Department of
Mental Health and Addiction Services
A Healthcare Service Agency
At a Glance
THOMAS A. KIRK, Jr.,
Ph.D., Commissioner
Arthur C. Evans, Jr.,
Ph.D., Deputy Commissioner
Kenneth
Marcus, M.D., Medical Director
Established
- 1995 [1]
Statutory
authority
- CGS Sec. 17a-450
Central
office - 410 Capitol Avenue, 4th Floor
P.O. Box
341431
Hartford, CT 06134
Number of employees full
and part-time - 3,751
Recurring operating
expenses - $564,724,205
Organizational
structure - Offices of the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Medical
Director, Administration and Finance, Community Services and Hospital,
Community Education and Recovery Affairs, Forensic Services, Human Resources
Management, Information Systems, Legislation and Policy, Multicultural Affairs,
Program Analysis and Support, Quality Assurance, and the Division of Safety
Services.
Mission
The mission of the Department of Mental Health and
Addiction Services (DMHAS) is to improve the quality of life for Connecticut
residents by providing an integrated network of comprehensive, effective and
efficient mental health and addiction services that foster self-sufficiency,
dignity and respect.
Improvements/Achievements 2003-04
In addition to the Department’s
overarching goal of building a Value-Driven, Recovery-Oriented System of
Care, DMHAS measures its accomplishments in terms of progress made toward
achievement of its four strategic goals.
In the sections below, each of the goals are presented, followed by a
few examples of the many initiatives DMHAS is pursuing to fulfill these goals.
- Quality – Establish a
statewide quality of care management system to achieve defined service
outcomes and continued improvement of the integrated DMHAS healthcare
system.
Evidence-Based Practice – Evidence-based Practice - DMHAS is constantly
striving to ensure that public sector behavioral health services are provided
in accordance with the latest scientific and experiential knowledge. As part of an initiative of the Office of
the Medical Director (OMD) at DMHAS, the system has made strides in
incorporating practices identified by its nine preferred practice workgroups.
These include illness management and recovery for people with
psychosis, motivational interviewing for difficult to engage clients, opioid
agonist treatment for clients with opioid dependence, and supported employment.
Additional practices will be added in the coming year.
Collaborations and
Partnerships – DMHAS
takes pride in the many interagency initiatives and public/private and academic
collaborations that are helping to improve care for thousands of people in
Connecticut. The list of collaborations
is far too extensive to be described here, but can be found on the DMHAS
website at www.dmhas.state.ct.us.
Performance Measurement – Significant effort over
the past year has been devoted to ongoing development of provider performance
measurement. This initiative meets the
informational and management needs of multiple stakeholders. Program performance measures have been
developed in four domains: Data
Quality, Utilization, Access and Outcomes.
Web-based reports are accessible at anytime to providers to access their
agency’s data as well as to state system management to access performance
measures across all state-operated and funded agencies. Trainings for all providers and system
managers on how to use the reports and promote and improve data quality have
been conducted over the past year.
These measures and web-based reports allow for transparency of data used
to assess providers in terms of data quality, service utilization/ provision,
and information used to monitor contract performance as well as offer
opportunities to identify areas in need of quality improvement initiatives and
to monitor progress.
Recovery Healthcare Plan for
Adults – The goal of the initiative is to create a seamless child and adult
behavioral healthcare system by bringing together various funding sources and
managing them with common infrastructure and policies. It involves DMHAS
working collaboratively with the Departments of Children and Families (DCF) and
Social Services (DSS). During the 2004 legislative session it was decided that the Husky A
and B (health plans for adults and children) should move forward as
planned. However, additional adult
populations may not be converted at this time.
Discussions on how to implement these programs are continuing. Planning
for the Medicaid Rehabilitation Option to support mental health group homes is
moving forward and is expected to be implemented on or after January 1,
2005.
- Services – Provide
culturally competent and integrated services to persons whose needs are
particularly challenging or not being well met in the current system.
Recovery Initiative – During the past year, DMHAS
continued to implement the Recovery Initiative by hosting policy retreats for
over 130 executives from private non-profit agencies and by holding meetings
with community agency boards of directors to familiarize them with the initiative’s
goals and to solicit their advice and assistance. DMHAS also identified nine “Recovery Centers of Excellence” where
innovative, recovery-oriented programs are being tested and implemented. These Centers are to be joined by an
additional set of seven new Centers during FY 05. The Centers will also serve as technology transfer sites where
innovative ideas are refined and made available throughout Connecticut. The
DMHAS Recovery Institute and the DMHAS Division of Education and Training
provided technical assistance to agencies, and training to over 1,000 staff
from state-operated and private non-profit agencies involving 13,000 training
contact hours. For more information
about the recovery initiative please visit the DMHAS website at www.dmhas.state.ct.us/disasterbh.htm.
Community
Mental Health Strategy Board – The Department continues
to work closely with the Community Mental Health Strategy Board (CMHSB) to
increase the availability of community services. The Second Initiatives funding was reallocated through the work
of the Finance Subcommittee to ensure that they would continue to be funded
through FY’05. The initiatives: Assertive Community Treatment Teams, Mobile
Crisis and Respite Services, Young Adult Program, Supportive Housing with Wrap
Around Services and the Recovery Initiative will remain operational. In
addition, DMHAS used Second Initiatives funding to establish a 15-bed
residential facility to assist with hospital discharges.
Cultural Competence – Among the most important quality
goals of the Department is to ensure services are provided in a culturally
competent manner. DMHAS continues to
stress the importance of cultural competence in a variety of areas including
program development decisions, evaluation protocols and contracting
requirements with private non-profit agencies.
An array of culturally specific programs has been implemented to address
the specialized needs of African Americans, Latinos/Latinas, Asian Americans
and others.
Disaster Preparedness – In the aftermath of September
11, 2001, using federal funds, DMHAS began developing its capability to address
the threat of terrorism and to help Connecticut communities recover in the
aftermath of major disasters. DMHAS
collaborated with the Department of Children and Families, Yale University, and
the University of Connecticut to create the Center for Trauma,
Response/Recovery and Preparedness (CTRP) and to establish five Regional Crisis
Response Teams consisting of over 300 volunteers to assist communities affected
by disasters. During FY 2004, DMHAS
continued to strengthen its disaster capabilities. Training and functional exercises have been key to this
effort. DMHAS also has been actively
involved in linking planning efforts and coordinating with the American Red
Cross, the Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Public Safety –
Division of Homeland Security, the Department of Public Health, the
Homeland Security Education Center, and the state’s two Bioterrorism Centers of
Excellence involving general hospitals throughout Connecticut.
- Management – Improve the
organizational and management effectiveness of DMHAS.
Workforce Issues – As of the fiscal year end, DMHAS
employed 11 percent fewer workers than it did on November 1, 2002. Although adjusting to this reduction
represented significant challenges, operations have now been stabilized at a
lower workforce level. Recruitment of
qualified healthcare professionals -
essential for quality care and accreditation of all DMHAS facilities - is a
major focus of human resource development efforts. Recently, tangible progress
has been made in the hiring of registered nurses.
As DMHAS continues to plan and
implement its response, it will be guided by a clear sense of mission: DMHAS
will build on existing cornerstones to achieve a recovery-oriented, value-based
public sector behavioral health system that recognizes the extraordinary
professionalism and dedication of its employees.
Operational Improvements – In a move to enhance efficiency and
save on costs, DMHAS has consolidated certain administrative and operational
functions including Fiscal Services and Human Resources. In addition, DMHAS has expanded utilization
of cost effective ambulatory detoxification, provided funding to establish a
10-bed Recovery House in eastern Connecticut, requested proposals for an
additional 10-bed Recovery House, established two new acute care contracts with
general hospitals to ease emergency room overcrowding, and hired five new Intensive Case Managers to work with persons with mental
illness who have had either long hospital stays or multiple admissions to
psychiatric hospitals.
- Resources – Create a
resource base to support DMHAS’ service and management goals.
DMHAS Grants Development – During FY 2004, DMHAS was awarded over $5.3 million in new federal funding to support the implementation of innovative enhancements to Connecticut’s behavioral health system. These funds enable the Department to increase our prevention and treatment capacity, enhance recovery-oriented services, and address the cultural and gender-specific needs of high-risk individuals. Additionally, DMHAS, in partnership with local community providers, other state agencies, and academic centers, has over $71 million in pending proposals under federal review.