Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities Story Archives

Lawmakers Hear Updates On DHHR Reorganization

The three appointed secretaries of the new bureaus of the DHHR provided lawmakers with updates on restructuring within the department. Legislation passed in 2023 required the department to be reorganized and split into three agencies after concerns of inefficiencies in the system.

Members of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability voiced concerns about the restructuring of the Department of Health and Human Resources on Tuesday.

The three appointed secretaries of the new bureaus of the DHHR provided lawmakers with updates on restructuring the department. Legislation passed in 2023 required the department to be split and reorganized after concerns of inefficiencies in the massive agency.

The new secretaries are Dr. Sherri Young, incoming secretary of the Department of Health, Dr. Cynthia Persily, incoming secretary of the Department of Human Services and Michael Caruso, incoming secretary of the Department of Health Facilities.

Young said and her fellow secretaries are identifying critical vacancies in their departments and consolidating some empty positions.

“We have met with our respective new departments, within our bureaus and offices so that we can better understand what needs they have as far as critical vacancies and what positions need to be filled, and how we could be more administratively responsible with the positions that haven’t been filled for quite some time,” she said.

Young also reported a decrease in vacancies in the Bureau for Social Services, the Bureau for Child Support Enforcement, the Bureau for Medical Services and the Bureau for Behavioral Health.

However, the Department of Health Facilities, the Bureau for Public Health and the Bureau for Family Assistance increased in vacancies.

Caruso explained the problem in his presentation.

“Basically, we don’t pay our people enough on an hourly rate,” Caruso said. “All right, and neither does the rest of the systems. The fact is that most of our employees have just jumped to the contracted services.”

Caruso also reported that he brought in Baker Tilly US, LLP, an advisory, tax and assurance firm, to do a benchmark study on all facilities and perform a complete financial review.

“Those studies were completed last week, those studies will be integrated, and we will educate our leadership team as well as our CEOs over the next week and a half,” Caruso said.

Health Management Information Systems, or HMIS, are software used to manage and analyze healthcare data. Caruso said he is looking to improve the Department of Health Facilities’ HMIS.

“We are looking internally to improve that process and improve that program, as well as potentially looking at other outside vendors to cover our emergency or electronic medical records,” Caruso told lawmakers.

Persily reported a reduced vacancy rate in the Department of Human Services and accredited that to pay raises and access to behavioral health services for Child Protective Services workers.

“So the work that you did in the last session, to increase salaries, to provide regional salary differentials, it’s worked. We have reduced significantly the vacancies in that particular job classification,” Persily said. “I believe that in January last year, when you heard about this, the rate was about 30 percent. And our rate at the end of July was 17 percent.”

Lawmakers questioned the secretaries on their proposed structuring of the departments, voicing concerns about the level of bureaucracy operating in the agency.

Del. Amy Summers, R-Taylor, asked the secretaries to be proactive instead of reactive in their planning.

“My only concern is I don’t want to duplicate what we’ve been doing when we have this great opportunity to create something new,” Summers said.

Persily said she and the other secretaries will have a model in place by January 1, 2024, the deadline for the department to split, but advocated for flexibility.

“We are not going to be wedded to a model if it doesn’t work, and we will constantly be improving that model as we move along. And so any changes would be for efficiency, and for functionality,” Persily said. “But what I will say is that you will, you will see some consistencies across the three departments, you will see that we there are some things that each department needs.”

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Agencies Offer Programs To Avoid Teen Drinking

Students are headed back to school and two state agencies are working to help them avoid underage drinking.

The West Virginia Department of Human Resources’ Bureau for Behavioral Health (BBH) supports programs including Too Good for Drugs, Keep a Clear Mind and Positive Action.

More than 90 schools receive support through Expanded School Mental Health grants or West Virginia Department of Education Project AWARE grants.

“BBH aims to build protective factors like positive role models and a safe culture so that it is easier for all students to make good choices,” Commissioner Dawn Frohna said. “We appreciate our partners including WVABCA that have joined us in our mission to help students thrive in their homes, schools, and communities.”

For those interested in prevention programming visit West Virginia’s substance use prevention contacts and guidance at https://helpandhopewv.org/prevention-works.html. A new BBH Clearinghouse also provides a database of prevention, treatment, and recovery EBPs researched by state experts.

BBH funds several helplines operated by First Choice Services to assist West Virginians in need of behavioral health support. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and 844-HELP4WV (844-435-7498), which includes the Children’s Crisis and Referral Line, are available 24/7 with call, chat, and text options.

The West Virginia Alcohol Control Administration’s Fall Safety Plan for Students starts in September with the 11th annual NO School Spirits PSA contest. The agency will also visit high schools to deliver its DUI Simulator Program.

For more information, visit https://abca.wv.gov/ or WVABCA’s Facebook page.

“With initiatives such as our PSA contest, students take part in prevention messaging to address the harms that can result from underage alcohol use,” Alchohol Commissioner Fred Wooton said. “WVABCA is committed to working with DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health, the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, and other groups to deliver programs and services to protect our youth as a new school year gets underway.”

WVABCA will also hold its 3rd annual Alcohol Prevention, Enforcement, Education and Policy conference October 11-12, 2023, at Canaan Valley Resort for law enforcement, educators, community health specialists, prevention coordinators, and other stakeholders.

DHHR Names Commissioner Of Bureau For Behavioral Health

The DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health is the state’s health authority for mental health, substance use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Amid its own restructuring, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) named a commissioner for the Bureau for Behavioral Health.

Interim Cabinet Secretary of the DHHR Dr. Jeffrey H. Coben announced the new Commissioner of the DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health is Dawn Cottingham-Frohna.

“Dawn brings a broad array of leadership experience from both a management and patient-centered perspective,” Coben said. “Her understanding of the needs of patients, practitioners and providers will allow her to thoughtfully and effectively address West Virginia’s needs related to behavioral health services across the lifespan.”

The DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health is the state’s health authority for mental health, substance use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Cottingham-Frohna will replace former Commissioner Christina Mullins who was appointed DHHR’s Deputy Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in November 2022.

Cottingham-Frohna has experience treating chemical dependency and mental health disorders from Wisconsin’s Miramount Behavioral Health and Sauk Prairie Healthcare.

“I am excited to follow my passion in this new role and look forward to continuing the Bureau’s work to coordinate and collaborate across agencies to advance access and quality of behavioral health services for West Virginians,” said Cottingham-Frohna.

Cottingham-Frohna earned her Master of Business with an emphasis in health care management from the University of Phoenix and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

DHHR Names Another Internal Promotion In Effort To Improve Agency

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources is creating a new top level of management in an effort to streamline internal communications and performance.

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) is creating a new top level of management in an effort to streamline internal communications and performance.

DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch said in a press release Tuesday that Christina Mullins will serve as his Deputy Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.

Mullins most recently served as the Commissioner of DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health since 2018. Mullins will oversee DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health and the Office of Drug Control Policy.

“As a lifelong resident of West Virginia, I have seen firsthand how addiction and mental health disorders have affected our communities, but have also seen how West Virginians can make a difference when they work together toward a common goal,” Mullins said. “Gov. Justice and Secretary Crouch have made clear that addressing these issues are a priority and I will work hard to continue implementing data driven strategies to help our communities be healthier.”

Her appointment comes on the heels of an outside report that said DHHR needed to improve its internal communication in order to improve agency performance. Gov. Jim Justice requested an outside review of the agency after he vetoed a bill that would have split the state health department into two different agencies.

The McChrystal Group conducted the review then released its report in November, which was criticized by lawmakers for its $1 million price tag and lack of substance.

Lawmakers have questioned the largest state agency’s $7.5 billion budget while West Virginia is performing poorly in many health outcomes and has the highest percentage of children in foster care in the country.

This is the second internal promotion in two days as part of the agency’s response to the report. On Monday, Crouch announced he promoted Cammie Chapman as his Deputy Secretary of Child and Adult Services. Chapman previously served as associate general counsel for DHHR.

West Virginia Funding Announced for 3 Drug Treatment Sites

Three substance use disorder programs in West Virginia are receiving $1.6 million in funding from the state.

The funding was announced by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities.

The funding includes $700,000 for a 10-bed long-term residential treatment program for women in Brooke County, $594,000 for a six-bed short-term residential treatment program for women in Mercer County and $398,000 for a recovery residence for women in the Institute area of Kanawha County.

The state said the funding supports recommendations from the Governor’s Advisory Council on Substance Abuse.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Partners with Charleston Non-Profit

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced Tuesday that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is partnering with First Choice Services, a local non-profit organization based in Charleston, to answer calls from West Virginians in times of need.

In a press release, the DHHR stated:

Calls to 1-800-273-TALK will be answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All call line staff have received training in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills, the gold standard in screening and assisting suicidal callers. Callers to the Lifeline are provided crisis counseling, treatment referrals, and follow-up services. When necessary, emergency procedures are used to dispatch first responders. All services offered by the Suicide Prevention Lifeline are free and confidential.

Nikki Tennis, an office director at the Bureau for Behavioral Health and Health Facilities, said the in-state partnership would help refer individuals to resources in the state.

“They know more about the different resources that we have in the state. It’s also affiliated with Help4WV,” Tennis said. “First Choice also has that hotline for the state, which includes help for substance abuse and mental health needs That they are connected in that way really helps with cross-referrals.”

According to the DHHR, 340 West Virginians died by suicide in 2015, making it the 14th leading cause of death in the state. Last year, 40 percent of West Virginia callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline were veterans.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, with support from the Benedum Foundation.