Fact sheet: Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases [No. 17 (Mar. 2008)]

fact sheet

Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities
and Addictive Diseases
March 2008
Under the Department of Human Resources, whose mission is to strengthen Georgia families, the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases (MHDDAD) provides a range of behavioral health care services. These services include treatment and support to people of all ages, with mental illnesses, addictive diseases, and developmental disabilities. Each year, as many as 200,000 Georgians are served by MHDDAD. The division has approximately 8,000 employees, with the majority working in seven state-wide hospitals. Service delivery is administered through private and public providers. Integral to the work of MHDDAD is partnerships with consumer, family and advocacy groups. The budget for FY 2007 was more than $956 million, including $614 million in state funds.
Georgia's challenges in behavioral health care are similar to those faced by other state agencies across the country such as ensuring access to services, providing a balanced array of services, and continually improving quality of care.
Improving Access to Services Beginning in FY06, MHDDAD restructured service delivery to ensure that regardless of where a person lives in the state, including rural areas, that basic services are available.
In FY 2007, the Division implemented a statewide 24/7 Crisis & Access phone line. A call from anywhere in the state connects the caller to the services they need as close to their home as possible. The line is available to individuals, families, courts, law enforcement, and others seeking MHDDAD assistance. GCAL receives approximately 22,800 calls each month.
Access to services for individuals with developmental disabilities has increased moving Georgia's ranking from 44 to 30 in terms of community-based services. Since 2005 over 4,000 new Medicaid waiver service slots amounting to over $100 million, have been approved by the Georgia legislature.
Developing a Balanced System: Community Services MHDDAD system strives to provide a range of services to people in their homes and communities. Services are designed to promote recovery and independence. New in the array of services is face-to-face mobile crisis intervention which assists families and children solve problems in the home setting and to access professional services when needed. Newly established crisis stabilization services for children and adults have also increased by 30% over the past 3 years. Services for children target improved school performance, positive social interactions, and

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a healthier relationship within their family. In serving adults the goal is to support recovery, promote independence, and improve family relationships, employment and life management.
Hospital Services In FY 2007, approximately 15,000 individuals were served in state hospitals; the primary population being adults experiencing psychiatric symptoms that require the most intensive level of intervention. The goal is to provide specialized, high quality services to this population. Consumers are evaluated across a wide range of healthrelated issues including physical health status, mental health status, dietary habits, medication compliance and use of community-based services. Consumers are hospitalized for a short time until they are stable and can return to community treatment programs.
At the end of FY 2007, 1,100 people with mental retardation or related developmental disability live in hospitals but their numbers are declining. As community services are increased and become more sophisticated, individuals with DD are moved from hospitals to the community.
State hospitals also provide forensic services to people charged with a crime but are found "incompetent to stand trial" or "not guilty by reason of insanity" and, people involved with the Department of Corrections and local law enforcement agencies. On a typical day in FY 2007, MHDDAD state hospitals served approximately 585 forensic consumers.
Ensuring Continuous Improvement in Consumer Care and Safety: Georgia's seven mental health hospitals are regularly monitored for consumer care and safety by the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Georgia Advocacy Organization, the National Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and Georgia's Office of Regulatory Services.
Statewide, hospitals are also being supported by partnership with the Medical College of Georgia. An unprecedented effort, the MCG team includes nationally and internationally recognized experts in the fields of schizophrenia, bridging medical and psychiatry care, and overall hospital improvement.
Along with key DHR divisions, MHDDAD has engaged in an intensive study and application of the Franklin Covey 4-Disciplines of Execution. Through this approach, all staff of the division share in the responsibility to improve consumer safety in state hospitals.
The work of the Division of MHDDAD is administered through five Regional Offices. These regional offices oversee implementation of statewide initiatives, develop new services, and expand existing services as needed. They evaluate contract compliance by community service providers, and monitor the services to ensure access and quality.
Georgia Department of Human Resources Office of Communications www.dhr.georgia.gov