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

This week, the Arkansas Legislative Council received a report regarding the state of mental and behavioral health in Arkansas.

This report was months in the making. It makes clear that medical professionals are facing a mental health crisis in our state but the collaborative efforts involved in this study also provide a path forward to improving care.

Act 802 of 2021 required a study of Mental and Behavioral Health conditions in Arkansas.

The purpose of the study was to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the mental and behavioral health resources and care currently available and to recommend legislation to the General Assembly.

For the last several months, legislators, mental health providers, medical professionals, and behavioral health stakeholders have been meeting to discuss various services offered to persons suffering from mental health issues. The group has also been discussing the current difficulty is providing these services without a professionally trained workforce.

Representatives of the Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics testified that many pediatricians in the state are spending the majority of their day on working behavioral health right now and struggle to find access to proper care for their patients.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital reported seeing a 25% increase in mental health and behavioral health cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

And medical professionals testified that more than 36,000 adolescents in Arkansas had a major depressive episode in the last year.

Arkansas is not unique in facing these challenges. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year. The CDC also states that 1 in 5 children, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.

The Department of Human Services participated in these working groups and discussed what could be changed by the policy. As a result of the concerns raised in the working group, DHS agreed to several policy changes which will allow Medicaid providers to be reimbursed for more preventive care and provide more oversight for at-home care.

In the 94th General Assembly, we could see several pieces of legislation introduced as a direct result of this study.

The final report states that legislation is being drafted, studied, and considered which will address several concerns raised including increasing the number of Psychological Examiners practicing in the state, enhancing the availability of intensive treatment for young children and adolescents, and advocating for school counselors to be trained on suicide awareness and prevention.

We have posted the study on our website www.arkansashouse.org.

We want to remind anyone struggling with a mental health crisis to call 988 to be connected to resources near you.

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

Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught