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CBOs and clinicians urge council to slow DBH's in-house transition, demand raw data
Summary
Community-based providers, clinicians and advocacy groups told the Committee on Health that DBH's plan lacks raw environmental-scan data and staffing/budget detail and that removing CBO clinicians risks destabilizing culturally responsive services.
Multiple CBO leaders and school-based clinicians told the Committee on Health that DBH's proposal to bring services in house risks disrupting relationships, culturally specific services and local wraparound care.
Leah Kaslas of Children's Law Center said the plan "lacks sufficient data and stakeholder engagement to justify bringing the program fully in house," and called for the raw environmental-scan dataset to be released. Kristen Ewing of D.C. Appleseed noted the plan "lacks transparency, reliable data, staffing details, and authentic stakeholder engagement," and highlighted DBH's statement that it would add 113 FTEs over three years without a public licensure and salary breakdown.
CBO providers described services that extend beyond clinic hours—crisis management, family navigation, psychiatric linkages and wraparound supports—and said the DBH analysis undercounted those activities. Community of Hope, Mary's Center, Catholic Charities and Hillcrest leaders said grant rates and billing rules constrained CBO ability to sustain clinicians and called for greater grant support and technical assistance rather than removing CBOs from schools.
Several clinicians warned the committee that cluster and telehealth models could reduce drop-in availability and weaken trusted daily presence in school buildings. "Our presence in schools is in part how I'm identifying students to bring on to my caseload," one school clinician testified.
