Rep Wasserman Advising New Oversight Council

HARTFORD — State Representative Julia Wasserman was recently tapped to lend her expertise and advice to Connecticut’s new Behavioral Health Partnership Oversight Council. The Newtown representative has a long and involved history working with and for public health initiatives.

As ranking Republican leader on the Connecticut’s Public Health Committee, and a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee, Ms Wasserman is in a unique position to help the BHPOC achieve its mission to advise the Departments of Children and Families (DCF) and Social Services (DSS) on the planning and implementation of the statutory Behavioral Health Partnership (BHP).

The partnership is charged with implementing an integrated behavioral health service system for HUSKY Part A child/parent/caregiver members, HUSKY Part B members and other children enrolled in the DCF’s voluntary services program.

According to documentation provided by Ms Wasserman’s office, legislation establishing this Oversight Council is designed to increase access to quality behavioral health services through several avenues:

1. Expansion of individualized, family-centered, community-based services

2. Maximizing federal revenue to fund these services

3. Reduction of unnecessary use of institutional and residential services for children

4. Capturing and investing additional federal revenue for such programs while realizing savings from the reduction of institutional services

5. Improving administrative oversight and efficiencies; and

6. Monitoring individual program outcomes, provider performance and overall performance

Ms Wasserman told The Bee recently that this legislation came about in part because these two “huge” state agencies have expanded beyond their individual capacities to focus on this particular mission.

“When I was on the Program Review Committee, we made certain recommendations to DCF a few years back that would have addressed the issues related to the multitude of responsibilities that agency had,” Ms Wasserman said. “We wanted to see reorganization occur to create greater responsiveness. But I know it’s challenging for an agency so large to be accountable on a case-by-case basis.”

Ms Wasserman said in her experience, which includes work in several aspects of public health and corrections-related initiatives, providing alternative sanctions for young people is critical. She said there is a great risk factor to juveniles and young adults who may be facing incarceration or who are currently incarcerated.

“I believe it is extremely important to ensure these young people aren’t inducted into the same lifestyle as career criminals they may be exposed to,” she said. “The issues of behavioral health affect people of all ages, but this council has a particular focus on juveniles, who have the greatest likelihood of being rehabilitated if they have the appropriate access to appropriate services.”

The BHPOC is comprised of legislators, designees, behavioral health consumers and advocates, medical and mental health practitioners, state agencies, and insurers. A legislative mandate gives Ms Wasserman and her fellow council members authority to assess the development and ongoing implementation of the BHP program, while making recommendations to State Agencies and the General Assembly on issues including the delivery of behavioral health services where required.

“I believe many of the young people who may be caught in the system are chemical dependent, and they need to get treatment outside the corrections environment and away from their proximity to career criminals,” Ms Wasserman said. “We also need to be sure we are properly identifying and separating out young people with legitimate mental or behavioral disorders so we can ensure they get their core issues treated.”

The oversight council and its subcommittees will continue to meet frequently in Hartford preceding a deadline to release recommendations to the full legislature and agencies of the BHP early next year.