FY 2011- Community Mental Health Services Block Grant Application

The Division of Mental Health is pleased to post the FY 2011 Community Mental Health Services Block Grant Application that has been submitted to the SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services. The application was developed in collaboration with the Illinois Mental Health Planning Advisory Council. The DMH welcomes public comment on the application. Click on the PDF link to access the complete application.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Illinois Department of Human Services-Division of Mental Health (DMH) is responsible for managing and purchasing a comprehensive array of services that provide effective treatments to people most in need of publicly funded mental health care. The policies and practices of the DMH focus on fostering coordination and integration of services provided by DMH funded community agencies, private hospitals, and state hospitals across Illinois. A variety of collaborative initiatives serve to increase coordination with other state agencies whose services are accessed by individuals receiving mental health services. The FY2011 Mental Health Block Grant Plan reflects these coordination efforts as well as an emphasis on developing and directing care which is consumer and family driven. DMH is actively transforming the mental health service delivery system in Illinois to one that is recovery-oriented. These efforts include increasing consumer and family involvement in planning and implementation activities and expanding the focus on planning and implementation of evidenced-based practices. A wide array of stakeholders representing consumers, family members of individuals with mental illnesses, advocates and public service agencies purchasing or providing treatment to individuals with mental illnesses participate in these efforts. The anticipated outcome is the continued enhancement of activities that support the recovery-orientation of the mental health system and address the needs of consumers and their families.

Serious fiscal challenges are confronting the mental health service system in FY 2011. The DMH Fiscal Year 2011 community mental health services budget was originally cut by approximately $90 million dollars. However, the community residential services line of $54 million was restored after the start of the fiscal year, resulting in a $36 million reduction of the mental health services budget with a 3% reserve requirement. Prior to this fiscal year, DMH was able to maintain the array of services that it purchases with minimal changes. However, because of budget reductions, DMH has developed a two-tiered service system in which Medicaid enrollment impacts the array of services available to individuals seeking services. In spite of the serious erosion in the array of services available to persons who are not enrolled in Medicaid, DMH has made a firm commitment to provide crisis services to all individuals with mental illnesses accessing the public mental health system. The overall impact of this year's budget reductions is described at various points in the plan narrative. The Division continues to work diligently to increase revenue from Medicaid and to seek grant funding to support programmatic efforts. In FY 2011, the emphasis will be on maintaining essential services to individuals with serious mental illnesses.

During FY 2011, the efforts of the DMH remain focused on: (1) sustaining the significant accomplishments of recent years as much as possible, (2) continuing the maintenance and development of the public mental health service system through joint planning, coordination and implementation efforts, (3) emphasizing consumer education, recovery-orientation and enhanced consumer and family involvement in planning and evaluation activities, (4) planning efforts to continue transformation of the Illinois Mental Health service delivery system, and (5) continuing development and initiation of strategies to expand access to evidence-based practices. The format of this FY2011 plan reflects these themes, and is synchronized with the overall planning process of the DMH.

Plan Organization

As the Illinois Mental Health Authority, the DMH is responsible for public mental health services for both children and adults. The presentation of the FY 2011plan reflects this service integration and is organized in compliance with the SAMHSA CMHS format which calls for two separate plans---one for adults and one for children. This organization is reflected in the Narrative, as well as in the performance indicators that relate to the plan. To reduce redundancy where there are sections of narrative applicable to both adults and children these are in the Adult Plan and referenced in the Child plan. When different sections of the same plan cover the same subject, references are made to the section that has the more complete presentation of the material.

The following are highlights of this year's application and plan:

  • Continuation of the permanent supportive housing initiative which has been designed to accommodate at least 600 consumers by the end of FY2011;
  • A procurement process for an Administrative Services Organization (ASO) led to the selection, in Fall 2007, of a national behavioral health company to assist DHS/DMH in implementing a number of contractual objectives. The ASO, called the Illinois Mental Health Collaborative for Access and Choice (MHCAC), has been operational over the past three years and provides assistance encompassing a broad spectrum of administrative activity;
  • DMH, working with the Mental Health Collaborative for Access and Choice (MHCAC), has redesigned the management information system (MIS) to include a data warehouse that houses eligibility, registration, billing/services information, a provider database, and service authorization in one place and updating key clinical and demographic fields used to track consumer outcomes over time;
  • Access to the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) credential is available through the Illinois Certification Board (ICB). Individuals are certified as having met specific predetermined criteria for essential competencies and skills and are recognized for their ability to provide quality services;
  • DMH funded child serving agencies are required to participate in the web-based Clinical Outcomes Analysis System from which reports showing data trends in service outcomes can be generated for feedback to clients and families, providers, and to DMH,C&A Services;
  • An education and training initiative for mental health providers in support of mental health trauma work with children and families who have experienced trauma as a result of physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse or domestic violence that has an effect on their behavior, performance and adjustment;
  • Use of block grant dollars to promote consumer-to-consumer outreach and mentoring;
  • The continuing investment of block grant dollars to increase and improve psychiatric leadership and services;
  • Mental health services for children and adolescents have been enhanced by a variety of pilot projects such as transitioning youth, tele-psychiatry in rural areas, early intervention, early childhood services, and consultation on early childhood development and clinical intervention;
  • Continuing to develop strategies to increase access to evidence-based practices;
  • Establishing linkages with jails, juvenile detention facilities, and the Courts to serve adjudicated consumers;
  • Providing training and consultation to community-based staff serving children and adolescents in Evidence-Informed Practices;
  • Working collaboratively in consultation with schools to expand early intervention and prevention in mental health; and
  • Initiatives for elderly persons in rural areas that are aimed at providing consultation and promoting the integration of mental health services in meeting the needs of older adults.

Mental Health System Performance Indicators

The FY 2011 plan contains Illinois-specific performance indicators, as well as indicators relating to the SAMHSA CMHS National Outcome Measures (NOMS). The system performance indicators are described in a separate section of each plan and referenced in the plan narrative. The Illinois specific indicators are used to monitor the impact of the mental health services that are purchased on behalf of mental health consumers. These indicators include information that is collected and reported as part of the CMHS Uniform Reporting System. The ability to track values of indicators across time has assisted in identifying issues that need to be addressed within the public mental health service system and have served as a basis for planning. Additional indicators are added as required to meet the priorities of mental health system development. 


PERSON TO CONTACT WITH QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APPLICATION

NAME: Mary E. Smith, Ph.D TITLE: Associate Director, Decision Support, Research, and Evaluation

AGENCY: Illinois Department of Human Services

ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT:  Division of Mental Health

STREET ADDRESS:  160 North LaSalle Street, 10th Floor

CITY: Chicago STATE: Illinois  ZIP: 60601

TELEPHONE: 312-814-4948  FAX: (312) 814-2964

EMAIL: MaryE.Smith@illinois.gov