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Mosaic Counseling tells DHHS panel $200,000 in state support leveraged panel of therapists, school and EAP services
Summary
Mosaic Counseling described a low-barrier mental health model that pairs a small staff with a large vetted panel of private therapists, runs school outreach and employee-assistance programs, and used a state appropriation to expand services into Kent County.
The DHHS Appropriations Subcommittee heard on Feb. 19 from Mosaic Counseling about a model that the agency says expands access to outpatient therapy by pairing an intake team with a large panel of vetted private therapists.
"We don't turn anyone away," Sarah Linowasky, executive director of Mosaic Counseling, told the subcommittee. Linowasky said the agency maintains a panel of roughly 270 therapists and an intake process that personally matches clients to clinicians and, when needed, offers reduced co-pays so uninsured or underinsured clients can begin care immediately.
Linowasky said Mosaic was founded in 1978, operates with a staff of eight plus interns, and has no wait list because therapists on the panel reduce their rates for agency referrals. She told members Mosaic serves Ottawa County and recently expanded into Kent County, operates an employee assistance program (EAP) for local employers and school districts, and runs a school outreach program active in seven school districts and 28 schools.
The presenter said state budget support has been part of Mosaic's funding picture. "We had been in the budget for 3 years, and after 1 year off from that, we are so grateful to be back in at $200,000; that amount to us really changes into $600,000 of value out into the community," Linowasky said, describing how reduced therapist rates stretch the appropriation.
Committee members asked about volumes and referrals. Linowasky estimated Mosaic made roughly 2,300 referrals in a year and that about 5% of its referrals come from certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs). Senators also discussed possibilities for Medicaid billing to support school-based services and asked about administrative overhead for data collection required for that reimbursement.
The presentation was informational; the subcommittee did not record additional motions or votes on the transcript.
