LAC Audit of Children’s Behavioral Health Services at HHS
The South Carolina Legislative Audit Council (LAC) published their much anticipated report on Children’s Behavioral Health Services at the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS). The LAC makes 57 recommendations, 52 of which were made to HHS, that cut across several areas of review. From rates to accountability and provider networks, they dug deep and found many deficiencies in how services are currently being rendered to one of the most vulnerable populations in our state.
P&A has raised concerns and questions about Children’s Behavioral Health Services with SCDHHS for some time. Unfortunately, the report shines new light on how serious the problems are within this area of South Carolina’s Medicaid system. SCDHHS, as the state Medicaid agency, is responsible for ensuring that South Carolina’s children receive the services they need in the most appropriate setting, that those services are of the highest quality, and that children get those services in a timely fashion. SCDHHS should take LAC’s recommendations seriously and take appropriate action to resolve the problems in Children’s Behavioral Health as soon as possible.