Bill No.: SF0076                  Drafter:  JHR

LSO No.:  07LSO-0279              Effective Date:  7/1/2007

Enrolled Act No.:  SEA0077

Chapter No.:       216

Prime Sponsor:     Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Catch Title:       Mental health and substance abuse appropriations.

Subject:  Provides multiple appropriations to enhance mental health and substance abuse services in the state.

Summary/Major Elements:

· This bill is a result of a study by the Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance abuse services and appropriates funds for:

· The Wyoming State Hospital to implement a program to treat persons with co-occurring conditions of mental illness and alcohol/substance abuse problems;

· Regional residential treatment programs for persons with co-occurring conditions;

· Salary increases for direct care staff in community-based mental health centers and substance abuse centers;

· Community-based supported housing in 5 regions of the state for persons with mental illness and to the regions designated by the substance abuse division for supported housing for persons with substance abuse problems;

· Training programs for clinical staff and nursing home staff who work with elder citizens with mental illness;

· Training programs for general or specialty practice physicians to identify, diagnose and pharmacologically treat patients with mental illness;

· One-time funding of self-contained telepsychiatry equipment for community-based mental health centers;

· Community-based mental health and substance abuse centers to:

· Contract with psychiatrists and nurses to use the telepsychiatry equipment to serve clients with mental illness;

· Provide ancillary transportation support services for clients;

· Respite care for family caregivers of persons with mental illness;

· Contract with master's degree level therapists to provide early intervention services to infants and children;

· Increase base funding for each center based on funding to each county in the amount of $77,000/year;

· Increase residential treatment beds, social detoxification and  transitional services to persons with substance abuse problems;

· Improve quality of life services, including subsistence, medication, transportation, and housing assistance for persons with substance abuse problems;

· Implementation of a Native-American traditional wellness program;

· The Department of Health to continue development of the client information system database and conversion of client data to enable implementation of 07 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 76, Department of Health client information sharing;

· Community-based mental health and substance abuse centers to conform client data so it can be shared uniformly with the Department of Health;

· An increase in the Medicaid reimbursement rate for mental health and substance abuse treatment services;

· The continued study by the Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

· The appropriations under this bill total $18,378,394 in general funds and $1,474,888 in federal funds.

Comments:

· Report Required: Several reports from the Department of Health to the Legislature are required, including a report on the mental health needs of military service members who are serving, or have served, in Iraq or Afghanistan.

· Creates/amends major program: Several new programs involving the Department of health and community-based mental health and substance abuse providers are created by this act.

·  Final action on this bill was not taken at the time this summary was initially prepared.  Because of a significant difference between appropriations approved by the Senate and by the House, a final estimate was not provided. This bill summary has been revised by inclusion of the total appropriations under the act.  This summary should replace the bill summary provided in the bound materials.