HLS 22RS-445 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 38
BY REPRESENTATIVE DAVIS
EXCEPTIONAL PERSONS: Forms a working group to study the unique needs of
individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and co-occurring
behavioral health conditions
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to facilitate a working group to
3 study the unique needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
4 and co-occurring behavioral health conditions and to report findings and
5 recommendations of the working group to the legislative committees on health and
6 welfare.
7 WHEREAS, a recent study by the United States Centers for Disease Control and
8Prevention found that nearly seventeen million five hundred thousand persons with
9disabilities in this country experience frequent mental distress, which is nearly five times as
10often as persons without a disability; and
11 WHEREAS, many vulnerable individuals with a co-occurring developmental
12disability and behavioral health condition are served by the state Medicaid program and the
13office for citizens with developmental disabilities and office of behavioral health of the
14Louisiana Department of Health; and
15 WHEREAS, within the last fifteen years, the two residential units in this state that
16were best equipped to serve this population, known as the developmental neuropsychiatric
17unit (DNP) and stabilization unit, were closed; and
18 WHEREAS, the closures of the DNP and the stabilization unit imposed hardships
19on families who now struggle on their own to care for loved ones with difficult-to-manage
20conditions; and
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1 WHEREAS, these closures have negatively impacted the state's disability services
2system and other health systems because individuals now reach crisis levels before receiving
3treatment, which results in this state sometimes paying to send Medicaid enrollees out of
4state to receive needed care or admitting individuals into the state-run Pinecrest Supports and
5Services Center, where care for an institutionalized client costs over two hundred thousand
6dollars per year; and
7 WHEREAS, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and
8co-occurring behavioral health conditions and the families of such persons need access
9across the continuum of care and benefit significantly from the following:
10 (1) Access to community-based mental health treatment, including intensive,
11evidence-based options.
12 (2) Crisis services including therapeutic respite.
13 (3) Residential or inpatient treatment when indicated; and
14 WHEREAS, due to the abundance of specialized expertise among staff in the office
15for citizens with developmental disabilities and office of behavioral health of the Louisiana
16Department of Health, this department is uniquely qualified to facilitate an effort to study
17means by which to improve services for individuals with intellectual and developmental
18disabilities and co-occurring behavioral health conditions.
19 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
20urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to facilitate a working group to study
21the unique needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and
22co-occurring behavioral health conditions and to develop a report of the group's findings and
23recommendations.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group shall be composed of the
25following members:
26 (1) The executive director of The Arc of Louisiana or his designee.
27 (2) Three parents of minor or adult children with disabilities appointed by the
28executive director of The Arc of Louisiana.
29 (3) A deputy assistant secretary with the office for citizens with developmental
30disabilities appointed by the assistant secretary of the office.
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1 (4) The clinical director of the office for citizens with developmental disabilities or
2his designee.
3 (5) The medical director of the office of behavioral health or his designee.
4 (6) The chief executive officer of Magellan of Louisiana or his designee.
5 (7) Two representatives of Medicaid managed care organizations appointed by the
6Medicaid director of the Louisiana Department of Health.
7 (8) Three professionals with expertise in serving individuals with intellectual and
8developmental disabilities and co-occurring behavioral health conditions appointed by the
9secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
10 (9) A person who previously worked as a professional staff member at the
11developmental neuropsychiatric unit or stabilization unit appointed by the assistant secretary
12of the office for citizens with developmental disabilities.
13 (10) The executive director of the Governor's Office of Disability Affairs or his
14designee.
15 (11) The chief executive officer of Louisiana United Methodist Children and Family
16Services or his designee.
17 (12) The executive director of People First of Louisiana or his designee.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Department of Health shall
19convene the first meeting of the working group no later than August 31, 2022.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in its deliberations, the working group shall
21consider all of the following:
22 (1) Potential sources of funding to reopen a developmental neuropsychiatric unit,
23a stabilization unit, or both types of units, as well as suitable locations for the unit or units.
24 (2) Psychiatric residential treatment facilities as options for serving the target
25population.
26 (3) Options for implementing community-based behavioral health services for the
27target population within existing systems and funding of such services through existing
28programs.
29 (4) Approaches for engaging all of Louisiana's Medicaid managed care organizations
30in delivering services for the target population.
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HCR NO. 38
1 (5) Means for ensuring all of the following:
2 (a) Appropriate levels of bed availability for both adults and adolescents.
3 (b) That no statement of approval or similar certification is made contingent upon
4bed availability.
5 (c) Access to a residential treatment program to serve the needs of individuals with
6intellectual and developmental disabilities and co-occurring behavioral health conditions.
7 (6) Integration of evidence-based approaches to serving individuals with intellectual
8and developmental disabilities into the state's community-based crisis intervention services.
9 (7) Any other programs and best practices for coordinating and delivering services
10for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and co-occurring behavioral
11health conditions.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that on or before February 1, 2023, the Louisiana
13Department of Health shall submit to the House Committee on Health and Welfare, the
14Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, and the David R. Poynter Legislative Research
15Library a report of the working group's findings and recommendations.
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
17secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, the executive director of The Arc of
18Louisiana, the chief executive officer of Magellan of Louisiana, the executive director of the
19Louisiana Managed Medicaid Association, the executive director of the Governor's Office
20of Disability Affairs, the chief executive officer of Louisiana United Methodist Children and
21Family Services, and the executive director of People First of Louisiana.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 38 Original 2022 Regular Session Davis
Urges and requests the La. Department of Health (LDH) to facilitate a working group to
study the unique needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and
co-occurring behavioral health conditions. Requests that LDH report findings and
recommendations of the working group to the legislative committees on health and welfare
on or before Feb. 1, 2023.
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