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Article Posted: 07/14/2005 8:17:00 AM
Nebraska HHS: Behavioral Health Reform Moves Forward
Lincoln - Real progress is taking place since behavioral health reform was created by LB 1083 in the 2004 Legislative Session.
"There are more services for more people in more communities than ever before," said Dr. Richard Raymond, Chief Medical Officer for the Health and Human Services System (HHSS). "Recent negative news stories do a disservice to all of the community programs that are stepping up to the plate to serve people with mental illnesses."
Behavioral Health Reform focuses only on adults committed by Mental Health Commitment Boards who had historically gone to state-operated Regional Centers located in Hastings, Norfolk and Lincoln.
Raymond said that Nebraska has seen increases in the number of people served per month by new and expanded behavioral health services. For example, in the 10 months between June, 2004 and April, 2005:
Dual Residential -- 29% increase
Assertive Community Treatment -- 29% increase
Community Support -- 5% increase
Community Support - Substance Abuse -- 8% increase
Short Term Residential -- 6% increase
Day Rehabilitation -- 5% increase
Psychiatric Residential Rehabilitation -- 9% increase
Community Services -- 6% increase
These and other services have helped to decrease the number of mental health board commitments statewide from 871 in Fiscal Year 2002 to 506 through the month of May in FY 2005, and the number of EPC admissions from 2,930 in FY 2002 to 2,430 through the month of May in FY 2005.
"This is proof that reform was needed and is working," Raymond said.
Even before reform efforts started, people needing emergency protective custody in rural Nebraska were sent to Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings, Faith Regional Center in Norfolk, Richard Young in Kearney, Region West Medical Center in Scottsbluff, and Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, not to a state Regional Center as stated in a recent radio and print news stories. In the southeast area that includes Lincoln, people needing emergency protective custody are served at the crisis center operated by BryanLGH West. In the Omaha area, people needing EPC care are served at Immanuel Hospital and the Spring Center.
"I'm concerned with the way that some are portraying our efforts," said Raymond. "Local hospitals have always partnered with the state to serve people in mental health crises. It's surprising to read that some of those hospitals are now referring to their emergency rooms as 'holding pens.'"
Region West Medical Center in Scottsbluff began developing local resources for people needing emergency, acute and subacute/secure care in western Nebraska (Behavioral Health Region 1) before LB 1083 passed. Through their Homeward Bound program, they have had remarkable success, with over 95 percent of patients cared for in the community, instead of at a Regional Center according to Raymond.
Raymond said HHSS recently signed an agreement with Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk to add seven beds to their existing 13 beds to expand capacity for people needing acute, subacute/secure and emergency care from northeast Nebraska starting in September 2005. Within the last year, HHSS also has signed agreements with Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital and Richard Young in Kearney to provide acute and secure services for mental health commitments in central Nebraska (Region 3).
All of the new and expanded services described above allow people to be treated closer to home at a community hospital, he said. Having these community resources also directly addresses the concerns from law enforcement expressed last year.
"Any time you make real changes to a large system of services, some will think you're moving too quickly, and some that you're not moving fast enough," Raymond said. "We're balancing the needs of people with mental illness to be treated appropriately in the least restrictive setting with the opportunities to create and enhance services in communities all across Nebraska."
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