Northeast Kingdom agencies tell House Healthcare investments reduced waits but warn of risks from HCBS eligibility changes

Representatives of Northeast Kingdom Human Services and partner providers told the Vermont House Committee on Health Care on Feb. 20 that recent state investments have expanded local mental-health capacity, cut children's wait times and kept most people out of emergency departments — but they urged caution about upcoming Home and Community-Based Services eligibility changes.

Kelsey (representative of Northeast Kingdom Human Services) said the agency now has no adult-service wait list and that children’s wait times have fallen from about one year to roughly three months after stepped-up funding and workforce growth. “When you invest, it makes a difference,” Kelsey said, adding that designated agencies serve as “training grounds for therapists, for case managers” and that roughly 90% of funding goes to staff.

The committee heard several concrete markers of expansion. Kelsey said the region’s crisis “front porch” urgent-care program has diverted people from emergency departments most months, with October and November showing 2% and about…