New Mexico's Behavioral Health Collaborative Selects ValueOptions® as Statewide Entity spacer
Final Transition to the New Behavioral Health System in Progress
Santa Fe, New Mexico — April 1, 2005
Today the Interagency Behavioral Health Purchasing Collaborative (Collaborative) officially selected the Statewide Entity (SE) that will partner with New Mexico in its efforts to improve behavioral health service. ValueOptions is the successful bidder and has been chosen as the SE, which will oversee mental health and substance abuse programs offered by 15 state agencies. This selection resulted from a successful month long contract negotiation process with ValueOptions.
ValueOptions will be managing combined funds of approximately $300 to $350 million through the different state agencies that offer behavioral health services, including the large Medicaid program, the federal mental health and substance abuse block grants, the Children, Youth and Families behavioral health funds and the Community Corrections behavioral health funds. "From the very beginning of this redesign process, the Collaborative was clear that we were looking for a true partner in streamlining behavioral health services, and I believe we've found that with ValueOptions," said Pamela Hyde, Human Services Department Secretary.
The selection process was a careful and objective process that involved the Collaborative leadership, staff, the Behavioral Health Planning Council, providers and consumers and their families. "This same group of people will work with the SE and move the state into the final transition of the new system scheduled to begin July 1, 2005," said Michelle Lujan Grisham, Department of Health Secretary, who co-chairs the Collaborative with Secretary Hyde.
Last month, after determining that ValueOptions presented the best overall written proposal and oral presentation, the Collaborative asked ValueOptions to participate in contract negotiations. "The contract negotiations gave us the opportunity to go over the fine details of the system and assure effective monitoring of state resources for recovery and resilience," said Leslie Tremaine, Behavioral Health Manager.
Managing behavioral health systems is nothing new to ValueOptions, as they've managed programs in other states, such as Colorado, Texas, Connecticut and Massachusetts. However, the system created here is unlike any other system in the United States. "We've designed a system that fits the unique needs of New Mexicans. What works in other states just wouldn't work here," said Catherine Cross Maple, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Assistant Secretary.
Between now and July 1, the focus will be to ensure the state, consumers and providers are ready for the new system. "We agree with the Collaborative that when the new system begins, we want to make sure people continue to get served, providers continue to get paid, data continues to get reported and quality standards continue to be maintained," said Pam Galbraith, newly named Chief Executive Officer for ValueOptions, currently University of New Mexico Health Services Center Administrator for Behavioral Health Hospitals and Programs. "We expect the state to hold us to high performance standards, and we fully expect to perform," added Galbraith. Information about the Collaborative and the new behavioral health system can be found at the following website. www.state.nm.us