Template for Submitting the Community Plan

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TEMPLATE FOR SUBMITTING THE COMMUNITY PLAN

MEDINACOUNTY ADAMH BOARD

COMMUNITY PLAN FOR SFY 2012-2013

August 31, 2011

MISSION STATEMENT

The Medina County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Board’s mission is to assure the availability of high quality alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services to all MedinaCounty residents through planning (assessing needs and resources, and determining priorities); purchasing cost effective services to the extent resources are available; coordinating services; and evaluating these services.

VISION STATEMENT

N/A

VALUE STATEMENTS

N/A

Signature Page

Community Plan for the Provision of Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services

SFY 2012-2013

Each Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ADAS) Board and Community Mental Health Services (CMHS) Board is required by Ohio law to prepare and submit to the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) and the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) a plan for the provision of alcohol drug addiction and mental health services in its area. The plan, which constitutes the Board’s application for funds, is prepared in accordance with procedures and guidelines established by ODADAS and ODMH. The Community Plan is for State Fiscal Years (SFY) 2012 – 2013 (July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2013).

The undersigned is a duly authorized representative of the ADAMHS/ADAS/CMHS Board. The ADAMHS/ADAS Board hereby acknowledges that the information contained in this application for funding, the Community Plan for SFY 2012 - 2013, has been reviewed for comment and recommendations by the Board’s Standing Committee on Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, and is complete and accurate.

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MEDINACOUNTY ADAMH BOARD

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Michael T. Jenks, Executive Director Date

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Christopher B. Kalina, Board Chair Date

[Signatures must be original or if not signed by designated individual, then documentation of authority to do so must be included (Board minutes, letter of authority, etc.)].

SECTION I: LEGISLATIVE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT

Legislative Context of the Community Plan

Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Boards, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ADAS) Boards and Community Mental Health Services (CMH) Boards are required by Ohio law to prepare and submit to the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) and/or the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) a plan for the provision of alcohol,drug addiction and mental health services in its service area. Three ADAS Boards submit plans to ODADAS, three CMH Boards submit plans to ODMH, and 47 ADAMHS Boards submit their community plan to both Departments. The plan, which constitutes the Board’s application for funds, is prepared in accordance with procedures and guidelines established by ODADAS and ODMH. This plan covers state fiscal years (SFY) 2012 – 2013 (July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2013).

The requirements for the community plan are broadly described in state statute. In addition, federal requirements that are attached to state block grant dollars regarding allocations and priority populations also influence community planning.

Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 340.03 and 340.033 – Board Responsibilities

Section 340.03(A) of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) stipulates the Board’s responsibilities as the planning agency for mental health services. Among the responsibilities of the Board described in the legislation are as follows:

1)Identify community mental health needs;

2)Identify services the Board intends to make available including crisis intervention services;

3)Promote, arrange, and implement working agreements with social agencies, both public and private, and with judicial agencies;

4)Review and evaluate the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of services; and

5)Recruit and promote local financial support for mental health programs from private and public sources.

Section 340.033(A) of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) stipulates the Board’s responsibilities as the planning agency for alcohol and other drug addiction services. Among the responsibilities of the Board described in the legislation are as follows:

1) Assess service needs and evaluate the need for programs;

2) Set priorities;

3) Develop operational plans in cooperation with other local and regional planning and development bodies;

4) Review and evaluate substance abuse programs;

5) Promote, arrange and implement working agreements with public and private social agencies and with judicial agencies; and

6) Assure effective services that are of high quality.

ORC Section 340.033(H)

Section 340.033(H) of the ORC requires ADAMHS and ADAS Boards to consult with county commissioners in setting priorities and developing plans for services for Public Children Services Agency (PCSA) service recipients referred for alcohol and other drug treatment. The plan must identify monies the Board and CountyCommissioners have available to fund the services jointly. The legislation prioritizes services,as outlined in Section 340.15 of the ORC, to parents, guardians and care givers of children involved in the child welfare system.

OAC Section 5122-29-10(B)

A section of Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) addresses the requirements of crisis intervention mental health services. According to OAC Section 5122-29-10(B), crisis intervention mental health service shall consist of the following required elements:

(1) Immediate phone contact capability with individuals, parents, and significant others and timely face-to-face intervention shall be accessible twenty-four hours a day/seven days a week with availability of mobile services and/or a central location site with transportation options. Consultation with a psychiatrist shall also be available twenty-four hours a day/seven days a week. The aforementioned elements shall be provided either directly by the agency or through a written affiliation agreement with an agency certified by ODMH for the crisis intervention mental health service;

(2) Provision for de-escalation, stabilization and/or resolution of the crisis;

(3) Prior training of personnel providing crisis intervention mental health services that shall include but not be limited to: risk assessments, de-escalation techniques/suicide prevention, mental status evaluation, available community resources, and procedures for voluntary/involuntary hospitalization. Providers of crisis intervention mental health services shall also have current training and/or certification in first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) unless other similarly trained individuals are always present; and

(4) Policies and procedures that address coordination with and use of other community and emergency systems.

HIV Early Intervention Services

Eleven Board areas receive State General Revenue Funds (GRF) for the provision of HIV Early Intervention Services. Boards that receive these funds are required to develop HIV Early Intervention goals and objectivesand include: Butler ADAS, Eastern Miami Valley ADAMHS, Cuyahoga ADAS, Franklin ADAMHS, Hamilton ADAMHS, Lorain ADAS, Lucas ADAMHS, Mahoning ADAS, Montgomery ADAMHS, Summit ADAMHS and Stark ADAMHS Boards.

Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant

The federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant requires prioritization of services to several groups of recipients. These include: pregnant women, women, injecting drug users, clients and staff at risk of tuberculosis, and early intervention for individuals with or at risk for HIV disease. The Block Grant requires a minimum of twenty (20) percent of federal funds be used for prevention services to reduce the risk of alcohol and other drug abuse for individuals who do not require treatment for substance abuse.

Federal Mental Health Block Grant

The federal Mental Health Block Grant (MHBG) is awarded to states to establish or expand an organized community-based system for providing mental health services for adults with serious mental illness (SMI) and children with serious emotional disturbance (SED). The MHBG is also a vehicle for transforming the mental health system to support recovery and resiliency of persons with SMI and SED. Funds may also be used to conduct planning, evaluation, administration and educational activities related to the provision of services included in Ohio's MHBG Plan.

Environmental Context of the Community Plan

Economic Conditions and the Delivery of Behavioral Health Care Services

Question 1: Discuss how economic conditions, including employment and poverty levels, are expected to affect local service delivery. Include in this discussion the impact of recent budget cuts and reduced local resources on service delivery. This discussion may include cost-saving measures and operational efficiencies implemented to reduce program costs or other budgetary planning efforts of the Board.

Given the incredibly volatile environment, both economically and politically, it is difficult to know what to expect as far as the future of the behavioral health system in Ohio. It does seem clear that at a minimum, we will be experiencing even greater reductions in funding from all fronts, due to extreme budget cutting occurring at the federal, state and local levels. We are quite relieved that ODMH focused on stability in funding for FY2012, and implemented a funding formula that sought to keep boards as close to “whole” as possible. Even with this emphasis on stability, the board still lost a significant amount of mental health funding. On the AOD side, we were fortunate that funding remained relatively flat, at least at this point in time.

Clearly, the wild swings in revenue cuts we have experienced over the past several years have made planning extremely difficult. The only thing we do know is that we will most likely be losing more money in future years and our system is again going to have to continue to contract.Our overarching goal is to do so in a planful way that minimizes to the extent possible the impact on our most vulnerable consumers, the community and our agencies, while preserving core services to our most at risk/priority populations.

State of the Board System Due to Economic Circumstances – Since early 2008, the ADAMH Boardhas been planning and preparing for, and then implementing, substantial budget cuts from the state. The severe downturn in the economy coupled with a variety of state decisions resulted in the Board receiving approximately $400,000 in funding cuts in FY2009 and approximately $1.3 million in additional cuts in FY2010, including increases in bed day costs. All told, the ADAMH Board had to reduce our overall budget by more than one million dollars in FY2010. This level of funding cuts was simply unprecedented and occurred at a time when the needs of the people we serve were actually increasing.

As the Board anticipated these catastrophic cuts, it determined that there was an urgent need to move quickly and proactively to try to position our system to weather as best as possible these funding cuts in a way that was consistent with Board priorities and that minimized the impact to consumers and the community. The Board was well prepared and equipped to deal with these challenges as it has been planning for and anticipating such action since early 2008. The Board’s Executive Director was and continues to be actively involved at the state level with a host of budget and policy issues that have allowed us to impact critical funding decisions by the state. Additionally, our agencies continue to be well run and financially healthy, and we have excellent working relationships with our agencies that have allowed us to “all row in the same direction.”

Despite our ability to successfully address the fiscal challenges of the past few years, we are now preparing for the serious challenges the Board is expecting as it begins to plan for FY2013. We see a number of major issues looming on the near horizon: health care reform;additional catastrophic cuts from the state/feds; possible changes in the ODMH and/or ODADAS funding formulas; and the complete implementation of Medicaid elevation to the state.

Historical Context – In FY2008 the Board anticipated major funding cuts from the state as the economy was spiraling down into a deep recession. As a result, the Board absorbed preliminary funding cuts that came through in FY2009 and used that year to plan a major system redesign, creating a smaller but more efficient and effective service system. This transition time allowed the agencies the ability to plan and prepare for funding cuts from the ADAMH Board, which was critical in helping to minimize the impact on consumers and agency staff.

At the contract provider levelthe Board reduced five contract agencies to three.The Board’s AOD/MH provider, Solutions Behavioral Healthcare, took on the intensive services for SED youth previously provided by the board’s large CSN, Medina County Child & Family Intervention Team (CFIT); and Alternative Paths, Inc., our agency that serves adults with severe mental illness, took on services in the Board’s supportive housing project previously provided by Coleman Professional Services. CFIT, a state operated service, ceased to exist as a stand alone “agency,” as of July 1, 2009 and the board terminated its contracts with CFIT/ODMH, and with Coleman Professional Services. Additionally, our agencies closed their satellite operations in Brunswick and Wadsworth cities and consolidated their operations in MedinaCity, which is in central MedinaCounty. By taking these actionsthe Board and our agencies:

1. Reduced administrative overhead within our system;
2. Improved clinical coordination of care;
3. Improved clarity for consumers;
4. Strengthened, both financially and programmatically the agencies that took on the consolidation.

The second part of the two pronged approach was realigning most of the board’s miscellaneous contracts.These contracts were held between the ADAMH board and the various smaller providers. There were historical reasons for some of this, but most of the reasons were no longer applicable, and especially so in an economically challenged environment. Moving contracts like NAMI, Laurelwood, Early Childhood, etc., under the three remaining Primary Contract Agencies:

1. Increased the clarity and relatedness of the programs to the contract agencies;
2. Helped the agencies shoulder overhead;
3. Improved cash management for the agencies as we can move these monies to the agencies in their quarterly allocations;
4. Provided for a more direct assessment of benefit as the contract agency is in a closer proximity to evaluate.

This consolidation of the Medina County ADAMH Board service system consumed most of the Board’s and agencies’ time throughout FY2010. We had anticipated that the integration of CFIT services into Solutions would take Solutions approximately two years to normalize and stabilize its overall operations, which has proven to be the case. One of the main goals of the transition was to minimize the disruption to clients and the community as much as reasonably possible, and given what has transpired, Solutions has done that quite successfully. It was a huge, complex undertaking for the agency and for the Board, but one that has successfully positioned our system to better weather the financial storm that is wreaking havoc in our environment.

Being proactive in this way put the Board and our agencies in a relatively stable place; although we ended up with $1.3 million in funding cuts over two years and were able to minimize the impact on the community and our consumers as much as possible. Additionally, the system reorganization actually helped to strengthen Solutions and Alternative Paths, which are both financially and programmatically strong and healthy. The steps taken in FY2009-FY2010 allowed the Board to sustain current levels of service in FY2011, and provided the Board and agencies with the ability to again, proactively plan for the major challenges in FY2012 and FY2013, as described below.

Impact AssessmentDecember 2010/January 2011 - the Board’s Executive Director and staff met with each of our three main agency directors numerous times to discuss the impact of possible funding cuts ranging from 10% - 30%+ in FY2012. We conveyed the Board’s intention to adhere to its priorities in this process, and to ask them to begin assembling a response based on such priorities and the range of possible cuts to their FY2012 allocations. We engaged in extremely sensitive but open and frank dialogues with agency directors and their staff. These dialogues and the materials they provided allowed us to formulate a Preliminary Impact Assessment analysis. In summary, our analysis illuminated the fact that our two primary agencies, Alternative Paths and Solutions Behavioral Healthcare, have essentially “pulled all the rabbits out of their hats;” the significant cuts they have taken over the past two years required them to engage in intensive reviews of their entire organizations resulting in reorganization, restructuring, and significant reductions in administrative costs. Both agencies are operating at a very high level of efficiency and are as lean as they can possibly be without compromising the quality of the services they provide. In fact, based on the major reorganization of our system over the past several years,Solutions, as it is configured today, is the integration of what was three agencies just a few years ago. Given this reality, the enactment of any additional funding cuts is now going to directly impact the core services that each of these two agencies provide and thus the priority populations they serve.