LOUISIANA Community Mental Health Services Block Grant ...

INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS
SECTION I – DESCRIPTION OF STATE SERVICE SYSTEM
OVERVIEW, REGIONAL RESOURCES, LEADERSHIP
LOUISIANA FY 2011 - ADULT & CHILD/ YOUTH PLAN
There are many challenging factors influencing the mental health system in Louisiana today. After
several years of dealing with hurricanes and the aftermath of some very destructive storms, the Gulf
Coast region is now confronted with a man-made disaster in the form of an oil spill. The long-term
impact of this spill is going to be tremendous in terms of the loss of a livelihood for many families
living and working along the coast. The repercussions of this one oil spill affect everyone from
fishermen, to restaurant owners and the tourism industry, and all of the industries and businesses
that support these sectors of the state‟s economy. This on the heels of the tragedy and devastation
experienced by the state in the form of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Gustav
and Ike in 2008. Gustav made landfall three days after the Block Grant Plan was submitted,
reflecting eerily on the history of having Katrina hit three days after the Plan was submitted in 2005.
Hurricane Gustav made a direct hit the capital city of Baton Rouge, effectively dealing a blow to the
governmental sector, with electrical power out to more than 90% of the city following the storm,
and many homeowners and businesses were without power for 3-4 weeks. Following Gustav,
Hurricane Ike affected the area of the state that had previously been devastated by Hurricane Rita.
While the southern region of the state sustains the most direct damage each time a hurricane hits,
the entire state experiences the repercussions of these storms, both emotionally and financially.
Louisianians are by nature a resilient group, but each time that progress is made towards recovery, it
seems that yet another catastrophe occurs. Recovery is particularly difficult given that there are
also budgetary crises to deal with. As true today as it was when it was written in the President’s
New Freedom Commission on Mental Health Report:
Recovery is the Goal of a Transformed System.
Over the last several years, it has become imperative to constantly re-evaluate priorities; including
Block Grant goals, targets and indicators in order to realistically reflect the capabilities of a strained
and in some cases a temporarily incapacitated system. The fiscal realities that Louisiana is
experiencing both as the consequence of disasters and the national economy are of concern; and the
effects long term are simply not predictable with any measure of certainty. Fortunately, we do
believe in the principle that people recover. The FY 2011 Block Grant Application is presented in
the context of, and with an awareness of the continuing stressors the state is enduring. It is
impossible to discuss most areas of the plan without reference to the effects of the catastrophes and
the legacy that these catastrophes impose on the State and its citizens.
OVERVIEW OF MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN LOUISIANA
The Office of Mental Health and the Office for Addictive Disorders were joined into one entity on
July 1, 2010. The newly formed Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) is governed by the Assistant
Secretary (e.g., Commissioner) who is the appointing authority for the agency, and reports to the
Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals. The Office of Behavioral Health (OBH)
operates within the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) alongside agencies of the Office of
PART C LOUISIANA FY 2011 PAGE 46
SECTION I: ADULT & CHILD/ YOUTH –DESCRIPTION OF STATE SERVICE SYSTEM
OVERVIEW, REGIONAL RESOURCES, LEADERSHIP