Introduction
PCPA, as an active member of the Mental Health/Mental Retardation (MH/MR) Coalition, met with Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) Secretary-Designee Estelle Richman. Ms. Richman, as many providers may know, has a broad and diverse background with various human service sectors, ranging from her time in the Cleveland area (during which she had professional connections to both the Pittsburgh and Erie areas) to her tenure in the city government administration of Philadelphia. She has a desire to visit member agencies and providers across the Commonwealth, most especially in rural areas and suburbs between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.Ms. Richman indicated that as her tenure at the department develops, so will her "team" - most of which should be in place in the next one to three months. The Department will be one that is open, that seeks to have providers, consumers, persons in recovery, and their families involved in the problem-solving and decision-making processes. The Secretary's top two agenda items will be:
- "people come first" - How does what we are doing or proposing to do affect people?
- "assure quality" - Look for outcomes, results, and determine whether or not the government and the system are getting their money's worth. Often, these issues can be answered by consumers and persons in recovery, and there should be more inclusion of them in planning stages.
Secretary Richman stated that she will be the Chair of the Governor's Children and Family Cabinet. PCPA, along with the MH/MR Coalition, has suggested that the Secretary of Public Welfare should also be a Cabinet official on the Governor's proposed Economic Development Cabinet.
It was clear that this will be a difficult budget season, with ample room for lobbying and advocacy efforts - especially with the General Assembly. PCPA will work with providers to educate and advocate to legislators and work should be in concert with consumers, persons in recovery, and families.
Budget Items
During its department budget process, DPW did not cut any programs that bring in federal match dollars since that would decrease state revenues. Although the proposed budget totals of some DPW offices are higher than those of the previous year, there will be no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The budget "cut" is the difference between what DPW proposed as next year's budget and what the Governor's Budget Office approved.In the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS), the budget of state-only money for 2002-03 fiscal year (FY) was $625 million and proposed for 2003-04 FY is $657 million. The Behavioral Health Services (formerly BHSI) line item of $47 million in 2002-03 FY has been completely eliminated for 2003-04 FY. This is very bad news for people in need of substance abuse services who are otherwise uninsured.
The Office of Mental Retardation (OMR) had state-only dollars of $966 million in 2002-03 FY and $974 million is proposed for the coming year. Again, there is no COLA in this budget. Increases are proposed in Early Intervention and private ICFs/MR and a small increase from $675 million to $674 million for community services. The Recruitment and Retention money that was state-only funds is not included in the Governor's budget proposal. There will be small decreases in the Pennhurst dispersal and in state centers, where efficiencies will be instituted.
It is Secretary-Designee Richman's goal to eliminate the Mental Retardation (MR) Waiting List as well as to address recruitment and retention in creative ways for employers in the MR and mental health (MH) industries. The Secretary-Designee said that she needs to learn more about the Transformation Project before decisions are made about its future.
Medical Assistance (MA) will take the biggest hit in DPW, with the capitation amount being lowered. The categorically needy and general assistance recipients will be placed back into fee-for-service, which will save over $100 million. The special pharmaceutical benefits (SPBP) line items for mental health and AIDS will be preserved. Capitation rates are being held flat.
The Human Services Development Fund will be cut from $36 million in 2002-03 FY to $3 million in the proposed budget. This is the most flexible funding source for counties. Many people benefit from its use for MH and MR services and many counties use it to address homelessness.
Numerous other departments within DPW will see cuts. The Office of Social Programs (OSP) will be cut about 5% in several programs. The Office of Children, Youth and Families' (OCYF) budget, most of which pulls down federal match, will increase from $734 million to $740 million. Family Centers will see a small cut. The Office of Income Maintenance (OIM) will have a decreased budget, primarily due to efficiencies, as will the Office of Administration (OA).
Apprenticeship
The MH/MR Coalition introduced the Direct Support Professional Apprenticeship to Secretary-Designee Richman. The coalition provided her with a written summary of the project, along with requests to both retain the $15 million in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds and to execute the contracts needed to hasten the apprenticeship's progress. The Administration has already developed collaborative relationships between DPW and the Departments of Labor and Industry and Community and Economic Development, which the coalition hopes will speed this workforce development initiative.Conclusion
PCPA will follow up with further information and budget charts, outlining areas of particular interest to the membership, as information is available. Please contact Melissa DiSanto Simmons, Director of Legislative Affairs, or one of PCPA's policy specialists with further questions or concerns.