Legislature(1995 - 1996)
03/08/1996 09:07 AM Senate HES
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SENATE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
March 8, 1996
9:07 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Lyda Green, Chairman
Senator Loren Leman, Vice-Chairman
Senator Mike Miller
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Johnny Ellis
Senator Judy Salo
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 259
"An Act removing the requirement for sunset review of the Alaska
Commission on Aging; and providing for an effective date."
SENATE BILL NO. 214
"An Act making appropriations for the operating expenses of the
state's integrated comprehensive mental health program; and
providing for an effective date."
PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION
SB 259 - No previous action to record.
SB 214 - No previous action to record.
WITNESS REGISTER
Nelson Page, Chair
Mental Health Trust Authority
3601 C Street, Suite 742
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed the Vision and Mission Statement as
well as the guiding principles of the Mental
Health Trust Authority.
Karen Perdue, Commissioner
Department of Health & Social Services
PO Box 110601
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0601
POSITION STATEMENT: Discussed her view of the program.
Kay Burrows, Chair
Planning & Program Group
Mental Health Trust Authority
2711 West 84 Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99502
POSITION STATEMENT: Discussed budget aspects of the program.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 96-17, SIDE A
SB 259 NO SUNSET FOR COMMISSION ON AGING
Number 001
CHAIRMAN GREEN called the Senate Health, Education and Social
Services (HESS) Committee to order at 9:07 a.m. and introduced
SB 259 as the first order of business before the committee.
SENATOR MILLER believed that all commissions should have a sunset
date in order to make the commission more accountable. The Alaska
Commission on Aging has been doing a good job. Senator Miller
moved a conceptual amendment to make the sunset date the year
2,000. Hearing no objection, the conceptual amendment was adopted.
SENATOR LEMAN moved that CSSB 259(HES) be moved out of committee
with accompanying fiscal note and individual recommendations.
Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.
SB 214 APPROPRIATIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH
Number 050
NELSON PAGE, Chair of the Mental Health Trust Authority, informed
the committee that the authority is almost a year old. One of the
most important aspects of the settlement is the idea that the Trust
Authority would work with the Department of Health & Social
Services (DHSS) to create a comprehensive plan for providing mental
health services for the people of Alaska. The Trust Authority has
adopted a vision statement and some guiding principles which have
been given to the committee. Mr. Page pointed out that the Vision
and Mission Statement contain the following important
responsibilities: to continue and plan in perpetuity, to enhance
and protect the trust, to provide leadership, to advocate and plan,
and to implement and fund. The ultimate goal of the Trust
Authority is to improve the life and circumstances of the
beneficiaries which therefore, would improve the lives and
circumstances of all Alaskans.
Number 113
Mr. Page highlighted the following guiding principles of the Mental
Health Trust Authority:
* the comprehensive plan should be an agent for change with
the funding recommendations and planning strategies designed
to act as a catalyst to achieve improvement in the system;
* the Mental Health Program and its services must be consumer
driven and outcome oriented;
* the Mental Health Program must have measurable criteria
which have some meaning in the lives of the beneficiaries
from which evaluations can be made of the services and
possible changes (the data should provide a correlation
between the plan and the beneficiary information);
* the concept of integration and efficiency should be
addressed in the planning process.
The overall progress of the authority thus far has lead to a better
focus of all the beneficiaries, the advocacy groups, and the
agencies. Mr. Page said that it had been a pleasure to work with
DHSS and Commissioner Perdue. The authority and the department
have worked closely on this program. He thanked Commissioner
Perdue for her assistance in this matter.
Number 184
KAREN PERDUE, Commissioner of the Department of Health & Social
Services, echoed Mr. Page's sentiments regarding the two groups
work together. The department and the Mental Health Program share
the goals of the Trust Authority. Enough time has been spent
reviewing the vision and mission in order to correlate the goals,
now is the time to move forward with practical work. One of the
shared goals, is to obtain basic information by July of 1996 for
the Mental Health Trust Authority and the beneficiary boards to
utilize in preparation for next year's budget process.
Commissioner Perdue stated that everyone involved wants to do
program budgeting. In closing, Commissioner Perdue indicated that
in the long-term this project would create a big return on the
investment.
KAY BURROWS, Chair of the Planning & Program Group for the Mental
Health Trust Authority, informed the committee that the group has
been trying to integrate and create a program approach through the
four beneficiary groups and boards. She mentioned that last year
the board sent the authority approximately $25 million in
priorities. About $5.9 million, of General Fund money as well as
Trust Authority money, was agreed upon as recommendations to the
Governor. The Mental Health Program Improvements in the Governor's
budget amount to $2.15 million, including the Trust Authority's
money, and is before the committee. About $3.8 million is left in
recommended Program Improvements from the Trust Authority which are
not specifically in the Governor's budget.
Number 235
Ms. Burrows explained that the Trust Authority had attempted to
leverage Trust account money to continue to move people from
Harborview and close it. Furthermore, the Trust Authority has also
tried to get the State's money into the communities earlier in
order to create the necessary wrap around services. The Governor's
budget contains an additional $585,000 which were savings from
Harborview. Ms. Burrows hoped the savings could be leveraged into
the communities. In the supplemental recommendations of the
Governor's budget, $100,000 of the $585,000 is to be placed into
leverage savings for communities. With regards to the Capital
Budget, the authority has a few line items for which the authority
suggested it would prioritize Trust Authority money. If there were
matching General Funds for transportation vehicles and for adaptive
devices for the developmentally disabled community, the authority
would prioritize Trust Authority money for those areas. There were
no General Funds in the Governor's budget so the Trust Authority
decided not to provide the Trust Authority money either. Ms.
Burrows mentioned that the authority would be determining where
additional money for FY 97 would be prioritized.
NELSON PAGE reiterated the fact that the Trust Authority has an
interest in working with the committee in order to create and
implement an appropriate plan and approach. Mr. Page thanked the
committee.
Number 270
SENATOR MILLER moved that SB 214 be moved out of committee with
individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes. Hearing
no objection, it was so ordered.
There being no further business before the committee, the meeting
was adjourned at 9:25 a.m.
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