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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Papen		DATE TYPED:	01/26/02		HB
SHORT TITLE:		Low Income Behavioral Health Services				SB	80/aSPAC
					ANALYST:		Dunbar

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY02

FY03

FY02

FY03

$1,250.0

Recurring

General Fund

Duplicates HB 71

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Responses Received

Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

State Department of Education (SDE)

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of SPAC Amendment

The Senate Public Affairs Committee Amendment clarifies language in the bill pertaining to services covered under the bill.

Synopsis of Original Bill

Senate Bill 80 appropriates $1,250.0 from the general fund, of which $750.0 is appropriated to CYFD and $ 500.0 to DOH to contract for services and programs for individuals not eligible for Medicaid or for services not eligible for reimbursement under Medicaid. The services include intensive outpatient programs, wrap-around, school-based, outpatient clinic, early childhood family-based prevention, crisis stabilization, mobile crisis team, transitional living, transportation, prevention and consumer driven services.

Significant Issues

CYFD reports that the Department is currently providing the following services identified in the

bill: wrap around, transitional living, intensive home-based, early childhood and prevention

services.

PERFORMANCE IMPACT

DOH indicates that the bill will affect DOH performance measures by improving the percentages of adults served in community based behavioral health programs and substance abuse programs. These persons have noted improvement in the quality of their lives and less psychological distress.

Additionally, DOH reports that the number of students receiving mental health and substance abuse services in schools, as well as those students that have access to school-based health centers will increase.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $1,250.0, contained in the bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any unexpended and unencumbered balances remaining at the end of FY 03 shall revert to the general fund. This appropriation is not part of CYFD’s request and is not included in the executive recommendation.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The State Department of Education reports that :

§ SB 80 appropriates money that can be used for mobile crisis team services. Therefore, it may impact the department’s Performance Measures for Safe Schools and Respectful Learning Environment.

§ SB 80 appropriates money that can be used for school-based services, which can enhance performance measures related to student attendance and dropout.

DUPLICATION

Duplicates HB71

SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

SB 80 would provide prevention programs as well as behavioral health services to Medicaid ineligible youth and their families. The State of Health in New Mexico 2000 Report show 44,000 New Mexican children and adolescents under 18 have serious emotional disturbance as defined by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA). In 1997, only 12% of children and adolescents received mental health services through Medicaid or the state General

Fund.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

1. To what extent are behavioral health services described in the bill currently being provided by CYFD?

2. Is there a waiting list to receive such services?

BD/njw::ar