Savannah's mental health hospital to remain open

The new director of a new state agency for mental health is wasting no time making his mark on the state's mental health system. Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Doctor Frank Shelp to head the new Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities eight days ago. And today we learn that Shelp is reversing an unpopular decision to close a mental health hospital in Savannah

The decision last year to close Georgia Regional Hospital caused an uproar among local officials, who denouced the plan as a recipe for disaster. The plan would have left South Georgia without any place nearby to take the most seriously mentally ill patients. But that plan was made by the state Department of Human Resources. There's a new agency over mental health now, headed by Doctor Frank Shelp.

"I would say that it is a new course correction of about 35 to 40 degrees," says Shelp.

Shelp doesn't characterize the move to keep Georgia Regional open as a complete reversal because his vision for mental health keeps in place many aspects of D-H-R's proposal, known as "the game plan."

"The discussion became around closing a hospital or leaving a hospital open," says Shelp. "And that discussion reached such a level that it really precluded discussing other aspects of the game plan."

Shelp says, the plan was always to increase the continuum of care, such as with crisis stabilization programs, or C.S.P.'s, that promise more local services for most mentally ill patients, while none for the most seriously ill. Shelp says, a few patients might still be moved to the state's main mental health facility Milledgeville, but "the goal right now is to come up with a modification that will manage 95% plus of patient needs in their own region."

Shelp says, he's still developing plans for what to do with patients referred to the mental health system from the criminal justice system. He says, that part of the "game plan" was never fully explained. And just hearing that pleases advocates for the mentally ill. June Dipolito runs the Pineland mental health agency in Statesboro.

"I am excited beyond words," Dipolito says. "You cannot really run community mental health services without having the deep and intensive services of the acute psychiatric beds."

The new Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities currently works at Georgia Regional in Savannah. Frank Shelp is set to move to Atlanta by July.

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One-two punch for mental health in Savannah

A commission studying mental health in Georgia says, the Department of Human Resources should explain itself better before going forward with a proposal to close or privatize mental health hospitals.

The proposal would close some mental hospitals and move patients to community-based mental health facilities. The first hospital to close would be the one in Savannah, where a community-based mental health collaborative is shutting down.

Diane Reeder is President of the National Alliance for Mental Illness Savannah chapter. "This is a disaster," Reader says. "We're appalled at our state's ability to provide mental health services."

The Savannah Area Behavioral Health Collaborative is shutting down following a year of turmoil among its members. D.H.R. is proposing the state hospital shut-down to deal with sky-rocketing costs at an aging facility.

Members of the state's Mental Health Service Delivery Commission say, they don't have enough information to recommend for or against the proposal. Among the things they'd like to know: where would the patients go?

Perdue unveils plan to target state mental health

Governor Sonny Perdue says a reorganization of the state’s health and social services will help pave the way toward fixing Georgia’s severe deficiencies in mental health care.

Perdue says a newly-created Department of Behavioral Health would handle only mental health and addiction programs. The plan also creates a Department of Health, to oversee programs such as Medicaid and Peachcare, and a Department of Human Services--handling welfare and elderly issues.

The state has been under federal scrutiny for what investigators say are dangerous conditions in Georgia’s seven mental hospitals. Perdue says this new arrangement is vital.

"I firmly believe by separating these functions organizationally, the resulting standalone department focused on mental health will be a nimble, flexible, responsive unit better able to fully implement the commission’s recommendations".

The announcement comes on the heels of a report from the Governor’s task force on how to improve the state’s troubled mental hospitals and services.

While the reorganization looks good, it still makes Lei Ellingson cautious. She’s assistant director for mental health programs at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

"I think it’s a good step to have mental health and addictive diseases pulled out and brought closer to the Governor, if there’s this direct link. But the budget has to be there".

The reorganization would take-hold on July 1st of next year, if approved by lawmakers.

Georgia has new mental health watchdog

Georgia has a new watchdog for its mental health system. Charles Nemeroff will lead the Mental Health Service Delivery Commission. The commission was created last month because of problems in state mental health facilities like lack of funding, inadequate staffing, overcrowding and bad treatment. A series of reports by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution brought many allegations of a failing mental health system to light, including several patient deaths.

Cagle critical of DHR mental health management

A legislative committee Thursday agreed to transfer over five million dollars from a mental health program to other programs within the state's Department of Human Resources. However, the move angered some lawmakers who accused the Department of poor planning.

The committee voted 8-to-4 to allow the money transfer after DHR commissioner B.J. Walker said if they didn't approve it, the money would lapse. She says the five million is left-over from a program that provides mental health care for foster children. It will how help pay for case workers in the foster care system--federal money for that program was cut-off in March.

Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle voted against the money transfer because he says there is a lack of leadership within the department.

"I have questions about the strategy of addressing mental health by the department. I have huge concerns relative to not being able to anticipate the funds that were coming from the change in federal policy".

Mental health care in Georgia in general is under scrutiny from the U.S Department of Justice. State officials say they are addressing those concerns.

Fed report critical of state mental hospitals

State health officials say Georgia's mental hospital system is on the road to recovery. That reaction comes as a blistering report was sent by federal investigators to Governor Sonny Perdue.

The U.S. Department of Justice outlined "critically deficient" conditions at Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta. Problems such as continued failures to address fatalities and violence were detailed at the Atlanta facility, with similar problems found in facilities in Rome and Savannah.

The federal investigation was conducted last fall. State officials say since then, 'fixes' to the problems have already begun.

Gwen Skinner heads Georgia's mental health system:

"I think that when you get reports like the one from the Department of Justice, it gives you focus. Because you're getting that kind of information from separate groups of people. It helps you focus on the things that are the most critical".

A mental health panel created by Governor Sonny Perdue just released its first progress report this week. The commission was set-up following the start of the federal probe last fall. Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley:

"Much of what’s in that (Dept. of Justice) letter are things that we have identified, things that we’ve already done--some short-term improvements, staffing levels, equipment purchases, those kinds of things. And then some long-term improvements as well many of which are contained in the mental health commission reports".

A federal lawsuit has been threatened by late July unless the state proves concrete
improvements in its mental health system.

State mental health chief to resign

Georgia’s mental health agency chief is stepping-down later this year. Gwen Skinner says she will leave her post at the helm of the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases in the fall. She’s had the job since 2004.

For her career, Skinner will be wrapping up three decades of work in Georgia’s juvenile justice, mental health and child welfare systems. In her current post however, Skinner has faced issues of under-funding and criticism from federal reports. Last August, Governor Sonny Perdue announced a sweeping re-organization of state social services.

Head of state mental health resigns

The state agency that provides mental health services needs a new medical director. The previous director quit amid criticism of state-run mental hospitals.

Doctor Andrea Bradford left her post Friday as head of the Department of Human Resources’ Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases.

The DHR cited a consulting team's recent report on operations at the state mental hospital in Atlanta. And, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported in January that at least 115 mental hospital patients died under suspicious circumstances from 2002 to 2006. Also, the paper reported that more than 190 patients were victims of abuse by hospital staff.

State officials say they plan to conduct a national search for a replacement "to raise the bar on our practices in the state hospitals."

Southeast Ga. mental health provider lays off 63

Southeast Georgia's largest mental health care provider has laid off 63 employees.

Gateway Behavioral Health Services says, it's dealing with a $6 million budget hole. The company says, the main cause is shrinking payouts from state-run Medicaid.

So last week, Gateway gave pink slips to about 10% of its workforce. It's also cutting back to focus more on treating core and emergency services.

Underfunding means Gateway can't afford to address many preventable problems, according to Gateway C-E-O Frank Bonati.

"Prevention and early intervention become infinitely harder when we have to divert all of our attention to acute care and chronic care situations," Bonati says. "It's a question of pay me now or pay me later. The perfect example, of course, are jails."

The National Association for the Mentally Ill ranks Georgia 44th in mental health care funding. Gateway serves about 9,000 patients in eight southeast Georgia counties.

DHR Re-organization Begins Today

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:

"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.

Probes begin at state mental hospitals

State health officials will have a five-person team investigate Georgia Regional Hospital in Atlanta, as Georgia evaluates its mental hospitals. The head of the Department of Human Resources will lead the group, which will be on the scene at the facility for at least 90 days. A volunteer advisory committee of at least eight mental health experts is being put together to provide input.

These groups are separate from a 15-member commission announced last week and being organized by Governor Sonny Perdue to examine mental health services in Georgia.

The flurry of investigations comes in response to a series of stories in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that detailed at least 115 questionable deaths at state mental hospitals, and cases of physcial or sexual abuse with nearly 200 others since 2002.

Mental health plan draws local officials' ire

Savannah's top elected officials expressed their frustration today over the imminent closure of the city's mental hospital. Georgia Regional Hospital is set to close by July first. After that date, Department of Human Resources officials say the hospital will be "repurposed."

Part of that repurposing includes the fact that the hospital will no longer use its 53-beds to stabilize critically mentally ill patients or to treat long-term patients. Those services would be moved into the community and to a centralized facility in Milledgeville.

At a sometimes contentious meeting at Georgia Regional today, Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson, Chatham County Chairman Pete Liakakis, Chatham County Sherrif Al St. Lawrence and other local elected officials pressed DHR officials for details.

DHR officials could not say exactly where in the local community they would treat patients who otherwise would be treated at the mental hospital, although they said they have identifed four sites in Savannah. That prompted Mayor Johnson to warn of a "not in my backyard" response by local residents.

Sherrif St. Lawrence said that he would have to hire more deputies to transport arrested mental patients to Milledgeville, in addition to what the county spends to house and treat the mentally ill in the jail. He complained of a lack of preparation, saying, "Their orders are that there will be no more in-patient beds here after June 30th and nothing's in place!"

Outside, about 40 protesters waved signs and shouted slogans against the DHR's plans.

DHR officials said, the plan to re-organize state mental health services actually would provide more services on a statewide level. They said that while some of those services would not be provided in Savannah, the plan would increase the number of patients able to be seen in the Savannah area from 2,713 in 2008 to 5,215 in 2010.

DHR Commissioner B.J. Walker told reporters afterwards, "We came to get feedback. We got it. We came to hear concerns. We hear them. But we also know we have to provide the very best services for people with mental illness and we're not doing that right now."

DHR mulling private mgm't of state mental hospitals

Private firms may soon run some of the State’s psychiatric hospital services, according to Department of Human Resources Commissioner, B.J. Walker.

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution says Walker considers the step, quote, “a creative way” to improve the state’s ailing mental hospital system.

DHR officials say Georgia could turn over one of its seven facilities to a private company, and others could be closed down.

However, DHR Spokesman David Noel called the idea only an “exploratory proposal.”

The State is also weighing moving mentally ill criminal defendants to a new facility in Milledgeville, according to the report.

Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2007 signed an executive order creating a state commission on mental health.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of Georgia's mental health system.

DHR Commissioner Details Budget Pain

State budget writers today heard from the heads of Georgia's social services and health care.

B.J. Walker addressed lawmakers this morning. She’s in charge of the largest state agency , the Department of Human Resources. And it’s where the state budget crisis might be felt the most.

Walker has to manage an agency budget of around $3.8 billion. Her department was hit by the budget-ax last summer, and it’s bracing for more in the Governor’s recommendations for the next fiscal year.

"Given the times we’re in and what we have to work with, I’m comfortable the Governor put us through a rigorous enough process that what he has put on the table, is something I can figure out how to make work."

But, Walker did admit to lawmakers Friday the challenge of "making it work" will be tougher with heavier across-the-board cuts to come in fiscal budget year 2010.

Last summer, DHR began one-day-a-month furloughs for a bulk of its 19,000 employees. The state hopes the move saves more than $100-million. And more furloughs could be on the way. Cutbacks are everywhere in the department, with money being pulled from all services, such as children and family services, and programs for the elderly.

Mental health services are in the firing line also. The state just recently signed an agreement with federal officials promising the troubled system will be vastly improved in the next five years. The obvious question today to Walker--how to do that, given budget cutbacks?

"We know that we’ll probably need some sort of resources at some point. But we have not fully calculated what that need is at this time...we’re working that through right now, and I’m sure we’ll be bringing some ideas about that at some point."

Walker did say the option of privatizing at least a portion of the mental health system is still an option--if it makes sense fiscally.

As budget committee hearings concluded at the Capitol today, Walker may have delivered the best line in summing-up how she’s trying to manage her department’s budget.

"It is my intent to go through these times not worrying about is it raining, or worrying about how to get out of the rain, but it’s my intent to figure out how you can dance in it."

July Opens With Bevy of New Georgia Laws

89 new laws take effect today, or ahead on January 1st. They include the massive overhaul of Georgia’s health and social service agencies. Identified by lawmakers and Governor Sonny Perdue as lacking in several areas, especially mental health, the restructuring begins today. Essentially three agencies will now handle the work previously done by two--adding one dedicated to mental health delivery.

Among some of the other laws ushered-in with the arrival of July:
-A pair of laws in the courtroom to strengthen victim’s rights.

-Embryos can now be adopted. The legal custodian of the embryos will decide how and where they are stored, along with whether they can be disposed of. Some medical doctors, researchers and biotech financers opposed the legislation, saying it could hinder reproductive treatments and innovations in the state.

-A new measure now designates April as Confederate History Month.

Funding cut for state child mental health possible

Governor Sonny Perdue later today is set to recommend a cut of 8.4 million dollars in funds for mental health services for children. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the money will be moved from those services to other programs within the Department of Human Resources to help meet administrative expenses and other funding deficits. Some of those deficits include filling gaps in state child welfare services and child adoption services. The proposed transfer of money has upset many health advocates.

Perdue Inks Deal to Fix State Mental Hospitals

An agreement signed-off-on by Governor Sonny Perdue and federal Justice officials puts Georgia on-watch to vastly improve its mental health system.

The five-year settlement requires the state to make widespread changes to better deliver care and ensure safety of patients in Georgia’s seven psychiatric hospitals. Last year, a Justice Department report found critical errors in the system that led to unnecessary deaths and injuries. Georgia has mental health facilities in Atlanta, Savannah, Milledgeville, Rome, Augusta, Columbus, and Thomasville.

Under the deal’s terms, the state has one year to correct the worst conditions that have led to deaths in hospitals. Within four years, improvements must be made in other areas. There will be regular federal inspections.

Governor Sonny Perdue say the state is absolutely on-board to correcting the problems:

"To have our federal-steward oversight...we welcome that because we want to be held accountable. We want to do it the right way, to be acclaimed as doing it the right way. It’ll take investments that we’ll make because it’s the right thing to do."

And those investments might be costly. Asked by GPB Friday where the extra money would come from, Perdue stated only "It’ll come from the budget."

That budget is already challenged with a two-billion dollar plus shortfall.

Commission to examine state mental health services

Gov. Sonny Perdue has signed an executive order creating a state commission on mental health.

In the order, Perdue acknowledges long-standing fears about the quality of services Georgia provides for the mentally ill.

The panel will examine state services for people who are mentally ill or addicted to drugs.

It is supposed to issue recommendations to lawmakers by June.

Members will include citizens who have received state-provided treatment, state and local officials, and representatives of advocacy groups.

HB 535 - Passed by the House As Ammended

The bill would create a patient advocacy board and the position of Patient Advocate General. These officials would investigate fatalities and allegations of abuse, neglect, or improper treatment occurring in facilities under the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases.

Recently in Georgia, several mental health facilities were investigated by Government officials and found to be out of compliance with current laws. The bill now goes back to the Senate for final vote, as ammended by the House.

Sumter, Taylor Co. tornado survivors getting more help

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is awarding $471,000 dollars to Georgia's Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases.

The funds will go toward extending a crisis counseling project for survivors of the tornado that devastated Sumter and Taylor counties March first.

Since the storm, hundreds of people have sought help overcoming psychological stress disorders. Many report suffering from feelings of despondency and helplessness.

Jeannette David, a mental health planner from the Department of Human Resources explains how outreach coordinators aid residents, providing them, "with information on how to cope, how to deal with the that stresses they're experiencing; and to let them know that, probably, any upset that they have or any stresses that they might be feeling is – normal, because they're reacting to an abnormal situation...”

The funding will continue until April, 2008.

More information is available on the survivor helpline at 1-800-342-7843.