WHEELING, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Interim Sessions of the West Virginia Legislature for the month of November got underway on Sunday and saw members of the Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Resources Accountability convene for a briefing on the status of the reorganization of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
One of the departments to stem from said reorganization will be the Department of Health, which will consist of the Bureau for Public Health, the Office of Emergency Management Services, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Center for Threat Preparedness, and the Office of the Inspector General.
The focus of the Bureau for Public Health will be the addressing of vacancies as well as the aging workforce. Long-term employment will be a priority for the department, as over half of agency’s employees will become eligible to retire within the next five years. Programs like birth to three could see expansion, with birth to three specifically potentially becoming birth to five.
The Department of Human Services will reportedly comprise the Bureau of Medical Services, the Bureau for Family Assistance, the Bureau for Behavior Health, the Bureau of Social Services, the Bureau for Child Support Enforcement, and the Office of Drug Control Policy.
The Bureau for Medical Services will focus on the setting of Medicaid rates, as well as the Manage Care RFQ, which is set for December.
The Bureau for Family Assistance will be working toward a full implementation of family support centers, along with SNAP, TANF, and assistance support for utilities.
The Bureau for Behavior Health will focus on the development of a certified community behavior health center, as well as the completion of a homelessness study.
The Bureau for Social Services will work on a rate restructuring and youth residential model, as well as toward efforts in transforming child welfare with an updated decision-making model and improved first-contact time. Workforce recruitment, retention, and support will also be prioritized.
The Department of Human Services is working on completing reviews on grants and contracts, and has determined that forty positions are no long necessary within the department.
The Department of Health Facilities will reportedly comprise state hospitals and facilities, with state facilities undergoing evaluation.