THOUSANDS OF THE MOST SEVERELY AND  PERSISTENTLY MENTALLY ILL AND/OR ADDICTED PERSONS IN NORTH TEXAS FACE CUTBACKS IN TREATMENT (beginning November 1).

Below see three responses from leaders in our public mental health system which were sent to the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority Board  (NTBHA) and which express serious concern about the care and treatment of the mentally ill and addicted in North Texas.  

 1.      ”I reviewed VO’s summary of potential medical expense reductions and the reactions from a couple of other providers.  Its hard for me to judge the merits of any of those until I truly understand the magnitude and source of the financial issues.  I do have grave concerns about the value or wisdom of VO’s recommendations that further reduce our ability to meet the communities’ needs in the outpatient programs.  It only seems to reinforce the downward spiral that increases the number of emergencies, crises and bad outcomes for clients.  In order, however, for us to determine which adjustments are the most productive and least destructive, we must start with a common understanding of the actual financial changes from last year.”    ~ J. Randy Routon, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Life Path Systems 

2.       “NorthSTAR is spending less and less real dollars on out patient community based services as each of the last five or more years have gone by. Five years ago we spent more than four years ago, four years more than three years ago, three years ago more than two years ago. Am I not reading this data correctly? We have a  runaway increase in crisis expenditures. It is time to redesign crisis services with the goal to spend less and less dollars while maintaining current out patient expenditures.”  ~ James W. Williams, Director Mental Health, Lakes Regional MHMR Center

3.         “Respectfully, here’s what NTBHA should do instead of approving the cuts, caps and closings:

Ask  VO to propose a crisis services redesign that spends less money on people in clinics, offices and ER’s and more money on clinicians out in the streets with our police

Ask VO to propose a  homeless/justice redesign that incentivizes VO and its provider network to get people off the streets and keep them out of jail

Ask VO to propose an outpatient services redesign that spends more money on the types of services for children, families and adults that address community priorities identified by BHLT

Help VO tie every redesign idea to a NTBHA or BHLT goal and outcome measure

Assure that the redesigns also significantly cut VO’s costs and so help meet its fiscal goals

Help  VO shift its risk-reward curve toward more risk, thereby offering it a greater chance of the reward of achieving its profit goal, through more utilization review and less fixed rates and “cap” agreements.”

 ~ James G. Baker, MD,MBA  Chief Executive Officer  Metrocare Services

Here are the proposed cuts in an already deficiently funded system which are being proposed by value options (VO), the insurance company that runs our public treatment system:

*Proposed cuts, caps and closings for implementation on November 1st and contingent cuts proposed for March 1st are listed below.  Our models show that the November changes represent a 20% cut in outpatient service dollars available, leaving too few doctors and other clinicians for viable treatment programs.  Access and quality will go down.  Crises will go up — and so will homelessness, ER visits, and jail stays.  The proposed March cuts would reduce outpatient service dollars by another 6%.

Cut doctor, hospital and case worker rates by 5% “across-the-board”
Cap the dollars available for emergency room services (23-hour program)
Cap the cost of hospital care
Close Metrocare after-hour clinic
Close Centro de Mi Salud after-hours
Cut out the supported employment that helps patients find jobs
Cut UTSW funding for psychiatrists in training in public sector settings
Cut funding to Transicare for case management and patient transportation
Close The Club (“Dallas drop-in center”)
Close transitional housing (“rental subsidies”) for patients just released from the hospital
Cut low-intensity outpatient services (SP1) case rate to $70 per month
Cap low-intensity outpatient service duration (SP1) at 90 days per patient
Cut physician-only services reimbursement to $40 per month
Cap the number of patients who can get higher-intensity services (SP2 and SP3), in March
Cut Transicare even more, in March
Cut peer services, in March

North Texas Psychiatrists & Psychiatrists in Training – Contact your state legislators (www.capitol.state.tx.us) and/or the NTBHA Board expressing the need to prevent these cuts and to put treatment back in the hands of doctors with other mental health professionals.

 NTBHA can be reached at:   North Texas Behavioral Health Authority, 1201 Richardson Drive, Suite 270, Richardson , TX  75080.   Attention: Alex Smith – Executive Director and Judge Michael Chitty- President NTBHA Board    Tel. 214-366-9407   fax 214-366-9417  or email: bruckdeschel@ntbha.org.

Thank you,
Edgar P. Nace MD     epnace@gmail.com
NTSPP Immediate Past President, Media Chair, & Co-Chair of the Public Psychiatry Committee 

The North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) is holding a Public Open Meeting  to discuss and receive stakeholder input on the “transfer of authority”  from the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in Austin to the NTBHA Board of Directors in Richardson.  The meeting will be held on May 12, 2010 from 10:00am-11:00am at NTBHA, 1201 Richardson Dr., Suite 210, Richardson, Texas 75080.  Thanks.

For more information contact:  Alice Watson, Executive Assistant, North Texas Behavioral Health Authority, 1201 Richardson Drive, Suite 270, Richardson, TX  75080.  214-366-9407 ext. 112.  214-366-9417 Fax.  awatson@ntbha.org

From NAMI Collin County:

There will be a Town Hall Meeting for the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) to gather information and input on the Public Sector Behavioral Health program (NorthSTAR) on Tuesday, March 9, from 6 to 8 PM at Custer Road Methodist Church.  The church is located on the west side of Custer Road north of Spring Creek and south of Legacy. 

We hope to see you all there!

Sharon DeBlanc
President NAMI of Collin County

www.ntbha.org for details and directions

NTBHA is near the corner of Arapaho and Central Expressway in Richardson Texas

NTBHA Seeks Executive Director:  The North Texas Behavioral Health Authority (NTBHA) is accepting applications for the position of Executive Director (ED).   NTHBA is the local authority for public mental health and substance abuse treatment services in the seven county NorthSTAR service delivery area, and operates within a managed care model unique within the State of Texas. Applicants must have a graduate degree or equivalent work experience, and be able to demonstrate positive work experience that includes: managing an office staff; developing and monitoring budgets; working with a public board, consumer groups, and elected officials; producing complex work within deadlines; and advocacy/public speaking/presentation skills. Salary commensurate with education and experience, within the range of $80-100K. Initial review of applications will begin October 20, 2008, but applications will be accepted until the position is filled. A resume and cover letter that lists salary requirements can be submitted electronically to Alice Watson, NTBHA executive assistant, at awatson@ntbha.org. No telephone inquires please.

The North Texas Behavioral Health Authority is composed of 11 County Commissioner  Court Appointed Members from the 7 NorthSTAR Counties ~  Collin (2), Dallas (4), Ellis (1), Hunt (1), Kaufman (1),  Navarro (1) and Rockwall (1).  These 7 NorthSTAR counties are all included in the 12 NTSPP counties, which in addition includes Cooke, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, and Montague.

NTBHA Board Meeting Agenda Below: Public speaking time allowed:  2 minutes at beginning of meeting per registered person,  with sign-up on sheet by 11:55 am.

Directions:  From North Central Expressway (I75) exit at Arapaho, go West under Central and take immediate right onto Richardson Road.  Enter first parking lot on left.  Conference room is on second floor just up stairs to the right. 

Bathrooms on first and second floors:  Have code, available in conference room.

Elevator available.

September 10 Agenda: 

A G E N D A

The NTBHA Board will meet in a regularly scheduled and posted open meeting to consider, discuss, and possibly take action on:

*denotes item which requires a vote

If during the course of the meeting covered by this notice the Board of Directors should determine that a closed or executive meeting or session of the Board of Directors is required, then such closed or executive meeting or session is authorized by the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Section 551.001 et seq., including but not limited to the following sections and purposes:

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.071 – Consultation with attorney to seek advice on legal matters

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.072 – Discussion of purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.073 – Deliberations regarding gifts and donations

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.074 – Deliberations regarding the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.076 – Deliberations regarding security devices or security audits

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.087 – Deliberations regarding Economic Development negotiations

All: 

This is a notice/Reminder that the NTBHA Board of Directors Meeting will be held in our Conference Room, rm. 210, 1201 Richardson Dr., Richardson, TX 75080 on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 12:00 noon. I have attached an Agenda for your information.

 Alice Watson

Executive Assistant

North Texas Behavioral Health Authority

1201 Richardson Drive, Suite 270

Richardson, TX 75080

214-366-9407 ext. 112

214-366-9417 Fax

awatson@ntbha.org

North Texas Behavioral Health Authority

Board of Directors Meeting

June 11, 2008 @ 12:00 PM

1201 Richardson Dr., Suite 210

Richardson, Texas 75080

A G E N D A

The NTBHA Board will meet in a regularly scheduled and posted open meeting to consider, discuss, and possibly take action on:

*denotes item which requires a vote

If during the course of the meeting covered by this notice the Board of Directors should determine that a closed or executive meeting or session of the Board of Directors is required, then such closed or executive meeting or session is authorized by the Texas Open Meetings Act, Texas Government Code, Section 551.001 et seq., including but not limited to the following sections and purposes:

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.071 – Consultation with attorney to seek advice on legal matters

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.072 – Discussion of purchase, exchange, lease, or value of real property

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.073 – Deliberations regarding gifts and donations

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.074 – Deliberations regarding the appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a public officer or employee

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.076 – Deliberations regarding security devices or security audits

Tex. Gov’t Code § 551.087 – Deliberations regarding Economic Development negotiations