CHARLESTON — The state will spend millions of dollars on new group homes, day treatment programs, jobs at psychiatric hospitals and other items associated with mental health care under an agreement reached Thursday.
The state Department of Health and Human Resources, which oversees mental health care in West Virginia, has agreed to remedies with petitioning attorneys in a case that dates back to the early 1980s.
The agreement was accepted Thursday by Kanawha County Circuit Judge Duke Bloom, although he has qualms about what he called lack of detail in the order.
“What concerns me in the order is the lack of specificity,” Bloom said to the two teams of lawyers. “How am I going to keep you guys on track?”
To that end, Bloom ordered the conversion of the Office of the Ombudsman for Behavioral Health, which reports to the state Department of Health and Human Resources, into a court monitor position.
The office was originally designed as a court monitor, and became an ombudsman position after the state had made progress in fixing problems with mental health care.
The overarching case goes back to the early 1980s, and has been periodically reviewed by the court since then.
Bloom wants the court monitor to report back regularly to him on progress in carrying out the remedies the state has agreed to.
One of the major remedies agreed to is a three-year, $15.3 million commitment from the DHHR to building seven new group homes and seven new day treatment centers for people discharged from inpatient psychiatric treatment.
The agreement also calls for the health agency to devote at least $1.5 million in state funds to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for some mental health services.
It also agreed to increase pay for workers at the state’s two psychiatric hospitals in Huntington and Weston and end the use there of mandatory overtime and temporary staff in most cases.
Some of those remedies are due to start this month, but petitioning attorney Dan Hedges said the situation is bad enough that it may be some time before improvement can be seen.
“The situation is deteriorating badly,” he said. “It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.”
The current phase of the case centers on the hospitals in Huntington and Weston. A report by the ombudsman last summer on overcrowding at the Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital in Huntington drew new attention to a problem that state officials say has been getting worse for years.
The petitioning attorneys argued in April hearings that the hospitals are packed with people who can’t get access to community-based psychiatric care like group homes or outpatient day programs.
Even though the state and the petitioning attorneys have reached agreement on some issues, there are lingering disputes over some aspects of care. Those include the coverage available to Medicaid recipients in the state’s specialized Mountain Health Choices plan and payment for professionals who use telemedicine to treat patients.
Bloom wants a hearing on the latter issue early next week.
West Virginia
Judge orders monitor on mental health issues
- West Virginia
-
-
Three aging state power plants to close
FirstEnergy Corp. announced Wednesday it will shut down three aging coal-fired power plants in West Virginia later this year.
The company’s Monongahela Power subsidiary will retire the Albright, Willow Island and Rivesville power stations by Sept. 1, affecting a total of 105 workers. -
Bills would ban children from tanning, tattoos
West Virginia lawmakers are looking to protect children from unhealthy decisions and to give parents more say in their children’s body art choices.
Bills moving through the Legislature would set the minimum age minors can receive their first tattoo and would ban indoor tanning for all children. -
Hackers post officers’ personal information
Hackers affiliated with the group Anonymous obtained personal information for more than 150 police officers from an old website of the West Virginia Chiefs of Police Association and posted the data online.
The FBI is investigating, said William Roper, the association’s president and the police chief of Ranson said. -
Bill would clarify secretary of state’s power
A West Virginia legislator wants state law to say clearly that the secretary of state has the authority to verify whether candidates running for election are eligible to hold office.
Sen. Clark Barnes, R-Randolph, introduced a bill Tuesday that would allow the secretary to refuse to certify candidates and keep them off the ballot if they don’t meet all the legal and constitutional requirements to serve. -
USDA kills 8 coyotes at University Town Centre
U.S. Department of Agriculture employees have killed eight coyotes in a hilltop shopping center complex near Morgantown. They aren’t sure how many remain nearby.
-
Texting bill evolves, heads to House
West Virginia drivers could get a ticket for texting or talking on their cellphone while driving under a bill the Senate unanimously approved Monday.
-
W.Va. texting bill evolves, heads to House
The Senate has approved a bill that would allow police to ticket drivers for texting or talking on their cellphones while on the road.
-
Report: Residents lacking savings
A nonprofit group says nearly one in five West Virginia residents have almost no savings or other assets to weather a financial crisis.
-
Lawmakers navigate lobby ban, social media
In this era of Twitter and smartphones, citizens and lobbyists alike have all sorts of ways to reach out to lawmakers at a moment’s notice. But the West Virginia Legislature has rules meant to insulate its members from last-minute pressures while they’re debating and voting on bills.
-
Firm shows off ‘Guardian Angel’ for miners
A West Virginia company is working on a piece of equipment designed to keep miners safer.
Trinity Resources, headquartered in Putnam County, demonstrated its a mobile mine safety chamber this week at the West Virginia Mining Symposium in Charleston. - More West Virginia Headlines
-
Three aging state power plants to close
