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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 28, 2005 Changes in the system By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Revamping the way Oregon treats mentally ill children makes a lot of philosophical sense, providers, parents and program administrators agree. Involving parents in treatment decisions, offering more services in nonoffice settings and encouraging collaboration among mental health agencies are all worthy goals. "There are a lot of principles in this that are a lot of good things," said Tom Gunderson, director of the Southern Oregon Child Study and Treatment Center based in Ashland. Whether the overhaul makes sense financially as well remains to be seen, Gunderson and others say. Advertisement Under the plan, expected to begin Oct. 1, about $45 million in state funds for treatment — including about $4 million in Southern Oregon — will no longer be paid directly to providers. Instead, the money will be routed through several statewide mental health organizations — MHOs — including Jefferson Behavioral Health in Grants Pass. JBH serves a six-county Southern Oregon region that includes Jackson and Josephine counties. That has left some providers concerned that existing contracts will be cut or eliminated as the MHO takes on new responsibilities — but no new funds. "If you’re paying $80,000 a year for a kid, if you’re JBH, you might want to spend the $80,000 differently," Gunderson said. "There’s no new money. That’s one pot. Managed care is not always the best steward of these things," he added. The idea, explained Ralph Summers, manager of community treatment systems with the state Department of Human Services, is to allow a local organization to decide how to allocate local resources. "The benefit is to make sure the community mental health people are really responsible for determining which kids really need these services," Summers said. To that end, all local mental health and child welfare agencies have adopted a single tool to screen young people for placement, said Maureen Graham, Jackson County’s director of outpatient services. That helps providers take a fresh look at whether mentally ill children need to be placed in residential care, at a typical cost of $106,000 a year, a day-treatment center for about $34,000 a year, or in some combination of services. It also lets providers evaluate the problems and merits of placing kids in residential centers hundreds of miles from their families. In Southern Oregon, 11 of the 28 young people in residential care have been placed outside the region. "Right now, we have residential and day treatment for kids with very, very serious problems," said Tom Drummond, an administrator with JBH. "And then we have outpatient. What we have been missing is the middle." Providers like Gunderson say they support the concept, but worry that the new system simply shifts funding away from residential programs. "It’s robbing Peter to pay Paul," he said. "You get that interpretation. " Other providers acknowledge that concerns about funding are very real. But they also believe that new flexibility and better services for kids will compensate for financial uncertainty. Bob Lieberman, director of the Southern Oregon Adolescent Study and Treatment Center in Grants Pass, said he has been working for a dozen years to enact these changes. "Twelve years ago, parents were often quietly blamed," he said. "Twelve years ago, it was a deficit-based, not a strength-focused system. Twelve years ago, we said, ‘What that kid needs is residential treatment,’ not ‘That kid needs more structure and a little help brushing his teeth.’" Overall, the changes are good for providers, for kids, for families and for communities. "I think it’s got more opportunity than threat," Lieberman said. "As long as we’re smart about it." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail Changes in the system ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s