Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Child Welfare Behavioral Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Statewide Citizens Review Panel urges DCFS to partner with Nevada Health Authority as Medicaid implements five‑year plan
Summary
The panel voted to present a formal recommendation that the Division of Child and Family Services deepen collaboration with the Nevada Health Authority and Medicaid as Medicaid implements a five‑year plan tied to a Department of Justice settlement to build community‑based behavioral‑health services.
The statewide citizens review panel voted to present a recommendation urging the Division of Child and Family Services to deepen collaboration with the Nevada Health Authority as Medicaid implements its five‑year plan stemming from a Department of Justice settlement.
Dylan Hall read the panel’s proposed language on the record: "The statewide citizen review panel recommends the division of child and family services deepen its collaboration with the Nevada Health Authority as Medicaid implements the 5‑year state plan stemming from the Department of Justice settlement." He said the partnership should build on progress to expand community‑based services so children and families can access care without entering the child‑welfare system.
Panelists debated whether the recommendation should be narrowly prescriptive or framed broadly to emphasize partnership. Molly Blanchett and others urged practical language that recognized existing state efforts and funding constraints; Sway Mackie raised workforce concerns about expecting child‑welfare agencies to stand up new services. "We need to be thoughtful — we don't want to set a precedent that every time a service is needed the division has to build it," Sway Mackie said.
Sway Mackie moved to present the draft as the CRP recommendation; Laurie Jackson seconded. Dylan Hall conducted a roll‑call vote: Devin Bartmoss (approved via chat), Lauren Powell (approved), Jane Saint (approved), Molly Blanchett (approved; Beverly Brown served as proxy), Laurie Jackson (approved) and Sway Mackie (approved). The motion passed.
Dylan Hall said the division will prepare a written response to recommendations and present responses to the panel at the July meeting. The vote commits the CRP to formally transmitting the recommendation; whether and how DCFS implements specific steps will be addressed in the division’s response and in subsequent coordination with Medicaid and the Nevada Health Authority.
Next steps: the CRP will transmit the recommendation to the division; the division’s formal response will be reported back to the panel at the July meeting.
