Biden signs $1.2T Funding Package After Partial Shutdown Thwarted

President Biden signed a colossal $1.2 trillion spending package after Congress concluded a tumultuous government funding cycle and skirted a shutdown after midnight.

The Senate cleared the six-bill funding bundle in a 74-24 vote early Saturday morning. The House approved the package earlier on Friday, with more Democrats voting for the massive measure than Republicans as Speaker Mike Johnson faces a new threat to his gavel.

Biden called the bill’s passage “a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” according to a White House release. Almost halfway through the fiscal year, the legislation will deliver fresh budgets and a steady funding stream to the Pentagon and many non-defense agencies through September. The final passage vote caps off an especially rancorous government funding battle that began more than a year ago when House conservatives started demanding deep spending cuts from then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, despite the reality that the Democrat-led Senate and Biden would never agree to severe reductions. Both the House and Senate are now headed out for a two-week recess. When they return, other priorities will quickly consume both chambers.

Congress Tries Again to Increase Medicaid Spending for Behavioral Health

Federal lawmakers are taking another stab at increasing funding for behavioral health expenditures in the Medicaid program. A version of the Medicaid Bump Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate and Congress on March 12.

The bill would create financial incentives for states to elevate spending on behavioral health beyond levels in 2019. Specifically, it would create an enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) rate of 90% for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.

States and their Medicaid programs would not be allowed to use the additional federal money to replace state funding levels. The new funds would be used to increase the capacity, efficiency and quality of behavioral health within Medicaid provider networks, according to a news release.

The bill would charge the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to define which services qualify as eligible behavioral health services for the enhanced FMAP. It would also enact an annual reporting requirement detailing the impact of the funding increase on behavioral health utilization.

The Ohio Council Welcomes New Member Provider, Mended Reeds Services, Inc.

Mended Reeds Services, Inc. in Ironton, OH - David Lambert, Executive Director, can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (740) 532-6220.

Mended Reeds Services, Inc. is a non-profit organization providing mental health, medical services, and drug and alcohol counseling services in Lawrence County. The overriding mission of their company is to provide an array of services that supports the integration of health and human services across a variety of systems. 

Click here to learn more about Mended Reeds Services, Inc. 

Juvenile Justice Working Group Airs Interim Recommendations for System Reform

Talks on improving Ohio's juvenile justice system continue to be a point of focus for the Ohio Department of Youth Services.

A working group of experts formed by Governor Mike DeWine in November has spent the past four months examining and identifying holes in the system that need filling. One big topic Thursday morning was the number of juvenile facilities and staffing numbers. The four buckets that the group focused on were behavior health, safety and staffing, population intake, and re-entry support. Group members brainstormed resolutions to possibly solve various issues they have identified.

One member expressed that if we have more employees and smaller, specialized facilities available for juveniles, we can solve the issue of repeat offenders and accommodate the appropriate help each teen may need. Another member recommended a deeper focus on "individual mental health help." She says current programs don't offer that support, as they focus on group settings, and that those current practices are not a "safe space" for juveniles to discuss things that may be held against them, especially with gang activity present nearby.

"Obviously this is an area near and dear to the governor's heart, and it has been since day one of his administration, and even before he was governor," said Tom Stickrath, Chair of the Juvenile Justice Working Group. The group also announced that the national, nonprofit State Government Justice Center will be hosting a youth summit here in Ohio, as one of the three state chosen. The exact location and dates of the summit will be released soon.