Governor Sonny Perdue has high hopes for the restructuring of health and social service agencies in the state. That begins today with the arrival of the new fiscal year.
Basically, the sweeping changes will spread the services previously handled by two agencies—Department of Human Resources and the Department of Community Health—to three. The main reason is to help Georgia to get a better handle on its failings in mental health, which has been under the federal microscope over the past year.
Governor Perdue says he’s confident of future success for the newly-created Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities:
Perdue says other areas of concern, like access to vital records, should be better handled in the new set-up.
Basically, the sweeping changes will spread the services previously handled by two agencies—Department of Human Resources and the Department of Community Health—to three. The main reason is to help Georgia to get a better handle on its failings in mental health, which has been under the federal microscope over the past year.
Governor Perdue says he’s confident of future success for the newly-created Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities:
"I firmly believe by separating these functions organizationally, the resulting standalone department focused on mental health will be a nimble, flexible and responsive unit…better able to fully implement the commission’s recommendations."Advocates are hopeful, yet worried about whether the state’s continued budget crisis will cripple the effort.
Perdue says other areas of concern, like access to vital records, should be better handled in the new set-up.
