Nearly $1 million will be put towards improving outpatient services, complementing existing efforts to strengthen Missouri’s mental health system
JEFFERSON CITY – Missouri has been selected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to participate in a national, year-long planning process to transform the delivery of mental health and substance use disorder services, Gov. Jay Nixon announced today.
“Our Strengthening Mental Health initiative has made Missouri a national leader in helping communities enhance public safety and care for individuals with severe mental illness,” Gov. Nixon said. “By being selected as a planning state in this federal initiative, we will continue to be at the forefront of improving the quality and accessibility of mental health services for those in need.”
“This is an exciting opportunity for Missouri to be a national leader,” said Mark Stringer, Director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health. “The creation of this demonstration program will increase access to care and expand the array and quality of treatment services for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. It also diverts them away from the criminal justice system.”
The federal Excellence in Mental Health Act – introduced by U.S. Senators Roy Blunt of Missouri and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, and signed by President Obama in 2014 – set in motion a series of opportunities to strengthen mental health and addiction care, integrate these services with physical health care and improve access to high-quality care for children, adults and families in need.
Under the Excellence Act, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has selected Missouri as one of 24 states selected to participate in the national planning process for a demonstration program on mental health and substance use disorder services. After the one-year planning period, eight states will ultimately be chosen to participate in the two-year Excellence Act demonstration program.
Missouri will receive $982,373 to begin the process of creating a broad set of mental health and substance use disorder outpatient services provided by local certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs).
Certified community behavioral health clinics will provide a comprehensive array of services, including crisis care, screening, treatment, prevention and wellness services for individuals with serious mental illnesses and addiction disorders. By establishing partnerships with a variety of health organizations, including primary care, CCBHCs will ensure consumers in Missouri will find a network of partners ready to work together to deliver high-value care in a more seamless system of integrated care.
When fully implemented, the Excellence Act will significantly increase nationwide access to comprehensive community mental health and substance use disorder treatment services, and is backed by congressional funding of more than $1 billion – representing the biggest federal investment in mental health and addiction services in a generation.
In 2013, Gov. Nixon called for a series of fiscally responsible measures to improve the way Missouri cares for individuals whose mental illness is so severe that it makes them a threat to themselves or others. Working with members of the General Assembly, the Governor secured $10 million annually for the Strengthening Mental Health Initiative in the Fiscal Year 2014, Fiscal Year 2015 and Fiscal Year 2016 budgets.
A cornerstone of the initiative was the placement of new mental health liaisons in community mental health centers around the state to work with law enforcement and court personnel to connect people in behavioral health crises to treatment.
