Medical Director Update Presenter Debora S Johnson MD
Medical Director Update Presenter: Debora S. Johnson, MD Presentation to: DHS Board of Directors Date: December 9, 2015 Georgia Department of Human Services
Vision, Mission and Core Values Vision Stronger Families for a Stronger Georgia. Mission Strengthen Georgia by providing Individuals and Families access to services that promote self-sufficiency, independence, and protect Georgia's vulnerable children and adults. Core Values • Provide access to resources that offer support and empower Georgians and their families. • Deliver services professionally and treat all clients with dignity and respect. • Manage business operations effectively and efficiently by aligning resources across the agency. • Promote accountability, transparency and quality in all services we deliver and programs we administer. • Develop our employees at all levels of the agency. 2
Presentation Outline • The Medical Director Role in the Department of Human Services • Mental Health Educational Initiatives • Medical Initiatives – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Collaboration – Psychopharmacology initiative – discussing medications to treat illnesses – Medical Professional Network – Psychotropic Medications Data and Trends – Cold Case Coaching Project – Senior Health Public Awareness Campaign – Infectious Disease Policy for DHS 3
Role of the Medical Director • Medical director created to assist with large numbers of children on psychotropic medications in state custody/foster care • Provide medical leadership and support to the Department of Human Services 4
Mental Health Educational Initiatives • Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) - Educate DFCS case managers and case workers about mental health • Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents – May 2015, 45 groups participated • Psychosis in Children – October 2015, 66 groups participated • Division of Aging Services (DAS) – Educate DAS caseworkers and case managers about mental health • Psychosis in the Elderly – September 2015, Over 50 groups participated 5
Medical Education Initiative • Partnership with Children’s Health. Care of Atlanta (CHOA) and DFCS – Survey of DFCS case managers and case workers – CHOA will host a series of medical education webinars of most requested topics by caseworkers – Series will be taped and recorded for ongoing reference • Psychopharmacology – study of the use of medications to treat psychiatric conditions – DAS and DFCS – psychopharmacology calls to discuss psychotropic medications in the elderly and children/adolescents 6
Medical Initiative • Medical Professional Network – Establishing a network of outpatient specialty child abuse providers – CHOA will provide specialty supervision – Reviewing similar programs in other states 7
Psychotropic Medications Trends • Nationally – Increased medication prescriptions – Foster children are taking more than one medication – Foster children receiving medications instead of therapy • What’s happening in Georgia? 8
Percent of Children With Prescription Claims Percent of Children with at least One Psychotropic Prescription 30% 26, 70% 27, 70% 24, 40% Percent of Children 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 2012 September 24 2014 February 01 Custody Date 2015 February 01 9
Male vs Female Children with Medications 35, 00% Percent of Male and Female Foster Children with at least One Psychotropic Prescription 30, 56% 30, 90% 30, 00% Percent of Children 25, 00% 24, 27% 28, 13% 24, 17% 20, 47% 20, 00% 2012 September 24 15, 00% 2014 February 01 2015 February 01 10, 00% 5, 00% 0, 00% Female Gender Male 10
Prescriptions by Time in Custody Psychotropic Prescriptions by Time in Custody 70, 00% 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 60, 00% Percent of Children 50, 00% 40, 00% 30, 00% 20, 00% 1 10, 00% Up to 30 31 to 40 41 to 50 51 to 60 61 to 90 91 to 120 121 to 151 to 6 Months 1 -2 Years 2 - 3 years 3 - 4 Years More Days Days 150 Days 182 Days - 1 Year than 4 Years Time in Custody 11
Psychotropic Medication Trends in Georgia • Small decrease in psychotropic medication usage for 2015 • More males prescribed psychotropic medications than females • Longer time spent in custody, more prescriptions given 12
Cold Case Coaching Project • Judicial Council of Georgia – Administrative Office of the Courts • Cold case project coaches – review cases of children in custody for extended periods of time • Help children attain permanency • Children in custody for extended periods have severe mental illness 13
Public Awareness Campaign for the Elderly • Senior Source Collaboration with DAS, Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), and WXIA – Live TV Appearances on WXIA’s “Atlanta and Company” talk show – “The Elderly and Heat Stress” • “The Flu, Pneumonia, and Shingles” • Infomercial - Two public awareness commercials about flu, pneumonia, and shingles 14
Infectious Disease Policy for DHS • DHS has collaborated with the Department of Public Health to establish guidelines for an infectious disease policy • Committee established to develop infectious disease policy • Infectious Disease Policy completed November 2015 15
Questions 16
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