The Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Resources Accountability met this morning.
The committee first heard from the Commissioner of the Bureau of Behavioral Health about certified community behavioral health clinics. There are 495 CCBHCs in 46 states. West Virginia has six CCBHCs in several locations: Parkersburg, Morgantown, Summersville, Beckley, Princeton, and Huntington. Last year, 23,084 individuals were interviewed at these clinics. With these clinics, there has been a 37 percent decrease in ER visits for mental health and a 72 percent decrease in time spent in hospitals for mental health. Patients in the clinics have seen an increase in employment and education, as well as a reduction in substance use.
The Secretary of Human Services provided information about changes made to payments and the PATH system. He stated the changes were made due to a lack of oversight. The PATH system is contracted with Optum for its ninth year. Technology is a major issue with changing the system, as part of it is modern technology, but several programs remain on the mainframe. An effective integration has not been identified.
The Secretary of Health Facilities provided an update on the state-operated hospitals, including Welch, Bateman, and Sharpe.
