j_micjs_2016a_2016-07-20t08:52:14z4 Hearing Summary

Date: 07/20/2016

11:16 AM -- Data and Info Sharing Subcommittee Update



Peggy Heil, Advisory Task Force Member, presented to the committee regarding the recent activities of the Data and Information Sharing Subcommittee of the task force. She provided an information packet to the committee (Attachment E). Ms. Heil stated that the subcommittee was formed in response to a request by the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice for the advisory task force to study the issue of why so many individuals with serious mental illness end up in jails and to recommend possible solutions to address the issue. She stated that there is not good data to evaluate the scope of the problem. Ms. Heil discussed the current lack of sharing of treatment information between facilities and systems and the identified need for a system to allow this type of information sharing between the public mental health systems and the criminal justice systems.



16MICJS0720AttachE.pdf



Ms. Heil stated that Colorado was one of seven states that was awarded a Bureau of Justice Assistance Second Chance Act Statewide Recidivism Reduction Strategic Planning Program Grant. The mission of the grant is to reduce criminal justice involvement and recidivism of individuals with serious mental illness by implementing a statewide, electronic, criminal justice health information exchange. She reviewed the information in the information packet, including the grant summary, the entities who have been involved in the grant, the jail survey results, and the identified gaps in information sharing. Ms. Heil discussed the definitions of serious mental illness and recidivism that will be used in relation to the grant activities. She stated that there would be a need to develop a consent process for the electronic information exchange. Ms. Heil discussed developing agency agreements to share behavioral health data and engaging attorneys regarding planning recommendations, consent forms, and procedures.





11:27 AM



Ms. Heil stated that the implementation grant application had not been released yet. She said that the implementation grant process would be more competitive than the planning grant process. Ms. Heil said that the subcommittee is exploring other funding options for the electronic information exchange and is coordinating with the Behavioral Health Transformation Council's Medication Consistency Workgroup. She referenced the work of the Medication Consistency Workgroup and stated that Dr. Patrick Fox, Department of Human Services, was actively involved in developing the medication formulary proposed by the workgroup. She discussed the preferred formulary for psychotropic medications and the policy brief on statewide pharmaceutical purchasing in the information packet.





11:31 AM



In response to a question, Ms. Heil said she would provide a list of members for the Medication Consistency Workgroup and discussed the entities who were involved in the workgroup. Committee discussion with Ms. Heil occurred about possible legislation related to the work of the Medication Consistency Workgroup, potential purchasing options for medications for inmates, and how inmates access health care and medications while in jail. In her responses, Ms. Heil referenced possible partnerships with federally qualified health clinics and the utilization of emergency rooms by inmates. Ms. Heil discussed how inmates access necessary medications and other treatments upon their release and the possible utilization of telemedicine options. Committee discussion about the information packet materials ensued.