February 21, 2008
DPHHS Offers Assistance to J’s House
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) will begin reimbursing J’s House immediately with a flat daily rate to help cover expenses for mentally ill residents living at the Missoula assisted living facility.
DPHHS will pay $10 a day per person for residents diagnosed with a severe disabling mental illness, said Joyce DeCunzo, administrator of the Addictive and Mental Disorders Division for DPHHS.
The fee to reside at J’s House is about $30 a day or $900 a month, so the reimbursement would cover about one third of the cost, Decunzo mentioned.
Department officials decided to offer assistance because J’s House is a licensed personal care facility that provides a safe place for people discharged from the state hospital to live as they transition back into a community setting. J’s House, a nonprofit, is facing a budget shortfall that could force it to close next month.
But, that’s not why the state is offering to help, said DPHHS director Joan Miles. Rather, Miles said it’s in the state’s best interests to have as many options as possible available to the 60 patients discharged from the state hospital every month. “The more facilities that remain open in the state the better off we’ll be in the long run,” Miles said.
The state hospital provides inpatient psychiatric treatment for adults with serious mental illness.
By law, the state is required to discharge a patient once their commitment expires, Miles said. At that point, the patient is either placed in an appropriate facility, or in some cases is kept at the state hospital longer than is needed until suitable housing in found
“Some patients discharged from the state hospital likely do not have a place to live right away,” DeCunzo said. “J’s House is just a great resource for the state that we can’t afford to lose.”
Currently, the number of patients at the state hospital stands at 209 at a cost of $375 a day per patient compared to the $30 per day charge at J’s House. “Even if we secure housing at J’s House for just one discharged patient, it’s very cost-effective,” DeCunzo said.
Considering a large number of current J’s House residents would qualify for the reimbursement, the state agreement equates to about a total of $9,000 per month. However, J’s House needs $30,000 to remain open past March 2. The department has agreed to continue the payments to J’s House until June 2009.
The agreement with the state does not solve all of J’s House financial problems, but would buy some time until additional funding is secured, said executive director Kay Jennings. "We're working hard to secure funding so we can remain in business and certainly appreciate the state's assistance," Jennings said.
For more information call DeCunzo at 406-444-3969.
Page last updated: 02/21/2008
