Pennsylvania New Freedom Initiative

1
Pennsylvania New Freedom Initiative
2
Pennsylvanias Mental Health System

• The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a highly
  decentralized system of mental health services,
  with county government responsible for the
  provision of mental health services to citizens
  within their subdivision.
• The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has 67 counties
  divided into 45 county mental health programs
  under the direction of county mental health
  administrators.
• All county administrators also function as the
  directors of the county Mental Retardation
  programs and in 35 counties, as Drug and Alcohol
  Program Administrators.

3
(No Transcript)
4
Five Years At a Glance

• Pennsylvania has targeted community integration
  planning through a new county-based systems
  change planning process.
• This process includes an emphasis on the role of
  Pennsylvanias state mental hospitals through the
  efforts of 8 service area teams.
• OMHSAS maintains its commitment to orienting the
  focus of the mental health system away from
  reliance on large institutions in the county plan
  process guidelines.

5
Office of Mental Health Substance Abuse Services

• The OMHSAS Mission Statement"The Office of
  Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, in
  collaboration with other appropriate state
  offices, will ensure local access to a
  comprehensive array of quality mental health and
  substance abuse services that are reflective of
  the needs of Pennsylvania citizens, effectively
  managed and coordinated, and responsive to a
  dynamic and changing health care environment. "

6
Office of Mental Health Substance Abuse Services

• The OMHSAS Vision Statement
• "Every individual served by the Mental Health
  and Substance Abuse Service system will have the
  opportunity for growth, recovery and inclusion in
  their community, have access to culturally
  competent services and supports of their choice,
  and enjoy a quality of life that includes family
  and friends. "

7
Facing the Issue

• Pennsylvanias County Mental Health Programs and
  community providers are in various degrees of
  awareness, readiness and development in their
  ability and resources for design and
  implementation of a consumer/family member
  driven, recovery/resilience-oriented service
  systems.

8
The New Freedom Initiative Goal

• Pennsylvanias Office of Mental Health and
  Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) will support
  County Mental Health Programs in the transition
  to recovery/resilience-oriented systems through
  development of an improved and expanded workforce
  that provides evidence-based mental health
  services and supports.

9
NFI Project Plan Implementation

• Pennsylvania designed a systems change project
  that focused on six county MH programs based upon
  their need and readiness toward MH system
  transformation/ redesign.
• A kick-off event was held that provided an
  orientation to participants and afforded an
  opportunity for networking and a forum for the
  free exchange of information and ideas. Initial
  assessments of need were conducted during the
  event and the individual projects further
  developed and refined their work plans and
  timelines.

10
NFI Project Plan Implementation

• Based on the identified needs, OMHSAS coordinated
  a variety of resources to the counties to include
  technical assistance and training to county MH
  offices, providers, consumers, family members and
  other stakeholders.
• Ongoing monitoring and consultation is ensured
  via contract with Drexel University, as well as,
  monthly/bi-monthly teleconferences with all
  project participants. The annual events are
  coordinated with agendas determined by the
  identified needs of the projects.

11
Design/Goals of Six Selected Projects

• Allegheny
• Chester
• CMSU Columbia, Montour, Snyder Union
• Erie
• Lycoming/Clinton
• Mercer

12
Allegheny County

• Identified two systems change initiatives to
  include
• Consumer and family member education on
  principles of recovery and current best practices
  in order to promote and achieve self advocacy
• Training the workforce for County-wide
  implementation of Recovery Principles and
  Practices in service planning and delivery

13
Chester County

• Proposed to accomplish successful and sustained
  implementation of one or more evidence-based
  practices. Five keys to their project include
• Motivation engagement of stakeholders
• Technical support to providers to include
  Implementation Resource toolkits
• Administrative buy-in at all system levels
• TA on data collection feedback mechanisms
• A plan for successful transfer of training
  (technical support and supervision)

14
Columbia/Montour/Snyder/Union

• Proposed transformation of their MH System on an
  incremental basis over a 3 year period to
  include
• Year 1 System evaluation and orientation to
  include an intensive training of key stakeholders
• Year 2 Continued analysis of the effectiveness
  of the CMSU Service System along with development
  of a specific plan for redesign
• Year 3 Implementation of redesign and to
  measure effectiveness

15
Erie County

• Proposed to develop a means and mechanism to
  ensure that the underlying principles of recovery
  are practiced and celebrated in the outpatient
  experience
• This will be accomplished through a team effort
  to ensure that recovery cues and principles are a
  part of all interpersonal transactions in the
  outpatient treatment setting

16
Lycoming/Clinton Counties

• The primary goal is to transform and redesign
  their vocational continuum of services for adults
  with serious mental illness in a way that makes
  best use of research-based practices and defines
  the consumer driven application of these
  practices
• This vocational system change is reflected in
  their 2005/06 County MH Plan

17
Mercer County

• Proposed to evolve toward a recovery-oriented
  system which reflects the values of recovery
  congruently at all levels of care
• This will include a focus on psychiatric
  rehabilitation and not just traditional
  treatment-based services
• The plan describes an incremental movement toward
  implementation of Evidence Based Practices/Best
  Practices in three years

18
New Freedom InitiativeHighlights

• Challenges Barriers
• Project Modifications
• Success Stories

19
BUILDING FOUNDATIONS FOR VOCATIONAL SUCCESS

• New Freedom Initiative Project in Lycoming and
  Clinton Counties

20
Goals for the Project

• Identification of service delivery practices that
  are not consistent with the principles of
  recovery and resiliency
• Transform and redesign vocational services
  utilizing research based best practice
• To have all decisions be consumer and family
  driven
• Establish a partnership with Office of Vocational
  Rehabilitation

21
Focus for the Project is employment WHY?

• The emerging evidence base on supported
  employment is clear and consistent
• Supportive employment for people with serious
  mental illness is an evidence based practice
• Supported employment is a well defined approach
  to supporting people with disabilities to
  participate as much as possible in the
  competitive labor market
• Supported employment has improved outcomes

22
THE END