Windfall in treatment beds still expected by around end of year, state official tells lawmakers

Windfall in treatment beds still expected by around end of year, state official tells lawmakers

(Jeffrey D. Allred, KSL, File)


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SALT LAKE CITY — The state's director of mental health and substance abuse services told legislators Wednesday he is confident that more than 200 treatment beds will be available by late December or early January for people targeted for help by Operation Rio Grande.

Doug Thomas noted that 44 people who suffer from substance abuse or mental illness have so far been screened and assigned a treatment bed as a result of the ongoing operation to restore order to the area around the Road Home shelter in downtown Salt Lake City.

"The reason we stuck with 44 is because of the number of beds currently available," he told the state Legislature's Interim Health and Human Services Committee.

But Thomas said 210 to 220 treatment beds are expected to be available once a Medicaid waiver requested by the Utah Department of Health is approved by the federal government. Health officials have said they expect that to happen this fall.

The 44 set for treatment "are also going to be Medicaid eligible" under the waiver, he said, "which is how we're going to end up paying for these people and their treatment needs."

Aside from expanding who is eligible for Medicaid, the state has also asked for a waiver of a federal restriction on the number of beds an addiction treatment facility can have while still utilizing Medicaid. That waiver is expected to be approved at the same time as the Medicaid expansion, Thomas said.

When that happens, "we will also be able to open up new facilities in late December, early January that are larger in scope," he said.

Thomas said it is "critical" the state receive those waivers, since some treatment providers who are participating in Operation Rio Grande are already operating as if they will receive that money.

"Odyssey House and the other private partners have kind of really stuck their necks out there in order to provide some of these treatment services in anticipation that there will be some federal match dollars that will be able to be drawn down," he said.

Thomas also detailed other benefits made available to those who qualify for treatment under Operation Rio Grande, including priority placement for outpatient services, as well as the availability of 15 detox beds, which are not Medicaid eligible.

"(That means) that the county or the state will need to come up with general fund appropriations in order to support those services," Thomas said, referring to Salt Lake County.

He also said the specialty court meant to benefit those who qualify for help was set up keeping the Legislature's requests that "we both have a carrot and a stick approach for these individuals."

"It's giving them the carrot that they don't have to go to jail, but also having the threat of jail if they don't successfully complete and entertain treatment services that are being offered by the county," Thomas said.

Those who qualified had their first day in the specialty court last week. Noella Sudbury, Criminal Justice Advisory Council coordinator for Salt Lake County, explained at the time that participants' drug charges can be dismissed following the completion of their treatment, using what is called a plea in abeyance.

Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights, said he is encouraged by the steps being taken to expand treatment availability and is cautiously hopeful that Operation Rio Grande could eventually serve as a model of success.

"Expansion of these treatment beds is wonderful, (and we are) taking those bold steps forward," Shiozawa said. "Look, I don't know if this is perfect or if it's even going to work, but at least we're doing something positive and making some big statements that I think a lot of cities around this country are looking at." Email: blockhart@deseretnews.com Twitter: @benlockhartnews

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