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Joint finance committee reviews mental health services budget, agency seeks transfer exemptions to cover Idaho Behavioral Health Plan

2139730 · January 20, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Legislative analysts and the Department of Health and Welfare reviewed the Division of Mental Health Services budget, noting federal grants tied to the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan and a request that the legislature exempt the department from certain program-transfer limitations in Idaho Code §67-3511 for FY2025 and FY2026.

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday heard a presentation on the Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Mental Health Services budget and a departmental request to ease transfer limits so the agency can move funds across program categories for unforeseen needs.

Analyst Alex Williamson, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee the division’s budget pages begin at 2-91 in the committee book and that the division is organized into children’s mental health and adult mental health programs. Williamson said the division’s authorized staff count was 305 full-time positions before committee action this week reduced the count to 278.23 FTP.

The request matters because the division is seeking authority to tap federal grants tied to the Idaho Behavioral Health Plan (IBHP), which went live in July 2024 after earlier delays. Williamson told the committee the department is asking…

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