Sanders, DHS Announce $5 Million to Support Youth Substance Abuse Residential Treatment and Supportive Housing Units for Adults

LITTLE ROCK – Today, Governor Sanders along with the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), announced a combined $5 million in grants to a pair of providers for infrastructure improvements that support youth and adults struggling with mental health, substance abuse, or intellectual disabilities. 

“This announcement builds on my administration’s work to support some of our most vulnerable communities,” said Governor Sanders.“ These grants meet Arkansans in need where they are and puts them on a path to a better life – we will continue working to ensure all our citizens have every opportunity to reach their full potential.”

“The projects supported by these grants will fill gaps in coverage and help deliver better services to youth seeking to transition out of addiction and adults with behavioral health or intellectual disabilities who are reintegrating into their communities,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam. “We are grateful for the support of the Legislature, the Governor’s Office, our partners in the community, and everyone who helped make these grants a reality, and we look forward to seeing these projects take root and begin serving at-risk Arkansans.”

“We are excited to move forward with these investments that support kids and adults struggling with mental health challenges or substance abuse problems,” said DHS Director of Specialty Populations Melissa Weatherton. “The providers that receive these funds will help us complete the continuum of care and allow us to better deliver services to Arkansans in need.”

A $2 million grant for Youth Substance Abuse Residential Treatment Facilities will allow Unity Health in Searcy to expand treatment programs for children and teens struggling with substance abuse disorders. A second grant for Supported Housing Units for Adults will provide $3 million to Independence Care of Arkansas to purchase, renovate, and construct tiny homes as part of a development in Camden for adults transitioning from secure therapeutic settings into the community. 

The youth substance abuse residential treatment facilities grant will result in additional beds for youth residential services at the Unity Health Specialty Campus at 1200 South Main St., which will help fill a need for services for adolescents struggling with both significant acute psychiatric and substance misuse issues. It will represent the first substance use disorder residential treatment unit specifically for adolescents in Arkansas.

The supportive housing units for adults grant will fund the purchase and construction of accessible tiny homes tailored to the needs of individuals with disabilities, mental health challenges, or substance abuse problems. Independence Care of Arkansas will partner with local health care providers, mental health professionals, and community organizations to deliver services to residents as part of a supportive living community at the Millcreek Mobile Home & RV Park at 101 Ouachita Road 471 in Camden.

Work on both projects must be completed by September 2026, and both grant recipients are required to continue operations of the newly renovated programs for at least five years after completion.

DHS previously awarded $15 million in additional grants tied to this same program. Those grants support infrastructure improvements and expansions for programs tied to community reintegration for children, adult substance abuse residential treatment facilities, supportive housing units for young adults, therapeutic communities for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Activists continue to call for changes to Arkansas Medicaid, allege unfair losses of coverage

KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

Arkansas Medicaid recipients and advocates repeated their ongoing messages that the state Department of Human Services should provide broader Medicaid coverage and process applications more efficiently at a Tuesday demonstration outside DHS’ Jefferson County office.

Arkansas Community Organizations, the group behind the protest, has continually emphasized the benefits of the federally-funded health insurance program and the struggles low-income Arkansans face when they cannot afford health care or get on Medicaid quickly. On Tuesday, the group added a new message: that DHS employees are overworked and under-supported.

“When you walk into DHS, prepare to take a number and sit for a long time,” Medicaid recipient William Gerard said. “There might be two workers at four windows and not enough [support] to serve their caseload.”

Activists continue to call for changes to Arkansas Medicaid, allege unfair losses of coverage

Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate

Organizers with Arkansas Community Organizations hold up signs advocating for better Medicaid coverage outside Jefferson County’s Department of Human Services office in Pine Bluff on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.

Sanders, DHS Announce $15 Million to Support Arkansans with Substance Use Disorder, Mental Illness, and Intellectual Disabilities

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Today, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) announced $15 million in grants to fund infrastructure improvements that support individuals with substance use disorders, mental illnesses, or intellectual disabilities. Recipient organizations offer Medicaid treatment in community-based settings for specialty populations around the state.

“Vulnerable Arkansans need help – and they deserve to receive that help in modern, well-functioning facilities,” said Governor Sanders.“As my administration supports our most at-risk citizens, these grants will build a continuity of care that helps Arkansans through every step of their lives.”

“The funding awards announced today will create an array of additional services that support an improved continuum of care for both young people and adults who are struggling with substance use disorders, mental illness, or intellectual disabilities,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam. “We are excited to see these investments turn into services that fill gaps in coverage and ultimately make a positive difference in the lives of Arkansans who need this support.” 

This program will award grants to support Youth Substance Abuse Residential Treatment and Supported Housing Units for Young Adults later this summer. 

The different grant types and recipient groups are below:

The Community Reintegration for Children grant funds new buildings that will function as family home environments for children to provide step-down support from high-cost, restrictive settings. Recipients are:

• Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center, Fort Smith – $4 million

• United Methodist Children’s Home, Little Rock – $1 million

The Adult Substance Abuse Residential Treatment Facilities grant funds improvements to existing facilities that offer 30- to 60-day treatment programs for adults struggling with substance abuse disorders. Recipients are:

• Harbor House, Fort Smith – $1,842,004

• ARVAC Lake Point Recovery and Wellness, Russellville – $2,157,996

The Supported Housing Units for Young Adults grant funds the construction of an apartment complex that will house youth struggling with behavioral health who have aged out of group homes or other services provided by the Division of Children and Family Services or the Division of Youth Services. The recipient is:

• Rainbow of Challenges, Inc., Hope – $3 million

The Therapeutic Communities for Adults with IDD grant funds the creation of a 16-bed therapeutic community that will provide step-down support from high-cost, in-patient psychiatric care for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and a co-occurring behavioral health diagnosis. The recipient is: 

• ARISA Health, Jonesboro – $3 million

DHS to end Medicaid managed care dental program, return to fee-for-service

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) announced Monday (June 3) that it will end its Medicaid managed care dental program and return beneficiaries who qualify for dental coverage to the Medicaid fee-for-service program beginning later this year.

DHS expects to launch this program on Nov. 1, 2024, and efforts to support this change are being prioritized immediately, it said.

The dental managed care program within Arkansas Medicaid has been in effect since Jan. 1, 2018, and as of this month serves 572,047 beneficiaries.

DHS to end Medicaid managed care dental program, return to fee-for-service

1 in 5 Arkansas children lost Medicaid during ‘unwinding’ process, report finds

KUAR | By Mary Hennigan / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

About 20% of children insured in Arkansas’ Medicaid program lost access during the state’s “unwinding” period, according to a report released Thursday from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.

“Arkansas did move very aggressively, and I think you can see that reflected in their losses,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown organization.

In six months, the Arkansas Department of Human Services disenrolled 184,500 people from Medicaid; more than half, 94,000, were children.

The report, which analyzed every state’s performance during the unwinding as of December 2023, ranked Arkansas with the sixth highest percentage decline in Medicaid coverage for kids. Arkansas’ rate more than doubled the nationwide average of 10%.

1 in 5 Arkansas children lost Medicaid during ‘unwinding’ process, report finds

John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate

Jasmine James, third from left, talks about her experiences with Medicaid during an event held Friday in front of DHS offices in Little Rock. A group called Make Medicaid Better gathered in front of the Department of Human services offices in downtown Little Rock Friday morning to seek a response from the department about changes to Medicaid the group had suggested to DHS in an earlier meeting.

DHS, UAMS Program Receives $9.5 Million Grant For Statewide Mental Health Initiative

By News Staff

LITTLE ROCK — In an effort to increase mental health services for Arkansans, especially in rural parts of the state, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) announced an $9.5 million, five-year mental health grant program.

DHS partnered with UAMS, two federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and the nonprofit Arkansas Behavioral Health Integration Network (ABIHIN) for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant.

The funds will implement a mental health and behavioral health collaborative care model at 36 clinics and health centers across the state.  This model links patients, primary care providers, behavioral health care managers, and psychiatric consultants. An electronic registry also is used as part of this model to track patient treatment and progress. These reforms will streamline health care, improve coordination and make it easier to connect patients with psychiatric services.

DHS, UAMS Program Receives $9.5 Million Grant For Statewide Mental Health Initiative

The Arkansas Department of Human Services has partnered with UAMS on a $9.5 million, five-year mental health grant program.

Arkansas Medicaid rolls drop 72,000 in August as redetermination enters final month

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas’ Medicaid rolls fell by more than 72,000 in August, according to new figures released by the state Department of Human Services on Friday (Sept. 8).

Arkansas is unwinding, or redetermining, Medicaid eligibility for patients as part of the ending of the federal COVID-19 pandemic. There was a continuous enrollment requirement during the crisis that prevented DHS from removing most ineligible individuals from Medicaid. State law requires the unwinding process be completed in six months.

In its fifth month of redetermination, DHS officials said 72,519 Arkansans had their Medicaid cases closed – a number that includes those added to the rolls during the public health emergency and regular renewals. In August, DHS said more than 50,000 cases were renewed after eligibility was confirmed.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/arkansas-medicaid-rolls-drop-72000-in-august-as-redetermination-enters-final-month/

Arkansas' Medicaid rolls reduced by 82,279 in July; total disenrolled more than 300,000

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas’ Medicaid rolls fell by more than 82,000 in July, according to new figures released by the state Department of Human Services.

Arkansas is unwinding, or redetermining, Medicaid eligibility for patients as part of the ending of the federal COVID-19 pandemic. There was a continuous enrollment requirement during the crisis that prevented DHS from removing most ineligible individuals from Medicaid. State law requires the unwinding process be completed in six months.

In its fourth month of redetermination, DHS officials said 82,279 Arkansans had their Medicaid cases closed – a number that includes those added to the rolls during the public health emergency and regular renewals. In July, more than 50,000 cases were renewed after eligibility was confirmed, DHS said.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/08/medicaid-rolls-reduced-by-82279-in-july-total-disenrolled-more-than-300000/

77,000 removed from Medicaid rolls in June

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

In the third month of activity, Arkansas posted its highest level of disenrollment figures since beginning its redetermination process mandated by state and federal law.

In June, Arkansas Department of Human Services officials disclosed that “approximately 77,000 beneficiaries were disenrolled because they are no longer eligible. As of July 1, total Medicaid enrollment was 971,364, including 414,722 children, 276,764 on ARHOME, and 279,878 other adults.” More than 50,000 cases were renewed, according to DHS.

In April and May – the first two months of a six-month disenrollment process – DHS reported 72,802 and 68,838 recipients respectively.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/07/77000-removed-from-medicaid-rolls-in-june/

DHS officials say redetermination numbers meeting estimates, work requirement waiver in ‘negotiation’ phase with feds

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Nearly halfway through a six-month process to redetermine Medicaid eligibility for hundreds of thousands of Arkansans, Department of Human Services officials said they believe estimates of where the population would land are close to projections.

DHS Secretary Kristi Putnam and Arkansas Medicaid Director Janet Mann appeared on this week’s edition of Capitol View and Talk Business & Politics. According to figures released by the agency in June, nearly 140,000 Arkansans have been disenrolled from the Medicaid expansion program, now known as ARHOME, or had their cases closed through regular program operations. New figures are expected to be released in mid-July.

“We do feel that they are tracking. We chose to do our extended category first with our regular renewals, because we had worked through the three-year pandemic on redeterminations, and if we determined that they would most likely be ineligible, we put them in the extended category. So we started with that, those categories first, to really work on right-sizing our population,” Mann said.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/07/dhs-officials-say-redetermination-numbers-meeting-estimates-work-requirement-waiver-in-negotiation-phase-with-feds/

Arkansas DHS preparing for new community-based health initiatives

KUAR | By Daniel Breen

The Arkansas Department of Human Services is preparing to roll out new public health services as part of ARHOME, the state’s Medicaid expansion program.

DHS officials say they soon expect to receive approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for their Life360 HOME initiative to provide more services to populations most at risk of negative health outcomes.

In a webinar Thursday hosted by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, Nell Smith, assistant director of the DHS Division of Medical Services, said the department will contract with local hospitals to provide care for three categories of Medicaid recipients.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-10-27/arkansas-dhs-preparing-for-new-community-based-health-initiatives

Arkansas Center For Health Improvement/Achi.Net

A map shows the potential location of Life360 Homes under the Arkansas Department of Human Services ARHOME Medicaid expansion program.

Governor Hutchinson Announces Resignation of Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services Cindy Gillespie

LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson today announced that Cindy Gillespie will resign as Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

“Cindy Gillespie has given the state of Arkansas her experience, management capabilities, and the right ideas that have led us in a great direction,” Governor Hutchinson said. “She is a great friend, and she is truly passionate about making a difference in the lives of Arkansans every day.”

Secretary Gillespie issued this response reflecting on her time in public service for the State of Arkansas.

“In 2016, when Governor Hutchinson offered me the role leading the Arkansas Department of Human Services, I could not have imagined all that would happen in the coming years, nor did I realize how quickly Arkansas would become my home and the employees at DHS become my family. The last six years have been the most challenging and rewarding of my career and I am extraordinarily proud of all the incredible DHS team has accomplished over these years. “We care, we act, we change lives” is more than a motto at DHS - it’s truly the mission my co-workers live each day as they go to work in our facilities, our offices, and in the homes of families and individuals in need.

The continuing focus Governor and First Lady Hutchinson have had on the safety, health, and future of children has guided so much of my work here, and I have benefitted from the Governor’s steadfast support, leadership, and the model of servant leadership he set. It has been an honor to be part of his Cabinet.

I am also grateful to the members of the Arkansas General Assembly for their guidance and support over the years. Many of them spent countless hours working with me on policy, legislation, and issues, and I have appreciated their dedication to the constituents they serve and to ensuring Arkansans thrive.

Although it is bittersweet to leave, I appreciate the Governor understanding that family must always come first, so I will need to depart in October.”

Before joining DHS in 2016, Gillespie served as a Principal in the Washington D.C. office of Dentons’ Public Policy and Regulation practice and a leader of the firm’s Health Policy and Health Insurance Exchange Teams. Earlier, Gillespie served as a senior advisor to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, where she led the Commonwealth of Massachusetts interactions with the federal government and oversaw the development and implementation of the Administration’s executive branch initiatives, including playing a leading role in the development of Massachusetts health reforms. 

Prior to her government service in Massachusetts, Ms. Gillespie served as a senior executive for the not-for-profit Salt Lake Olympic Committee, responsible for hosting the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games, and as a director at the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, the non-profit hosting the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. She was recognized both nationally and internationally for her leadership in developing a unique public-private partnership between federal, state, and local government and the organizing committees for staging the Games in the U.S. She is a graduate of Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville, TN, and has a master’s degree from Auburn University in Alabama. She is a native of Columbus, Georgia.

Governor Hutchinson will announce a successor to Secretary Gillespie at a later date.

Secretary Gillespie’s last day in the DHS office will be October 7, 2022.

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | Pandemic Rental Assistance for Struggling Arkansans

LITTLE ROCK – We opened Arkansas’s rental-assistance program this week, and today I’d like to talk about how we will help renters and landlords who are struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services will distribute $173 million in assistance through the Arkansas Rent Relief Program. That money is coming from the $25 billion the U.S. Department of the Treasury has allocated for this fund nationally.

The Department of Human Services began accepting applications on Monday, and the program will remain open through the end of this year. Payments will go to landlords, but a tenant and a landlord each must apply. The payments will cover 15 months of rent and utilities that were not paid from April 1, 2020, through December 31 of this year.

Of course, landlords must agree that they won’t evict a tenant before they can receive the money.

To qualify, a renter must be a resident of Arkansas and a U.S. citizen or legal resident with a current residential lease or rental agreement. Renters also must meet one of these three criteria to qualify for aid: Someone in their home qualifies for unemployment benefits; their household income decreased because of the pandemic; or someone in their home has incurred significant financial hardship because of the pandemic. In addition to meeting one of those three, the renter’s income must qualify for assistance.

The assistance will pay for unpaid rent going back twelve months and up to three months in the future, as well as utility bills and late fees. The money will not cover costs of telephones, cable television, internet access, or mortgage payments. All payments will go directly to landlords and utility companies.

You can learn more at ar.gov/RentRelief.  

As of midweek, DHS has received 94 matched applications that are now under review, and more than 400 applications are awaiting a match.

We have other programs to help. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has $1.7 million left over from CARES Act funds, which has allowed us to extend the Winter Crisis Program. This will provide assistance for gas and electric bills up to $500 per qualified household. We will give priority to applicants who did not receive assistance during the initial Winter Program.

And DHS is also providing child care assistance for nearly 8,000 families of essential workers without regard to income.

No one has escaped the touch of the pandemic, and as much as we are able, we want to soften the blow for those who have suffered significant financial harship. These programs will help thousands of Arkansans regain their footing.

Rent Relief Program Using $173 Million in Federal Funds Launches in Arkansas

by Marine Glisovic (msglisovic@sbgtv.com)

Additional help is available for Arkansas renters who have lost jobs or are struggling financially due to the pandemic. The Arkansas Department of Human Services launched the Arkansas Rent Relief program Monday (May 17), which utilizes $173 million in federal funds.

“The need for rental assistance has been present since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. “I appreciate the work that’s being done by the Arkansas Department of Human Services in conjunction with our federal partners to help renters and landlords who need assistance during this time.”

The program is aimed at covering past rent, future rent and certain utilities such as water, electricity and gas. Mary Franklin, DHS’s Director of Division of County Operations, said payment assistance can be used for up to 15 months of rent or utilities incurred between April 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/05/rent-relief-program-using-173-million-in-federal-funds-launches-in-arkansas/