Adult Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (MH/DD) Stakeholder Task Force (J)

Charge

The legislation (2009 Iowa Acts, H.F. 811, §56) requires the chairpersons and ranking members of the Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services to consult in appointing a task force of stakeholders for the 2009 Legislative Interim to address both funding and service issues associated with the service system administered by counties for adult mental health and developmental disabilities services. Due to the current budget situation and funding limitations, the chairpersons and ranking members have asked the members of the Joint Subcommittee, particularly those who served on the two related subcommittees during the 2009 Session, to serve as the task force and hold a meeting during the late fall. In preparation for the late fall task force meeting, legislative staff were asked to form a workgroup to develop materials and options and receive input from those interested in MH/DD services for discussion and review at the meeting. The workgroup was asked to develop short-term and long-term options for reforming the adult MH/DD services system and funding, including the following: 1. The current funding environment and temporary availability of federal stimulus package moneys may affect the county MH/DD service fund ending balances used for the distribution of allowed growth and risk pool funding. Provide options to address funding eligibility requirements, including ending balances, distribution requirements, and other elements. 2. The prospects for significant new state funding in the next few years are limited, federal funding availability is unknown, and local funding options are capped. Provide options for pilot projects that will use existing funding more efficiently and allow testing of new funding options.