UNH's START evaluation finds model fits Sedgwick County and recommends a START pilot

Dr. Karen Wiegley, acting director of the National Center for START Services (University of New Hampshire), summarized the START model as an evidence-based, team-driven approach for crisis prevention and intervention for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "It is an acronym for systemic therapeutic assessment resources and treatment," Dr. Wiegley said while explaining START's combination of training, clinical consultation, outreach and a potential resource center that serves as a step-down from hospitals.

Luke Bernard, a UNH evaluator, presented Sedgwick County-specific findings: roughly 1% of the population with IDD uses a disproportionate share of Medicaid resources and a small group of high utilizers drives much of the cost. "So about 1 percent of the population, right, has an intellectual disability or autism, and they actually use about 19% of Medicaid resources," Bernard said. Presenters said START teams nationally reduce emergency-department visits, psychiatric hospitalizations and arrests for people enrolled in the program and increase the share who can stay at home. Jeanette Livingston (deputy director, CDDO services) told the commission the county will request state grant funding at next week's meeting to start an RFP for a START vendor; she emphasized the request does not ask for additional county dollars.