New Quality Management Series

The Division of MHDDAD Office of Developmental Disabilities is providing a new Quality Management Series that includes three distinct trainings:

• Quality Management Used to Make Quality Choices


• Georgia Quality Management System for Individuals and Families


• Empowerment Through Your Own Management Plan

This training is the result of a partnership between the Division of Mental Health Developmental Disabilities Addictive Diseases (MHDDAD) and the Delmarva Foundation. The goal of the partnership is to improve the quality of supports for Georgia citizens living with developmental disabilities. The shared vision is to enhance the service delivery system in order to produce results that reflect communicated choices and preferences that matter most to the person.



The Quality Management Series will be presented for persons with developmental disabilities and their families/representatives. The training is taking place throughout Georgia from April through June 2009. This announcement reflects the two training sessions scheduled in Albany (Region 4) on May 12. Announcements will be out soon for the remaining May and June sessions. Details about the individual trainings, the target audience, and how to register are included in the attached announcements. Registration is quick & easy online at www.cviog.uga.edu/training/dhr. The announcements will be posted on the Division’s training website at http://mhddad.dhr.georgia.gov/training.

DD Committee Meeting Announcement

We will have a Developmental Disabilities Committee meeting on Thursday, May 21st from 11:00 – 1:00. It will be held in the conference room of the Region Three Office 100 Crescent Center Parkway Ste. 900 Tucker, GA 30084.



The sole purpose of this meeting will be to solicit input from the DD community. Please distribute this notice widely. We need to hear from parents and guardians about unmet needs, transition issues with the NOW & COMP Waivers that need improvements, etc. This is an open forum – a town-hall format to hear from the DD Community. So, spread the word to help make this a successful input session.



Ray

RJ. (Ray) Brennan

(770) 925-4288

rj.brennan [(at)] comcast [(dot)] net

Governor Signs Legislation to Restructure the Department of Human Resources

Monday, May 4, 2009 Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774


ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue today signed House Bill 228, reorganizing the Department of Human Resources (DHR) and the Department of Community Health (DCH) and creating a new Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. HB 228 was introduced in the House by Rep. Mark Butler and carried in the Senate by Sen. Renee Unterman.

“Signing HB 228 will allow us to deliver greater value for Georgians’ healthcare dollars,” said Governor Perdue. “The legislation reorients our approach to healthcare by shifting the focus from inputs to results.”

The bill will result in three agencies reorganized to provide more focused results – the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Community Health and the Department of Human Services. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities will be responsible for all mental health, developmental disability and addictive disease programs currently under DHR. The department will report directly to the Governor, increasing transparency.

The Governor announced that Dr. Frank Shelp will serve as the new agency’s commissioner. Dr. Shelp currently works as the Clinical Director at Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah. The Governor also appointed Dr. Bill McDonald to serve as Special Advisor to the Governor on Mental Health. Dr. McDonald currently serves as professor of psychiatry at Emory University. He is the chair for late life depression and chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry. Gwen Skinner, who has been an integral part of DHR’s mental health service delivery, will serve as a Deputy Commissioner for the new agency during the transition until her retirement later this year.

DCH will be reorganized to include all the public health and long-term care regulation programs of DHR. This change establishes one lead agency to focus on improving Georgia’s health and streamlines health related activities currently in two separate departments. This agency will be led by current DCH Commissioner Dr. Rhonda Medows.

DHR’s remaining services will be housed under the Department of Human Services. Programs included in this department include Aging, Division of Family and Children Services and Child Support. Commissioner B.J. Walker will head the Agency.

The bill largely resembles the recommendations made by the Health and Human Services Task Force, which convened last year and studied these issues at length. Sen. Renee Unterman, Sen. Jack Hill, Rep. Ben Harbin and Rep. Mark Butler all served on the Health and Human Services Task Force. Rep. Pat Gardner and Sen. Johnny Grant also worked for passage of the bill and joined the Governor at today’s bill signing.

“Today we begin building a new stronger foundation for health and human services in the state of Georgia,” said Rep. Butler. “This foundation is just a beginning, and the real work lies ahead. We must continue to strive and make our public and mental health systems the best and most efficient in the nation. I want to thank the Governor and the leadership of the House and Senate for making this new day a reality.”

“This is a great day for Georgia and the many citizens that receive healthcare services from the state,” said Sen. Renee Unterman. “I am confident that these changes will result in improved care for our state’s most vulnerable residents.”