LITTLE ROCK – The state Department of Human Services has contracted with experts at the University of Arkansas to update the current health care system, in order to fill the gaps in coverage for people who face the gravest health risks.
The Department has identified three groups who face higher risks for poor health. One group comprises people who suffer from mental illness or who abuse substances. The second group are senior citizens and people with physical disabilities. The third group is made up of people with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Public health officials have identified the most significant gaps in coverage for the three groups. One gap is a lack of early diagnosis and intervention. Another is coordinating care so that they can recover and stabilize in the least restrictive environment, rather than in an institution far from home. Integrating care is especially difficult for people leaving jail, prison or a behavioral health care facility.
The contract with the university is for $10 million. The project will be led by its School of Social Work, with input from the university’s Department of Sociology and Criminology. They will work with existing providers. A partner will be the Human Services Department’s Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.
The goal is to develop a statewide model for prevention, early treatment and follow up. One issue will be recruiting and retaining staff. Workforce shortages for mental health professionals exist in 72 counties. Only Faulkner, Pulaski and Saline Counties are not short of health care professionals.
The workforce shortage is particularly acute because adults in Arkansas experience anxiety and depression at a rate higher than the national average. The suicide rate is higher too, according to public health agencies. They estimate that 12 percent of the state’s population, or 380,000 people, has had a medical visit with a primary diagnosis of mental illness or substance abuse.
Public health and elected officials in Arkansas have worked hard to make sure most residents have health coverage. In 2022 about 90 percent of Arkansans below the age of 65 had coverage, and 94 percent of children had coverage, either through private health insurance or public programs like Medicaid, which is the largest single source of health care payments in Arkansas.
About 17.5 percent of the Arkansas population are age 65 or older, and of those 10 percent live in poverty. The university team and DHS officials will work to expand the availability of services so they can live independently at home. DHS has a separate agreement with Arkansas State University to improve training of workers who provide those services.
ASU also administers a program to help service organizations navigate the business aspect of providing care to senior citizens and people with disabilities. The program helps them adjust to changes in regulations so they can stay current with the long-term goals of Medicaid. According to DHS, which administers Medicaid, there is a “burgeoning demand” for home and community-based services.
DHS recognizes that Arkansas needs more comprehensive screening of children, so they are diagnosed earlier for disabilities and behavioral problems. Early treatment reduces the severity of the disabilities and reduces the long-term costs of later interventions.
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