In this issue ...

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New Agency Website Launched May 31

We are excited to announce that CAHS has a newly redesigned website that offers the community and stakeholders easier navigation and streamlined information about the organization’s services.

“The decision to redesign our website reflects our commitment to improve service, awareness, and accessibility in the region,” said CAHS Executive Director Jan Kasofsky, PhD. “We are ensuring that those seeking help can find the information they need easily.”

With a few, easy clicks, visitors can access information about CAHS’ prevention, behavioral health and developmental disabilities services, as well as a wealth of other important news, updates, and resources for the public and professionals.
    
“Our priority is to get people the help they need when they need it,” said Dr. Kasofsky. “We will continue to explore new and innovative ways to connect those seeking help to the services and information they need.”

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Are You REALLY READY for Summer?
Enjoy the summer safely!
Check out the links below that provide important information for CAHS clients and you about sun safety and mosquito control. Printed copies of these flyers are available at the main clinics for distribution.

Sun safety
Tips about how to avoid over-exposure, stay cool, and remain hydrated.

Mosquito control
Steps you can take to stop the spread of harmful viruses. 

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Enjoy Home Cooking ...
And help homeless women in the Baton Rouge area

The Women’s Community Rehabilitation Center (WCRC) is offering tasty home-cooked lunch specials, the proceeds of which help homeless women in Baton Rouge.

Prices are only $7 for a full meal and drink, and free delivery is available for five or more lunch orders. Check out the menu here.

The WCRC, a long-time contract provider for CAHS, is expecting a 63% budget cut in state general funds, effective July 1. To help offset some of those cuts, the Center has begun a new food service training program to teach job skills to the residents, all of whom are required to find and keep jobs. The meals they provide and the revenues they generate from lunch sales will help sustain the program.

The WCRC provides licensed beds for homeless women with severe mental illnesses. Some of the women also have co-occurring addictive disorders. The therapeutic residential program gives women a safe, secure, and supportive setting in which to regain practical skills to work and live independently in the community.

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On May 2, 2016, Governor John Bel Edwards announced the establishment of "Healthy Louisiana," which serves as the portal for Louisiana's new Medicaid expansion program that starts July 1. The term "Bayou Health" is being retired.
 

Ruth Kennedy, Medicaid Expansion Project Director for the Department of Health and Hospitals (pictured right), visited with the CAHS Board of Directors and our Division Directors (EMT) on May 2 to brief them about the expansion and what it means for CAHS and our clients.

"Capital Area Human Services is on the front lines of our efforts to expand Medicaid, and we look forward to working with you to help enroll every client possible," Kennedy said.   

CAHS and other agencies have three main objectives in the Medicaid expansion:
 

1) Identify clients who would be eligible for Medicaid coverage
2) Inform those clients of their eligibility 
3) Help them enroll in Medicaid

 

Kennedy said Louisiana is the 32nd state to adopt Medicaid expansion. She noted that the application process for clients has been simplified and shortened, making enrollment easier and faster. 

"We will give on-the-spot approvals to people who are eligible. They won't have to wait to know if they are eligible. The criteria are clear cut, and our enrollment specialists will be empowered to enroll them immediately," Kennedy explained. 
 

CAHS Executive Director Jan Kasofsky, PhD, says there are many benefits for CAHS clients and for CAHS itself as more clients are covered by Medicaid. 

“There is an expectation – almost a duty – for agencies like ours to help enroll every client possible in Medicaid. It is good for them, and it helps shore up our funding for more predictable budgeting in future years,” said Dr. Kasofsky.

Through Medicaid, CAHS clients will be able to access and benefit from a full menu of health care services, just as they would through private insurance. The benefits include mental health care, as they have received historically from CAHS, addiction recovery services, primary health care, and even transportation to and from medical appointments.

From a budgetary standpoint, CAHS is expected to benefit, as Medicaid reimbursements for services would replace state general fund dollars that have been cut significantly in recent years. As more CAHS clients are covered, those Medicaid dollars (instead of declining state general funds) will follow the clients and will be used to fund our services.

CAHS Director of Business Operations Karla Muzik says about 30% of CAHS clients are uninsured, and that figure would drop to about 10% as more clients are covered by Medicaid. In terms of funding, CAHS programs would benefit from Medicaid reimbursements. For example:

-  Addiction Recovery Services (ARS) would realize about $4,600 per IOP client eligible for full coverage Medicaid;
-  Capital Area Recovery Program (CARP) would receive about $5,900 per Medicaid-eligible client per 28-day inpatient stay; and,
-  Behavioral Health would receive about $332 per client per year from Medicaid, based on an average of 3,000 clients served annually.
 

CAHS has formed a special team to guide the agency’s efforts to help enroll as many clients as possible in Medicaid in the next six months. Those efforts include:
 

1)  Setting up kiosks in our main clinics where clients can go online and sign up
2)  Hiring contract employees to help enroll clients
3)  Hosting state Medicaid office personnel at CAHS sites to assist with enrollment

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What's Happening At CAHS
 

Human Resources Staff Now Offering Appointments

Your Human Resources team is committed to providing quality services to all CAHS employees. In an effort to better accommodate your busy schedule, the Human Resources Department is now accepting appointments for routine matters, as noted below. Emergencies will continue to be handled on a walk-in basis, as they arise.  

Above (l-r): Tony Square, Shaketha Brown, Julie Hampton, and Doris Hendricks

Shaketha Brown
HR Director
Shaketha.Brown@la.gov or 225-922-3293
  Areas of assistance: Benefits and Insurance

Tony Square
Human Resources Supervisor
Tony.Square2@la.gov or 225-922-2710
Monday - Friday
8 – 11 a.m. and 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Areas of assistance: Job Postings, How to Apply for a Position, Position Descriptions, Lateral Transfers, Promotions or Demotions, Family Medical Leave Act, Deceased Employees, LEO Inquires and Updates, CPTP Training, EEOC (Affirmative Action), and DROP/Retirement
 
Doris Hendricks
Human Resources Specialist
Doris.Hendricks@la.gov or 225-922-2701
Monday - Friday
8 – 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Areas of assistance: Payroll, LaGov Entry (Hires, Transfers, Separations, Reallocations, and Promotions), Worker’s Compensation, Job Related Accidents (Employees/Visitors), and PES Program
 
Julie Hampton
Administrative Coordinator 4
Julie.Hampton2@la.gov or 225-922-3293
Areas of assistance: Pre-hire process (Drug Screens, Backgrounds, Identification), ID Badges, and Employee Verifications

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CAHS CIT Training Featured on TV

"Always use good customer service skills, even when the other person is not," John advised the O'Brien staff. “You’re looking for visible signs that the person is relaxing, calming down, and becoming more open to talk about plans and solutions."

O'Brien House sees a number of clients who have co-occurring disorders, and the agency has numerous daily walk-ins, asking for emergency help. Many of their receptionists, aides, kitchen workers, and cleaning staff had not had formal training about how to de-escalate tense situations.
 
In his presentation, John talked about how to recognize crisis situations and how verbal and other skills can de-escalate situations with agitated clients or visitors. He role-played various scenarios with the O’Brien House workers, helping them better understand how to treat persons with respect, how to listen and establish rapport, and how to assist without causing additional agitation. See John's tips here.

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Coming Up At CAHS
 

Behavioral Health Collaborative: June 17
Topic: Integrated Behavioral Health and Primary Care

Please plan to attend the next Behavioral Health Collaborative meeting, Friday, June 17, at 9 a.m., in Room 200A of the CAHS Building 2 on Government Street.

The meeting will feature an interactive discussion of the opportunities and barriers to deliver integrated care in this region.  CAHS has worked for several years to foster better integration of whole health care, which includes a fusion of behavioral health and primary care. This will be an important opportunity to gauge the progress made to consider the efforts still needed.

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Lunch 'N Learn on Marijuana Treatment: June 21 

The next Lunch 'N Learn will cover the topic "Marijuana -- Its Effects and Treatment" and will be held at the Government Street location (only) on Tuesday, June 21, at noon.

Scott Thomas, LCSW, will facilitate a discussion about the drug and treatment options. Bring your lunch and join us for an engaging discussion targeted to a general audience, including clients, the public, and non-clinical staff. No registration is required, but please coordinate with your supervisor.

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A Family Affair
Gambling Prevention Celebrates Graduations and Certification
 

Congratulations to Matricia "Matt" Green's grandson, Micah Hill, and to Kyllie Jenkins' daughter, Tyra Jenkins, (pictured right) upon their graduation, both with honors, from McKinley High School on May 17.

Micah earned a basketball scholarship and will attend Combine Academy of Charlotte, the North Carolina school founded by basketball great Michael Jordan.

Tyra also earned a scholarship to attend Dillard University, where she will begin her studies this fall to major in nursing and to work with children.

Meanwhile, Kyllie Jenkins (pictured left with Matt Green, seated) has some great news of her own.

She earned her Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselor License (CCGC) on May 20 from the Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority (ADRA).

The certification process required two years of on-the-job supervision, conducted by Matt Green, and completion of 30 credit hours of classes, seminars, lectures, and continuing education units.

Welcome, Will Antonio Robertson!

Congratulations to Jan Laughinghouse, PhD, LCSW, at Addiction Recovery Services, and her husband, Michael, on the birth of their son, Will Antonio Robertson, on March 3.

Jan reports that Will is already enjoying the spoils of being the little brother of four big sisters, Marissa, Jenoa, Victoria, and Tian.

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