January 5, 2024|
Photo – High Country Behavioral Health formerly Carbon County Counseling Center – Courtesy Facebook
The Carbon County Commissioners want a voice in who gets state money for mental health in Carbon County.
Every year, the Wyoming Department of Health selects a mental health provider in each county to receive state funding. The state chose Carbon County Counseling Center to handle mental health services in the county. The county commissioners expressed concern over the facility’s ability to provide adequate mental health care for Carbon County residents.
At the January 2nd Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Wyoming Department of Health senior policy analyst Franz Fuchs appeared virtually to answer the board’s questions.
County Attorney Ashley Davis asked Fuchs if the county could have a say in who the state chooses to be its mental health gatekeeper. The gatekeeper is the official or organization that is trained to recognize people who require emergency mental health services, such as suicidal individuals. Fuchs said he’ll listen to what the board has to say, but the state is unable to provide funding to any place other than the Carbon County Counseling Center.
The county attorney said in the past, the board participated in the gatekeeper selection process. Attorney Davis asked Fuchs what recourse the county has if they are dissatisfied with the services provided by Carbon County Counseling Center.
Fuchs said the state is required to speak with the county commissioners when it selects a mental health service provider. However, Fuchs said the county has no way to hold the mental health center accountable to the state’s contract.
Fuchs said this year’s contracts are different from past agreements. The department of health analyst said mental health centers will receive financial incentives to properly care for high need clients.
Fuchs asked the commissioners to be patient and wait to see if the new contract motivates the Carbon County Counseling Center to uphold its end of the bargain. Fuchs said by next year, Wyoming Department of Health will know if the added monetary bonuses resulted in an increased quality of care.
Attorney Davis asked if the state monitors its chosen mental health providers to ensure the money is being used properly. The county attorney said in the past, the state was paying for gatekeeping services, but none were being provided.
Wyoming Department of Health Substance Abuse Administrator Ben Kifer said the state does not have a way to specifically determine how the funding is being used. Kifer said the chosen centers are simply given a lump sum of money to spend on mental health services.
Senior Policy Analysist Fuchs said when the new contracts take effect this summer, 10% of the funding will be set aside for performance-based payouts. Fuchs said under the new contract, mental health gatekeeping providers will be able to submit payments for their services.
Commission Chairwoman Sue Jones said in her opinion, Carbon County does not have adequate mental health services. Chairwoman Jones said the Carbon County Counseling Center has not provided gatekeeping services in the past. The commission chairwoman asked the Wyoming Department of Health representatives if the state has a way to verify the individual mental health centers are providing the services they are being paid for.
Fuchs said bureaucrats in Cheyenne have no way to confirm that proper mental health services are being provided to every county in the state. However, Fuchs said the new contracts contain monetary incentives for mental health centers to take care of 900 of the most at-risk patients.
The board said they would like to have more say regarding who the department of health selects as the county’s mental health center. The commissioners said they know better than the state what types of services the county requires.
Fuchs once again asked for the board’s patience while the new contract is being implemented. The senior policy analyst said after a year, Wyoming Department of Health will conduct a study to determine if the financial incentives were successful. If not, Fuchs said he’ll review the contracts and make the appropriate changes.
