Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

 

 

 

 

At a Glance

 

THOMAS A. KIRK, Jr., Ph.D., Commissioner

Patricia A. Rehmer MSN, Deputy Commissioner

Peter Rockholz MSSW, 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) - 4,070

Recurring operating expenses - $604,363,825

Organizational structure - The organizational structure of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) includes the Offices of the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, Medical Director, Administration and Finance, Community Services and Hospital, Health Care Systems, Community Education and Recovery Affairs, Forensic Services, Human Resources Management, Information Systems, Legislation and Policy, Multicultural Affairs, Prevention, Program Analysis and Support, Quality Assurance and Improvement, and the Division of Safety Services. 

 

 

[1]Merging the former Department of Mental Health (established 1953) with the Addiction Services component of the Department of Public Health and Addiction Services.

 

 

Mission

The mission of 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. 

 

Statutory Responsibility

    DMHAS promotes and administers comprehensive, recovery-oriented services in the areas of mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment throughout Connecticut. While the Department's prevention services serve all Connecticut citizens, its mandate is to serve adults (over 18 years of age) with psychiatric or substance use disorders, or both, who lack the financial means to obtain such services on their own.  DMHAS also provides collaborative programs for individuals with special needs, such as persons with HIV/AIDS, people in the criminal justice system, those with problem gambling disorders, pregnant women with substance use disorders, persons with traumatic brain injury or hearing impairment, those with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders, and young adult populations transitioning out of the Department of Children and Families.

 

Public Service

    DMHAS continually works to enhance the effectiveness of our services. The DMHAS Division of Community Services and Hospitals is charged with integrating mental health and addiction services, enhancing service access and continuity of care, and ensuring quality service delivery and compliance with applicable state and federal regulations. Through its five regional teams CSH focuses on quality improvement, through on-site monitoring visits to contracted treatment agencies, desk audits of compliance with utilization and outcome/performance measures, and consumer/client focus groups. 

     Quality and performance is also measured through the Department’s Quality Assurance and Improvement Unit.  The unit is charged with establishing performance measures, collecting and reviewing performance data, and ensuring annual consumer satisfaction surveys are completed.

 

Improvements/Achievements 2005-06

     In addition to the Department’s overarching goal of building a Value-Driven, Recovery-Oriented System of Care, DMHAS measures its accomplishments in four areas.  Each is listed below, with a few examples of the many initiatives DMHAS is pursuing in those areas.

 

1.        Quality of Care Management - Establish a statewide quality of care management system to achieve defined service outcomes and continued improvement of the integrated DMHAS healthcare system.

 

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.  DMHAS, in collaboration with 13 state agencies and the judicial branch, is working with a broad stakeholder community to ensure a recovery-oriented system of mental health care that will offer all of the State’s citizens, across the lifespan, an array of accessible services and recovery supports. A collaboration with thirty college and university presidents from campuses around the state resulted in an unprecedented agreement supporting the Statewide Healthy Campus Initiative designed to reduce high-risk alcohol use on Connecticut college campuses. Additional collaborations are far too extensive to be described here, but can be found on the DMHAS website at www.dmhas.state.ct.us.

 

Performance Measurement - DMHAS solicited stakeholder feedback on existing Performance Measures. In preparation for the SFY 2008 contract renewal cycle, DMHAS has initiated the process of preparing a set of Core Measures that would apply to all programs and would also meet the federal requirements. In addition, every provider will receive a performance measures report card on a monthly basis to assist them in using data to make decisions, manage, and improve services within our network of care.

 

Women’s Treatment Practice Improvement Collaborative - DMHAS implemented the Women’s Treatment Practice Improvement Collaborative to develop evidence-based standards of care for all the women’s specialty programs and integrate these standards into all programs treating women within the DMHAS system of care.

 

2.        Culturally Competent and Improved Service System - Provide culturally competent and integrated services to persons whose needs are particularly challenging or not being well met in the current system.

 

Mental Health Transformation - Connecticut was one of seven states competitively selected to receive $13.6 million from the federal Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) to improve the quality and effectiveness of the state’s mental health system. Governor M. Jodi Rell charged 14 key state agencies and the Judicial Branch to support this transformation effort.

 

Access to Recovery - Connecticut was one of 15 states and one tribal organization competitively selected to receive approximately $22 million from the federal Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) in 2004.  In 2006, this grant has provided to over 11,500 unduplicated individuals with substance use disorders an array of clinical and/or recovery support services, such as housing, case management, and vocational. 

 

Hartford ED Pilot Program - DMHAS, Saint Francis Hospital, and Hartford Hospital formed a collaborative to divert individuals with substance use disorders who are on State Administered General Assistance (SAGA) and presenting at the emergency department.

 

Housing - The State of Connecticut and DMHAS were awarded grants totaling $20.7 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to combat homelessness. Additionally, in continuation of the Supportive Housing Pilots Initiative, DMHAS has made awards to nineteen (19) not-for-profit providers totaling an annualized amount of $1,425,000. 

 

Co-Occurring Initiative - DMHAS has continued its focus on increasing competencies in the area of co-occurring disorders. Through a five-year $3.9 million grant from CMHS, DMHAS has initiated the following infrastructure enhancements to better serve individuals with co-occurring disorders: 1) Statewide standardized screening and assessment; 2) Service coordination and network building through the implementation of evidence-based integrated treatment models; 3) Information sharing through the use of high quality data in a quality improvement framework; and 4) Workforce development activities, including enhancing curricula and providing online learning opportunities.

 

Employment Services - DMHAS Local Mental Health Authorities (LMHAs) have assessed their current employment practices and, based on their findings, have developed plans for implementing recovery-oriented practices.

 

Cultural Competence - The Office of Multicultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Research Division, developed and distributed a cultural competence survey and a language survey to all DMHAS-operated and funded providers.

 

Crisis Intervention Teams - DMHAS continued implementation of this initiative in Hartford, New London/Norwich/Groton, New Haven, and Waterbury. Goals of this initiative include reduction of arrest rates for people with psychiatric disabilities who become involved in the criminal justice system. The program has trained over 185 police officers and police staff as well as 37 mental health professionals.

 

Strategic Prevention Framework – DMHAS has completed a comprehensive analysis of State-level alcohol, tobacco, and other drug consequence and consumption data in order to assess State-level needs, which resulted in the decision to focus these federal resources on preventing alcohol abuse, with an emphasis on underage drinking.

 

Suicide Prevention Initiative - DMHAS received a $1.2 million award from the federal CMHS to develop and implement suicide prevention and early intervention programs.

 

Tobacco Prevention & Merchant Education - Connecticut’s 2005 Synar Non-compliance Rate of 10.7 percent represents the lowest rate in Connecticut’s ten-year history of performing inspections of tobacco merchants. 

 

Methamphetamine Prevention Task Force - DMHAS has taken proactive steps to raise awareness and develop prevention strategies, including the establishment of a Statewide Methamphetamine Prevention Task Force to implement a coordinated and collaborative strategy to prevent methamphetamine use and production in Connecticut. 

 

3.        Organizational and Management Effectiveness. Improve the organizational and management effectiveness of DMHAS.

 

Information Systems – In an effort to further enhance our data collection and analysis, DMHAS has initiated a process to secure a new client information system. The new system will strengthen and improve record keeping and data analysis for clinical services and performance monitoring.

 

Data Sharing – DMHAS initiated a cross-agency study, linking three state agencies' data sets, to analyze the effects of substance abuse treatment on criminal justice clients released from the Department of Correction (DOC). 

 

4.        Resource Base–Create a resource base to support DMHAS’ service and management goals.

 

DMHAS Grants Development – In SFY 2006, DMHAS was awarded over $20 million in new federal funding to support the implementation of innovative enhancements to Connecticut’s behavioral health system. Additionally, in partnership with other state agencies, DMHAS has over $14 million in new pending proposals under federal review.

 

Medicaid Rehabilitation Option – The Medicaid Rehab Option was implemented in January 2005 for group home care. This has resulted in improved quality of care and has increased the number of successful group home discharges to lower levels of care. Planning continues to support the second phase of the Rehab Option, which will target Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Community Support Services. DMHAS is working with providers to clarify training and education needs, rate-setting, and service definition.

 

Information Reported as Required by State Statute

Affirmative Action Annual Plan - DMHAS has placed particular emphasis on the development of comprehensive Affirmative Actions plans, which provide a goal-oriented framework to positively influence the Department’s employment practices.