healthcarejournalbr.com | July / August 2008 Issue |
Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge
15
ACT teams, which would also each serve about 100 people
annually, would address individual needs for symptom man-
agement, substance abuse treatment, interpersonal relation-
ships, skill development, housing issues, healthcare, legal
issues, financial issues, etc., so would naturally be comprised
of many disciplines. Unlike traditional community services, the
teams would go directly to those in need. “In theory there are
enough beds to accommodate the city's mentally ill,” said
Kopke. “What there is not enough of are the community serv-
ices that provide care and keep them out of the hospital.”
In recognition of the importance of a home base for continuity
of care and mental stability, DHH is also seeking those who
could provide monthly housing subsidies and supports in the
greater New Orleans area. This transitional service would
allow those with mental disabilities to afford rental units until a
traditional rental subsidy through HUD or other sources can
be obtained. Those accessing the services of the FACT and
ACT teams would have priority for these subsidies.
For those in crisis, DHH also wishes to create access to six
crisis respite beds for temporary residence and stabilization
for adults with either a psychiatric or behavioral emergency.
The beds, which would be available 24/7, would avert the
need to go to an emergency room, mental health emergency
room extension, or placement in an acute psychiatric hospital
bed. Despite the limited number, DHH expects to serve 500
people annually with the six respite beds. Respite beds would
be accessed through referral from a community service,
through a triage center, or from an emergency room.
Finally, DHH wishes to create a Child Adolescent Crisis
Response Team (CART) for Orleans, Plaquemines, and St.
Bernard parishes. The program would provide a telephone
triage system followed by a face-to-face assessment within
two hours either in-home or in-community if necessary.
Licensed mental professionals and para-professional staff
would provide in-home stabilization for a maximum of seven
days. The CART would operate out of the New Orleans
Adolescent Hospital.
It is hoped that these short term initiatives will stabilize the
greater New Orleans area while also serving as pilots for
some of DHH's new approaches. In the meantime, the state
will fine tune the human service district concept, which seems
to work well in other areas, and expand that model to other
regions. Of course, the collaboration of law enforcement, pub-
lic and private hospitals, clinics and primary healthcare
providers is essential to managing mental health in Louisiana.
When asked what Louisiana's healthcare community could do
to help, Kopke answered, “Keep up the good work…every-
thing they do is critical.”
v
It is hoped that these short term initiatives
will stabilize the greater New Orleans area
while also serving as pilots for some of DHH's
new approaches.