(MAMHC) Contents Funding for Elder Behavioral Health(EBH) Services by the Mass Legislature The BIP proposal is no longer viable but its content will still be used F'Y 2018 State Budget A request was made for additional monies for F'Y 2018. The House Ways and Means Committee and the full house agreed to add $ 500,000 to the DMH account and with the same language. *******The Senate Ways and means Committee did include funding and language for EBH. However,an error/typo made it seem as if that did not happen. Please contact your Mass Senator to sign-on to an amendment which is being offered by Senator Jennifer Flanagan. It adds $ 500,000 to the DMH line item(5046-0000) We await the decision by the Senate next week SENATE DECISION The Senate rejected the amendment. NEXT STEPS Our supporters in the House will approach the House Ways & Means Committee about this mistake. It is our job to follow-up with a letter to members of the Conference Committee to include the funding and language which know is in the House budget. There will be a draft letter here when we know the names of the Conference Committee. 2018 BUDGET CONFERENCE COMMITTEE APPROVES FUNDS FOR EBH $ 500,000 was provided for elder behavioral health services. Please thank your Mass Rep/senator. Next we see what the Governor will do. Governor Vetoes These Funds Please contact the Speaker and advocate for an override vote. F'Y 2017 State Budget Funding($ 200,000 in the DMH budget with a joint agreement with EOEA)was requested for this fiscal year. It was passed by the mass State legislature, vetoed by the Governor , and the veto was overridden. However, the governor did not release these monies until December(2016) and the language was not implemented until February(2017). After several discussions with EOEA and DMH staff it was agreed how to implement. Most of the funds were used for trainings which have been well subscribed. A small amount was used to supplement COAs which have received grant monies from EOEA to develop wrap around behavioral health services for their communities. . Fund community based elder behavioral health services thru the 5046-0000 line item with the $ 500,000 which the legislature has approved Contact the Speaker at: Robert.Deleo@mahouse.gov or at: 617-722-2500 . The Mass state legislature has not funded this proposal. Our MAMHC coalition has made some contacts with members of the new administration(Governor Charlie Baker's appointees). We have spoken with Alice of the Executive Office of Healthj & Human Sevrices(HHS)- Spring and early Summer 2015. They have read the original proposal and will review it prior to contacting us. We will also follow-up with questions from them about the proposal. 2. These agencies have reviewed the proposal and passed it onto the Administration and Finance(A & F = the Budget agency of Mass State government)- Fall. 2015. Once they have completed their review it will go to the Mass legislature for their review. These monies come from the Federal government(CMS) but will be transferred to the State budget(once approved by A&F) and must complete a budget process thru the State legislature. 3. A & F decided to reject the proposal. They will not spend grant monies (even from a source outside of the State budget) if there is no guarantee how to fund the project once the grant ends. An effort was also made to seek funding from other Federal sources. There was expressed support for the services but no funds were identified. OTHER EFFORTS TO FUND ELDER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH(EBH). 1. An amendment to the fiscal 2017 DMH line item was passed in both the State House and Senate. It was consequently vetoed by the Governor and that was overridden by the legislature. However, it was not implemented as the Governor would not "authorize" the funding saying the budget was not in balance. Some in the legislature disagree and will try to address this. More later. 2. EOEA wlll be approached about its fiscal year 2018 budget request including funding for EBH. BALANCED INCENTIVE PROGRAM(BIP) GRANT PROPOSAL The Coalition has developed a proposal to use funds from a Federal grant to the State of Mass. This proposal(on Older Adult Behavioral Health Services) has been approved by several State agencies(including Elder Affairs, Mental Health, Public Health). When implemented it will create partnerships which will include a local Aging Service Access Points(ASAP) and a local mental health provider. They will be the hub of services which are provided to community dwelling elders who are experiencing mental health/behavioral/ substance problems. Each partnership will provide an array of services which will be available to those individuals who need them. Some of those include:
This application is making its way thru Massachusetts state government including state agencies the Governor's office, and the Legislature. It must wind its way in the Budget process including the Ways and Means Committee of each House. Once approved the Executive Office of Elder Affairs(EOEA) will provide oversight, guidance,a study,and trainings for both providers and consumers.
2015 Annual Conference Held at Holy Cross College in Worcester MA Speakers and workshop leaders (including consumers)focused on recovery and resilience.
2014 Annual Conference held at Holy Cross College
This year participants heard speakers talk about ways to approach elder mental health with a positive framework.
From Ann Webster, to Denise Karuth to Bob Schreiber speakers presented ideas about a more positive and successful approach to address these issues.
Some of these included client involvement in their care planning and decision-making, meditation, etc.
The workshops also included more positive approaches including resilience, elder peer bridgers. healthy ideas, etc. This was also the time when Jim Callahan, chair of the coalition, announced his retirement from this position. He will be replaced by Cassie Cramer, Scott Dailey,and Rebecca Kessler.
GERIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH HEARING HELD IN BOSTON STATE HOUSE On January 16. 2014 this hearing was held jointly by the Committees on Mental Health and Substance Abuse and also Elder Affairs.
Numerous individuals spoke and and advocated for the availability of appropriate and accessible mental health services for elders. Many cases were given as examples of the result when services are not provided. Recommendations included:
Among those providing testimony were members of the MAMHC including; Kathy Kuhn, Cassie Cramer, Chet Chujubiak,. and Frank E. Baskin. The next step will be to re-place monies in the 2015 state budget (about $ 350,000).
2014 ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN PLANNING STAGES
This year's conference will be held on Friday May 2, 2014 at the Hogan Center of Holy Cross College in Worcester MA.
The focus will be about healthy aging and mental health with the title:
AGING, MENTAL WELLNESS, AND RESILIENCE
Ann Webster(Keynote) - Aging Without an Expiration Date: Mind Body Medicine for Successful Aging-
Robert Schrieber
Denise Karuth
There will be workshops on healthy aging, resilience and diversity, and elder peer bridging.
6 CEUs have been approved for Social Workers(# D 61509).
6 CEUs have been approved for LMHCs.
Nurses CEUs have been applied.
FOR ANY QUESTIONS ON REGISTRATION Please call Karen Cabana at 413-439-2105 or email at kcabana@chd.org
Look here for updates about this conference
Worcester MA
Speakers include:
Workshops on various topics including elder gambling, self neglect, hoarding, etc. 6 CEUs have been approved each for social workers, nurses, and for licensed mental health counselors. Breakfast and lunch included. Watch this space and your e-mail for registration information.
Any questions contact Frank E. Baskin about the conference at: frankbaskin.gerisocialwork@yahoo.com
Contact Karen Cabana(at CHD in Springfield MA) about registration at: 413-439-2105
GERIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH LETTER RE:BUDGET LINE ITEM
The Mass Aging and Mental Health Coalition(MAMHC)has signed-on to a letter sent to Governor Patrick. It implores him to re-store monies fiscal year 2014 budget to a line item in the State budget dedicated to elder mental health services. There was funding there in 2007 but it was reduced to zero and has not been funded since then. A number of effective direct service and training programs were set up but no longer have this funding.
Letters have also been sent to the Chairs of the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees.
The following is a copy of the letter to the Governor;
November 19, 2012
Re: Restoration of Funding for Geriatric Mental Health Services; EOEA Line Item 9110-1640 Dear Governor Patrick: We are writing as a coalition of advocates for low and moderate income senior citizens throughout Massachusetts. We urge you to restore at least $350,000 to the Geriatric Mental Health line item within the Executive Office of Elder Affair’s (EOEA) budget, Line Item # 9110-1640, as you prepare your FY’2014 budget proposal. During FY’2007-2009, this line item helped fund critical and innovative home and community-based geriatric mental health services and supports including: crisis stabilization; in-home treatment engagement services; in-home mental health and substance abuse services; innovative and effective inter-disciplinary geriatric mental health training for first responders, case managers and nurses; and other specialized geriatric mental health interventions. The detrimental effects of defunding have been felt by seniors with psychiatric disabilities and their family members throughout the Commonwealth. Failure to fund this line item has contributed to increased costs of MassHealth-funded preventable psychiatric hospitalizations, emergency room visits, nursing home admissions, and homelessness resources for seniors. As a result, unmanageable burdens have been placed on other state and municipal-funded elder services. Nearly two thirds of older adults with a mental health disorder do not receive needed services. We know that untreated psychiatric conditions among elders increase the likelihood of multiple ER visits, hospitalizations and nursing home admissions. State-funded Aging Service Access Points (ASAPs), and other agencies, are ill-equipped to provide needed mental health services and supports to elders with serious mental illnesses without the services funded by this line item. Funding for this line item was used to mold an effective inter-agency, inter-disciplinary response to the needs of elders with psychiatric conditions that impaired their daily functioning. The programs it funded made it possible for elders with psychiatric conditions to live safely in their own homes with vital supports. It is long overdue for this funding to be restored. Massachusetts’ failure to fund specialized Geriatric Mental Health services and supports is a classic example of a “penny-wise, pound-foolish” government policy, not only fiscally but also in the myriad ways that defunding these crucial services has harmed the independence and wellbeing of countless senior citizens with psychiatric disabilities and their families. We urge you to restore $350,000 to EOEA’s Line Item 9110-1640. Should you or your staff need additional information, we are happy to meet with your designees and provide information as requested. Thank you for your anticipated attention and cooperation in responding to this urgent request. Sincerely, Deborah Filler Senior Staff Attorney Greater Boston Legal Services
cc: Secretary Ann Hartstein, Executive Office of Elder Affairs Secretary JudyAnn Bigby, Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Co-signers to this request: John J. Drew President/CEO Boston ABCD Scott Miyake Geron Director of Center for Aging and Disability Education and Research Boston University School of Social Work Rita Shah Senior Outreach Coordinator Burlington Council on Aging Margaret Fox Psychologist Cambridge Health Alliance Darlene Perkins Senior Programs Advocate Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands, Inc. Bruce Menin Executive Director Disability Policy Consortium Allison Theberge Clinical Director Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, Inc. Dale Mitchell Executive Director Ethos Janet Seckel-Cerrotti Executive Director Friendship Works Frank Baskin Coordinator Greater Lowell Elder Mental Health Coalition Marsha Frankel Clinical Director of Senior Services and Director of Mental Health Jewish Family & Children’s Service Lisa Krinsky Executive Director LGBT Aging Project Arlene Germain President Massachusetts Advocates for Nursing Home Reform Jim Callahan Chair Massachusetts Aging and Mental Health Aging Coalition Chet Jakubiak, Executive Director Margery Munro, Board Member Massachusetts Association of Older Americans Carol Trust Executive Director Massachusetts Chapter of National Association of Social Workers David P. Stevens Executive Director Massachusetts Council on Aging Barbara E. Moscowitz Coordinator of Geriatric Social Work and Director of MGH Senior HealthWISE MGH Geriatric Medicine Unit Nancy Euchner President of Board of Directors New England Chapter of National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers John O’Neill Executive Director Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services Penelope Ann Shaw State and National Long-term Care and Disability and Policy Advisor Elizabeth Aguilo, Daniel Burroso, Cassie Cramer, Meckle Elston, Lisa Hartnett, Cathy Liu, Mathew Mahoney, Michael Medeiros, Suzanne Norton, Christine Palmieri, Elizabeth Seelman Members of Coalition Cambridge-Somerville Mental Health and Aging Coalition |
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