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Bailey appointed to joint
mental health task force
Rep. Barbara Bailey
has
been appointed to serve as one of eight members on the state’s Joint
Legislative and Executive Task Force on Mental Health Services Delivery
and Financing.
The task force was created
by a provision in the state’s supplemental budget approved in March by
the Legislature.
Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, said
the task force will review the delivery of mental health services and
the means of financing those services, and determine ways to provide
those services more efficiently and effectively.
“Our public mental health
system faces many challenges. There’s been great concern expressed about
how services are delivered and funded, especially involving Medicaid
issues,” said Bailey. “Any time you have limited funds to accomplish a
large task, it’s a good idea to review how you are spending that money
to be sure you are getting the outcomes you want. Among other things,
the task force will be looking at how we are readjusting our system to
be more outcome-focused, as well as how to optimally finance the
services we are charged with delivering.”
Bailey said she wants to
make sure people are getting the most for the tax dollars spent on
mental health services.
“We will soon face a budget hole due to federal policy changes if we
intend to maintain service and funding levels. The state has been using
Medicaid savings to cover additional low-income people but will no
longer be able to do that,” noted Bailey. “I want to know two specific
things through this task force: What are we spending and what kind of
results are we getting in our mental health system? To that end, we will
be doing an assessment of our entire mental health system as it relates
to the methods by which services are delivered and financed.”
The task force is charged
with delivering its initial findings and recommendations to the governor
and to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by Jan. 1, 2005,
with final findings and recommendations due June 30, 2005.
The first meeting of the
task force is scheduled for Tuesday, June 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in
Olympia. A public comment period has been reserved for 2 p.m. The task
force will meet in House Hearing Room A of the John L. O’Brien Building
on the state Capitol campus.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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