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Richland County HHS placement report shows steady utilization; CLTS billing transition cited as revenue timing issue
Summary
Committee reviewed placement and program utilization reports; staff said adult and child placement rates are near budgeted targets and noted billing-system changes have delayed CLTS revenue draws.
Richland County Health and Human Services staff told the standing committee that adult and child placement utilization for the reporting period is close to budgeted levels and described billing- and revenue-timing issues in the Children’s Long-Term Support (CLTS) program tied to a state system transition.
On placements, staff said adult placement utilization was at roughly 35 percent and children’s placements at about 41 percent (with 42 percent being the expected benchmark for the period). Staff explained that one youth recently discharged from residential placement returned to a parent and that one youth aged out of treatment foster care, which will reduce institutional costs for the remainder of the year. Staff did not provide a formal recidivism rate when asked; the staff member said that data would require follow-up with the children’s unit.
On CLTS billing and revenue, staff said the state changed the county’s third-party billing system from WPS to GainWell (through ForwardHealth). The transition created “glitches” that prevented timely claiming and drawing down revenue, producing a lag in revenue recognition. Staff said a recent state deposit of almost $250,000 will help cover funds the state holds back under contract payment terms.
Staff provided numbers in the financial summary: they cited $125,000 in actual CLTS expenses for the reporting period and noted that the department had received “hardly any revenue coming in yet” because of the billing transition. Staff also said institutional placements for children are expected to decrease as certain cases close or age out.
Committee members asked whether the department measures whether children who return home remain out of placement; staff said they did not have a recidivism figure on hand and referred the committee to the children’s unit for that inquiry.
Ending: Staff said they will continue to monitor placements and billing-claiming under GainWell and will report back in future placement reports.
