One of the Coalition’s commitments is to assist its membership in building capacity by
providing learning opportunities regarding best practices, unfolding trends, and other critical
business information.
How do we operationalize the transformation from a “cottage industry” to a more
integrated system of care?
We can be leaders and drive our own change.
What is happening in Iowa?
1) The current RFP for Managed Care will have 2 to 4 MCOs who has as one of its goals to divert
kids from the Psychiatric Medical Institutions for Children (PMIC).
2) Our current behavioral health managed care company, Magellan’s perception is that PMICs
don’t understand that they need to think about different ways of doing business and start to
change their business model. Currently, we have a licensed PMIC capacity of 532, with a
Medicaid payment cap of 433 beds.
3) We also need to pay attention to the Senate Finance Committee hearing on congregate care and
Senator Grassley’s comments. According to Wendy Rickman, Division Administrator for the
Division of Adult, Child & Family Services, Senator Grassley is concerned with Iowa’s use of
congregate care.
a. Congregate Care includes foster group care, shelter care and PMIC when it is a DHS or
JCO placement.
4) Wendy Rickman noted there is a need for foster group care, but not as big of need. Currently,
we have 15 foster group care contractors with 1,216 available beds. In SFY 2014, juvenile court
services placed 61% of the children served in foster group care, where DHS placed 39%.
a. The Iowa Department of Human Services has announced that they anticipate the Foster
Group Care Contract to be effective July 1, 2017. If DHS keeps with the timeframe they
had last RFP period, this would mean the RFP would be released around December
2017. Wendy Rickman noted that conversations would be starting this fall (2015) to
gather input for the RFP. The input is being gathered much earlier because DHS will be
pulling down the “dark curtain” much earlier than normal. Which means DHS will not
talk with anyone about the RFP.
The practice model is going to change, but how do we operationalize this shift?
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Government usually does not understand that we have operational models that need to change.
Government created the “need” for our services; we need to help them understand that we are
“conditioned” to do things the way they asked us in the past and need time and assistance to
shift.
With the shift in “residential” how do we continue to be relevant?
PROPOSAL
Bring Susan Dreyfus, president and CEO of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities to Iowa for
a Day Long Educational Summit
DRAFT AGENDA
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Keynote: Major trends and issues and what does this all mean.
Case Studies: Susan and the Alliance would recommend the right CEOs who have been there
and done that to bring in to talk about what worked and what has not worked.
Small Group Work
o Two focuses: 1) Shift to Managed Care 2) Shift in Child Welfare
WHEN: October or November
COST: Mike Barylski will be in contact
POTENTIAL NEXT STEP
Residential Learning cohort
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This is an in depth supported 18 month process to help residential providers make necessary
transitions to see themselves and be seen as great partners in a home and community based
system of care.
A cohort is 10 to 15 organizations
Three (3) are operating right now
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Funding for those three are different. One is from Anne E Casey, one the “network” funds and
another is self-funded.
They are in conversations with Utah, Colorado and North Dakota
The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities is a national organization dedicated to achieving a
vision of a healthy society and strong communities for all children, adults, and families. The Alliance
works for transformational change by representing and supporting its network of hundreds of nonprofit
human-serving organizations across North America as they translate knowledge into best practices that
improve their communities.
Prior to joining the Alliance on Jan. 3, 2012, Dreyfus was secretary for the Washington State Department
of Social and Health Services. She was appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire in May 2009 and served as a
member of the Governor’s Executive Cabinet. She had responsibility for Medicaid, aging and long-term
care, child welfare, behavioral health care, juvenile justice, economic assistance, and other human
services.
Dreyfus previously served as senior vice president and COO for both Families International and the
Alliance from 2003-2007. In 1996 she was appointed by Gov. Tommy G. Thompson Administration in
Wisconsin to be the first administrator of the Division of Children and Family Services. Her
responsibilities included child welfare, childcare quality and licensing, youth development and an array
of emergency assistance and other community programs.