Allow private agencies, as well as the state mental health centers, to hire case managers, attendant care and crisis workers for our family members with specialized mental health needs. More choices will force better quality professionals helping our loved ones, and in turn, will reduce the cost of emergency services provided due to inexperienced or inept provision of services.
Why is this important?
Currently the State of Kansas limits the training and hiring of mental health case managers, attendant care workers, and crisis responders to the area mental health centers. These workers have little to no education or specific training about our special needs children and adults and are paid minimally; thus, turnover is extremely high and often creates regression in the mental health treatment process.
Additionally, our family members do not have a strong, trusting bond with these revolving caregivers, who are therefore, limited in their ability to de-escalate a crisis situation, very often leading to police involvement and hospitalization screenings/stays. We need Medicaid to give private agencies equal opportunity to utilize their expertise with the SED, MR/DD, and SPMI population, and open the crisis, case management, and attendant care codes, especially now that budget cuts have greatly impacted what services are offered at mental health centers.
