Budget cuts are being felt left and right in the educational field, but one of the hardest programs to be affected in Florence District Five is the Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS), according to District Superintendent Dr. John Morris and Medicaid Director Tina Williams.
It will also mean a reduction in income for the district, since it rents a facility to house the TBS program. Dr. Morris estimates the District will lose approximately $140,000-$150,000 annually in indirect services. TBS is the largest program of the Medicaid revenue totaling 66 per cent. Non-emergency transportation services are reimbursed at a rate of 87 cents per mile to transport children to the TBS Center.
Dr. Morris said the district will continue to offer some services to children who are a part of TBS and who qualify under the new services the government plans to implement. When asked about the new program, Williams said, “We are still working on it. We really don’t know at this time how the services will play out.”
Not only will the children be affected by the changes in the program, but there will also be changes that will affect those who work in the program.
In her office last week, Williams said, “We have a draft for the program, which is to be implemented July 1, 2010, but the powers that be are still seeking input and we don’t know what we will have until we get the final plan.”
In 2008 (2 ½ years ago) the district was advised the program would be reorganized, but had not heard anything more until recently. These are federally mandated changes being made by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS looked at all the services provided under TBS for children ages 0-6, including psychosocial services to ages 7-21, and took the best of the services provided by those programs and put them into “unbundled services”.
“The new program, Rehabilitative Behavioral Health Services, is not a program as we know it, but will offer rehabilitative services from ages 0-21. Ten services will be available to children to reduce physical or mental disability and to restore an individual to their best possible functional level,” Williams said.
Services must be provided by a licensed/certified professional, which could be the school psychologist, Williams said. Assistants in the program must be trained through a DHHS approved 30-hour certified program.
“This program (or service) is far-reaching,” Williams said. “It will affect the Department of Juvenile Justice, Foster Care, SC Commission of the Blind and any state department that deals with children.”
Presently, TBS only has clients to age 7. The 4-K and 5-K classrooms may have one TBS assistant in each classroom for up to 5 students. The 4-K program is day care licensed and is inspected by DHEC and DSS twice a year. Currently 67 students are served in the TBS Center and 42 students are served in 4-K and 5-K. The program is also assessed yearly by the State Department of Education.
The Florence District Five Program is rated as an exemplary program.
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