DMH Fiscal Year 2020 Legislative Budget Request
The Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s (DMH) consolidated budget includes all budget units under DMH. DMH is requesting an increase of $6,453,751 for Fiscal Year 2020. This request includes:
- Restoration of the Legislative Budget Recommendation to FY19 level ($2,128,820)
- PERS employer contribution increase ($1,824,931)
- Expansion for mental health community-based services ($1,000,000)
- Expansion for the Medicaid ID/DD Waiver for community-based IDD services ($1,500,000)
In FY19, DMH shifted the following from institutional budgets to the Service Budget to expand community- based services to reduce the reliance on institutional care.
- $8 million for expansion of crisis services including 42 additional crisis stabilization beds, court liaisons, crisis counselors, and an additional Programs of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) Team. With this, crisis stabilization beds will now be available to all 14 Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs).
- $4 million to expand the ID/DD Home and Community Based Waiver.
- $900,000 to continue/expand the development of Community Transition Homes which are community- based living opportunities for individuals that have been receiving continued treatment services at Mississippi State Hospital.
- $400,000 to continue/expand the jail-based competence restoration project. In this program, the CMHC provides restoration services in the jail setting, which can help alleviate wait times.
Each year for the past five fiscal years, the Mississippi Legislature appropriated $16.1 million to DMH specifically to expand community-based services. With DMH shifting $13.3 million from the institutional budget to the Service Budget, the total funding amount for the expansion of community-based services in FY19 was $29.4 million.
DMH received approval to implement the State Personnel Board’s non-appropriated job class realignment recommendation in the Direct Care Series effective June 1, 2018 without an additional appropriation. These front line positions are the most critical to providing quality care to Mississippians served in our programs. The realignment applied to all employees in the Direct Care Series with each employee receiving a minimum yearly salary increase of $2,300. This affected approximately 3,324 staff. Direct care staff are the employees with the highest rate of turnover in state government – 48%.
Due to the competitive nature of the healthcare industry, DMH respectfully requests the Legislature fund a realignment for the agency’s remaining employees.