knproject.org

Download Powerpoint Summary for Policy Work Group from May 2011 KN Summit

Download Powerpoint Summary for Policy Work Group from Nov 2010 KN Summit

Completed and Ongoing Projects:

• Created informational materials to educate CMHC leadership, members of Congress, and collaborators about the importance of CMHC inclusion in the national Health IT infrastructure.
• Testified before the Health I.T. Policy subcommittee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT.
• Created sample letters of support for potential federal legislation to fix the exclusion of CMHCs.
• Educated members of congress regarding need for CMHC inclusion.
• Worked with a broad national team interested in CMHC inclusion on developing a piece of legislation.

Why Policy Advocacy?
Unless there is significant change in legislation and national policy regarding behavioral health funding, the goals of the Knowledge Network will be difficult for all but a few CMHCs to meet. Without changes, broad participation in research and broad implementation of research-based care will be financially and practically impossible despite providers’ best intentions. This group’s goals are to 1) increase awareness by policy makers of the clinical efficacy of behavioral health interventions, 2) work to close the bifurcation of policy between health care and behavioral healthcare, 3) fix the exclusion of CMHCs for eligibility for Health Information Technology (Health IT) funding.
 

	“Health I.T. must come first in healthcare reform efforts – and it must be inclusive. Restricting CMHCs from interoperable health information technology assistance will increase the science to service gap & impede our clients from getting the best care.” –Dennis P. Morrison, Ph.D., Centerstone Research Institute		“Our internet based electronic clinical record means that the 10,000 clients we serve have the same information available to our staff at all of our locations. However, because we lack interoperability, when our patients go to an emergency room or to jail, their staff lack access to the patient’s essential medication and treatment history.“ – Shannon Harvey, LCSW, River Edge Behavioral Health Center

Enabling Quality: The Importance of CMHC Inclusion in Health IT Funding
The biggest policy focus for 2009-2010 is to support the creation of legislation that allows CMHCs to receive Health Information Technology Incentive Funding. Since a strong CMHC Health IT infrastructure as the foundation all of the Knowledge Network projects, this is essential. On April 15, 2010, Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA), and others introduced HR 5040: The Health IT Extension of Behavioral Health Services Act of 2010.

Interoperable Electronic Health Records are Essential for community mental health providers. Without them, CMHCs:

• Cannot prevent polypharmacy.
• Cannot track outcomes efficiently.
• Cannot engage in cost-effective chronic disease management with their patients.
• Cannot be held accountable for using best practices.

CMHCs want to Use Health Information Technologies. The 2009 Behavioral Health and Human Services Survey conducted by CRI for SATVA and National Council showed that the #1 barrier is cost. If CMHCs had the funds, they would implement interoperable electronic health records.

CMHCs Currently Lack Essential Health IT Resources:

• Less than ½ of the CMHC providers surveyed in 2009 have E.H.R.s.
• Only 8.2% of CMHCs surveyed have E.H.R.s that are interoperable with medical & primary care systems.

2009-2010 Policy Leadership Team
Christina VanRegenmorter, CRI (facilitator); Roy Starks, Mental Health Center of Denver; Shannon Harvey, River Edge Behavioral Health Center; Mark Peterson, Genoa Healthcare; Joan Sivley, Centerstone of Tennessee Board Member; Kevin Scalia, Netsmart Technologies; Linda Rosenberg & Chuck Ingoglia, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare; Dr. Dennis Morrison, CRI; Deborah Taylor Tate, CRI Board Member