing to the EOHHS any information in the possession of the home |
| agencies of the facilities that is protected as confidential under applicable federal or state laws or |
| regulations that may be necessary for the Executive Office to operate in accordance with this |
| Resolution; and |
| • The Departments under the EOHHS umbrella and, such other departments and agencies |
| of the State as may be appropriate from time to time, shall assist and cooperate with the EOHHS |
| and shall allocate or provide resources, including staff, as appropriate at the request of the |
| Secretary in furtherance of this Resolution; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary shall provide regular and timely reports to the Senate |
| and Governor and that a report presenting the plan for unifying the system of care including any |
| finding and recommendations of the planning process and an implementation timeline shall be |
| presented to the Senate and Governor by no later than 4/1/25. The report shall outline each |
| milestone that must be achieved for a successful transition of responsibilities, financing and |
| personnel and any associated costs; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health |
| and Human Services. |
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| LC006280 |
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