2024 -- S 3167 | |
======== | |
LC006280 | |
======== | |
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 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 | |
Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar | |
1 | WHEREAS, It is in the interest of all Rhode Islanders for the State to maintain a system |
2 | of publicly funded behavioral and mental health care that has the capacity to provide equitable |
3 | access to high quality services throughout the life-cycle; and |
4 | WHEREAS, The State currently operates two somewhat distinct systems of publicly |
5 | funded behavioral and mental health care -- one for children and their families and another for |
6 | adults, 21 and older, in need of programs and services; and |
7 | WHEREAS, Although there are areas where the two systems intersect, differences in the |
8 | ways they are administered and operate often make the pathway to services and transitions |
9 | between them difficult for Rhode Islanders to navigate and understand; and |
10 | WHEREAS, Maintaining the two systems also impedes the State’s ability to fully |
11 | leverage limited resources, expand best practices, and develop and sustain provider networks, |
12 | programs, services, and supports that foster community integration without regard to age, family |
13 | structure or circumstance; and |
14 | WHEREAS, A recent RI Senate Report on publicly funded health and human services in |
15 | Rhode Island recommended establishing a unified system of State behavioral and mental health |
16 | services under the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretariat by consolidating |
17 | existing services and programs administered by the RI Department of Children, Youth and |
18 | Families (DCYF) and the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Development Disabilities and |
| |
1 | Hospitals (BHDDH); and |
2 | WHEREAS, The Senate Report recommended the unified system of care be located in a |
3 | redesigned BHDDH, as it currently serves as the State mental health authority, under the EOHHS |
4 | umbrella pending the transition of the administration and operations of the state-operated |
5 | hospitals currently under the department’s jurisdiction into a new agency dedicated solely to the |
6 | management of state public health facilities; and |
7 | WHEREAS, The realignment of the State-operated hospitals is not expected to be |
8 | completed until July 2025, the DCYF is still in the process of obtaining accreditation and |
9 | implementing the Family First Prevention Services Act, and the network of Rhode Island the |
10 | Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, overseen by EOHHS, is just launching, it is |
11 | essential that a plan be developed for establishing the unified system that considers these and |
12 | other related factors and their impact on the agencies affected, funding sources, provider |
13 | networks, and, most important, the people and communities we serve; and |
14 | WHEREAS, The development of such a plan must take into account federal actions |
15 | directing the State to address issues and concerns related to access and utilization across the two |
16 | existing systems and ensure they are appropriately mediated; and |
17 | WHEREAS, The plan must also be aligned with other State health planning efforts and |
18 | systematically and intentionally include strategies for improving equitable access to high quality |
19 | behavioral and mental health care and substance use treatment across the life-cycle based on: |
20 | trends in the need for services, providers, programs and facilities, the scope of resources |
21 | required to meet that need today and over time, and, on this basis, the priorities and the action |
22 | steps for achieving the goal of implementing a unified system of care; now, therefore be it |
23 | RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby respectfully requests |
24 | the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to initiate the planning |
25 | process to establish a unified system of care for publicly funded behavioral and mental health |
26 | care and substance use treatment by no later than 7/1/2026. The system of care shall be |
27 | administered by (BHDDH) within the Executive Department of the State to serve as the State |
28 | agency responsible for overseeing and administering the organization, finance, management and |
29 | delivery of programs and services across the life-cycle. The plan shall facilitate and effectuate the |
30 | timely and seamless transfer of budget and personnel from these facilities current home agencies. |
31 | The Secretary may request technical assistance from expert vendors and from the departments |
32 | and facilities involved to assist in the planning process; and be it further |
33 | RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby further requests that the Secretary shall be |
34 | authorized to: |
| LC006280 - Page 2 of 3 |
1 | • Prepare and execute an umbrella memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) specifying |
2 | the conditions for providing to the EOHHS any information in the possession of the home |
3 | agencies of the facilities that is protected as confidential under applicable federal or state laws or |
4 | regulations that may be necessary for the Executive Office to operate in accordance with this |
5 | Resolution; and |
6 | • The Departments under the EOHHS umbrella and, such other departments and agencies |
7 | of the State as may be appropriate from time to time, shall assist and cooperate with the EOHHS |
8 | and shall allocate or provide resources, including staff, as appropriate at the request of the |
9 | Secretary in furtherance of this Resolution; and be it further |
10 | RESOLVED, That the Secretary shall provide regular and timely reports to the Senate |
11 | and Governor and that a report presenting the plan for unifying the system of care including any |
12 | finding and recommendations of the planning process and an implementation timeline shall be |
13 | presented to the Senate and Governor by no later than 4/1/25. The report shall outline each |
14 | milestone that must be achieved for a successful transition of responsibilities, financing and |
15 | personnel and any associated costs; and be it further |
16 | RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
17 | transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health |
18 | and Human Services. |
======== | |
LC006280 | |
======== | |
| LC006280 - Page 3 of 3 |