LOUISIANA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant ...

OMH Community Staff Liaisons on June 30, 2010
Region/ LGE FTE Child/Youth Family
Liaisons
FTE Adult Consumer
Liaisons
MHSD 1 0.5
CAHSD 1 1
III 0 0
IV .8 0
V .8 .8
VI 0 .60
VII .50 0
VIII 0 0
FPHSA 0 0
JPHSA 1.0 0
Includes civil service and contract employees
Training for the delivery of Evidence based practices (EBPs) has been a focus statewide. For instance,
a series of Trainings on Dialectical Behavior Therapy was recently begun statewide, and workshops on
Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy have also been offered. In spite of the positive
things happening with the workforce, the difficulty of delivering services with decreased funding and
numbers of clinicians has become an urgent priority.
Due to budget reductions, there were a significant number of positions that were cut in the various
clinics. The OMH Redesign Project provided an opportunity to implement a business reorganization
plan to better utilize the limited workforce to meet the needs of the residents of the state.
Rural areas continue to have a shortage of psychiatric coverage. Hiring freezes have made a difficult
situation even more so. Some clinics are using technical school internship positions to offset staff
shortages.
All Regions/ LGEs report difficulties providing necessary services due to a workforce shortage. In
addition to the usual problems, the economy is putting an increasing strain on workforce delivery.
Previously, it had been noted that many healthcare professionals left state government jobs or literally
left Louisiana after the hurricanes, for better pay and better working conditions. Hiring freezes have
been the norm since Governor Bobby Jindal was inaugurated in January of 2008; and with the
downturn in the economy, layoffs and furloughs have become all too common in healthcare and state
government in general. Workforce vacancies have affected all aspects of direct service: medical,
nursing, counseling, and clerical. The shortage has caused challenges for clinicians on the front lines
with an impact on the number of clients seen, the length of time from first contact to psychiatric
evaluation, medication management, and counseling.
PART C LOUISIANA FY 2011 PAGE 267
SECTION III: ADULT & CHILD/ YOUTH PLAN – CRITERION 5
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS – RESOURCES, STAFFING, TRAINING OF PROVIDERS