A meeting to discuss issues relating to the Health Plan will be scheduled for early March. During last legislative session, DOC and the Division proposed to establish a management plan for all mentally ill inmates which focused on outpatient services and more interaction between the two state agencies. Dr. Field provided a one-page handout on Correctional Institution Mental Health Services and described the team of mental health case managers in the institutions which started about 6 months ago. This is the core of everything else that is being done. Key people are engaged in treatment and coordination of services and are tracking people with mental illness much more closely.
Medication management is the weakest spot in the system.
They are working on increasing psychiatrist and nurse practitioner time. OMHS staff are working on documents to support the budget document for the presentation in March. Kyleen Gower is working through issues for an April rebalancing plan. Sandra Millius encouraged members to attend the presentation in March. The Mental Health Coalition has a meeting at the YMCA on March 18th.